Andrew Stein

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Andrew Stein (born Andrew J. Finkelstein in 1945) was the last President of the New York City Council. He was a longtime political leader in New York.

Stein's father is Jerry Finkelstein, a multi-millionaire retired publisher (i.e. of the New York Law Journal, among other publications). Andrew Stein chose to shorten his name.

Stein was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1970 and served in that office for seven years. He was well known for his series of public hearings into the management practices of nursing homes in the state.

In 1977, Stein was elected as the Borough President of Manhattan, defeating New York City Clerk David N. Dinkins in the primary. Stein defeated Dinkins in the 1981 primary for the borough presidency. Stein declined a race for a third term as borough president in 1985 to run for City Council President.

As City Council President, Stein served as the presiding officer of the City Council, was acting mayor in the absence or disability of Mayor Edward I. Koch, was a voting member of the Board of Estimate, and handled constituent and policy issues. Stein derived most of his power from his seat on the New York City Board of Estimate. He was reelected City Council President in 1989.

A decision by the United States Supreme Court which declared the Board of Estimate unconstitutional, took away this seat from Stein. A rewriting of the city charter called for the City Council Presidency to be abolished and the office of Public Advocate to be created, and to handle the role of presiding officer of the City Council and first in line of succession to the mayor. The change in duties would occur when Stein's term expired on January 1, 1994.

Stein announced he would challenged Dinkins, now the mayor, in the 1993 Democratic Primary for mayor. He later dropped out before the primary and briefly considered a bid for Public Advocate against City Consumer Affairs Commissioner Mark J. Green, City Councilwoman Susan Alter, and State Sen. David Paterson. Stein dropped out of the Public Advocate's race after a few weeks.

Stein retired from the City Council Presidency and from public life in the city. Since leaving office, he has pursued private business as a partner in Arapaho Partners, LLC, a business consulting firm based in New York City.

Preceded by Percy Sutton	Borough President of Manhattan 1978 – 1986	Succeeded by David N. Dinkins
Preceded by Carol Bellamy	President of the New York City Council 1986 – 1994	Succeeded by Office Abolished

Borough Presidents of Manhattan
Peters • Coogan • Cantor • Ahearn • Cloughen • McAneny • Marks • Dowling • Boyle • Loughman • Curran • Miller • Levy • Isaacs • Nathan • Rogers • Wagner • Jack • Dudley • Motley • Sutton • Stein • Dinkins • Messinger • Fields • Stringer