Walter T. Mosley III (born September 19, 1967)[citation needed] is an American politician who is currently serving as Secretary of State for New York. He previously represented the 57th district of the New York State Assembly, serving the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and parts of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant.[1][2] In 2020, Mosley lost his primary to nurse and political newcomer Phara Souffrant Forrest.[3]
Walter Mosley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 68th Secretary of State of New York | |
| Assumed office May 22, 2024 | |
| Governor | Kathy Hochul |
| Preceded by | Robert Rodriguez |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 57th district | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Succeeded by | Phara Souffrant Forrest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 19, 1967 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Pennsylvania State University (BS) Howard University (JD) |
Early life and education
editMosley was born in Brooklyn, New York.[citation needed] His mother is Marilyn Mosley, the president of Progressive Association for Political Action (PAPA) and chief of staff to the Speaker of the House Corey Johnson.[citation needed] His father is Walter T. Mosley, Sr., a retired insurance broker who currently lives in Ohio.[citation needed]
He attended Pennsylvania State University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in criminology. He received his J.D. degree from Howard University in 1998.[4]
Earlier career
editMosley served as a district leader, senior adviser to the Deputy Speaker of New York State Assembly and chief of staff and senior consultant to the New York State Assembly before running to for Assembly.
New York State Assembly
editMosley ran to fill Hakeem Jeffries's Assembly seat in the 57th district in 2012 when Jeffries ran for Congress. Mosley won the Democratic primary with 62.8% of the vote, beating out Olanike T. Alabi and Martine Guerrier. He handily defeated Republican challenger Francis J. Voyticky, who Hakeem Jeffries had beaten in 2010, in the general election with 97.6% of the vote.[5] Mosley ran unopposed in 2014, 2016, and 2018, running on both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines in 2016 and 2018.[6][7][8]
East Ramapo School District bill
editHe was originally a co-sponsor of a bill to place a monitor with veto power in the East Ramapo School District in Rockland County, an Orthodox Jewish-dominated school district that was diverting funds to yeshivas. Mosley took his name off after meeting with both sides, saying that the discussion about the bill has anti-Semitic overtones. He refused to meet with the sponsor of the bill, a 71-year-old former East Ramapo schoolteacher, and ultimately did not vote on the bill.[9][10][11]
2020 Democratic primary defeat
editMosley faced his first primary challenger since 2012 in the Democratic primary on June 23, 2020 against Phara Souffrant Forrest. While Mosley led Forrest by 588 votes on election night, absentee ballots were more significant than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 22, 2020, once absentee ballots had been counted, Forrest was declared the winner of the primary by over 2,500 votes.[12]
Secretary of State
editMosley was nominated by Governor Kathy Hochul to be Secretary of State, and was confirmed the New York state Senate on May 22, 2024.[13]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Walter T. Mosley, III | 4,565 | 62.8 | |
| Democratic | Olanike T. Alabi | 2,168 | 29.8 | |
| Democratic | Martine Guerrier | 535 | 7.4 | |
| Total votes | 7,268 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Walter T. Mosley, III | 46,733 | 97.6 | |
| Republican | Francis J. Voyticky | 1,111 | 2.3 | |
| n/a | Write-ins | 44 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 47,888 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Phara Souffrant Forrest | 15,711 | 55.5% | |
| Democratic | Walter T. Mosley III | 12,609 | 44.5% | |
| Total votes | 29,622 | 100 | ||
References
edit- ^ "Biography".
- ^ "Political Personal: Mosley Cruises to Re-Election". Fort Greene Local (New York Times).
- ^ Witt, Stephen (2020-07-22). "New Day in Assembly: Gallagher Unseats Lentol, Forrest Unseats Mosley". Kings County Politics. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ "In Public Service: Mosley worked behind scenes in politics". 11 March 2016.
- ^ "NYS Board of Elections Assembly Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections.
- ^ "NYS Board of Elections Assembly Election Returns November 4, 2014" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections.
- ^ "NYS Board of Elections Assembly Election Returns Nov. 8, 2016" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections.
- ^ "Certified Results from the November 6, 2018 General Election for NYS Assembly" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections.
- ^ "The Under-the-Radar Election Next Week". New York State of Politics.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (18 May 2015). "Bid to Impose Monitor on East Ramapo School Board Meets Resistance". The New York Times.
- ^ "Jewish Assemblywoman Says She's Been Bullied By Colleagues". The Jewish Press. 16 July 2015.
- ^ Verde, Ben (22 July 2020). "BREAKING: Phara Souffrant Forrest Declares Victory over Walter Mosley in Crown Heights Assembly Race". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Governor Hochul Announces Confirmation of Administration Appointees by Senate". New York Governor. May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ "NYS Board of Elections Assembly Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. March 20, 2013.
- ^ "Certified Results from the June 23, 2020 Primary Election" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-12-22.