You are reading

Barry Grodenchik, Who Represents Eastern Queens in City Council, Announces That He Will Not Seek Re-election

Council Member Barry Grodenchik. (NYC City Council)

Oct. 14, 2020 By Christian Murray

Council Member Barry Grodenchik announced this morning that he will not seek re-election and will step down when his current term ends Dec. 31, 2021.

Grodenchik, who represents eastern Queens, is one of only four council members in Queens eligible to serve another term due to term limits.

His departure will mean that 12 of the 15 council seats in Queens are guaranteed to be represented by newcomers in 2022. Eleven council members in Queens will be forced to step down at the end of next year due to term limits.

Grodenchik, who is 60, said that his decision to not seek re-election was made after much deliberation.

“After much thought and reflection with family and friends, I have decided that it is time to put a period on this chapter of my life and retire from public service,” Grodenchik said in a statement posted to twitter. “Being a member of the council has been, and will continue to be, a hallmark of my public service career, which extends back more than a generation.”

Grodenchik, who has represented the 23rd Council District since he won a 2015 special election, has had a lengthy career in public service. He represented the Flushing area in the state assembly in 2003 and 2004, and was later the Queens Deputy Borough President from 2010 to 2013.

The council member was caught up in controversy last year when he was accused of having made unwanted advances and having inappropriate conversations with a female staffer. He later admitted  wrong doing and resigned from his chairmanship of the City Council Parks Committee.

Grodenchik, in announcing his decision not to seek reelection, thanked the people of his district and reflected on his time in office.

“In the council, it has been my honor to be a foremost advocate for feeding New Yorkers and for enhancing funding for our parks,” he said. “Locally, I have advanced the cause of education, including the building of over 2,600 new school seats.”

Grodenchik is lifelong Queens resident who grew up in NYCHA’s Pomonok Houses in Flushing.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Op-ed: It’s time for common-sense leadership in Queens

Apr. 25, 2025 By Phil Wong

New York City is at a crossroads—and our community knows it. From rising crime to overdevelopment, from classrooms focused on politics instead of academics, to congestion pricing that punishes working families, it’s clear City Hall has lost touch with the people it’s supposed to serve.

Briarwood cop charged with allegedly sexting undercover officer posing as 14-year-old girl: DA

An off-duty NYPD cop from Briarwood was arrested on Thursday morning and booked at the 102nd Precinct in South Ozone Park for allegedly sending sexually explicit content via an online app to an undercover officer posing online as a 14-year-old girl.

Police Officer Travis DeSouza, 35, of Van Wyck Expressway, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on the night of April 24 on a criminal complaint charging him with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, official misconduct, and other related crimes, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Friday.