Eric Ulrich

Eric A. Ulrich
Member of the New York City Council from the 32nd District
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 2009
Preceded by Joseph Addabbo, Jr.
Constituency Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaways and Woodhaven (Queens, New York)
Personal details
Born February 13, 1985
Ozone Park, New York, United States
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Yadira Moran
Residence Ozone Park, New York, U.S.
Alma mater St. Francis College
Profession Politician
Religion Roman Catholic
Website NYC Council: District 32

Eric Anthony Ulrich (born February 13, 1985,[1] Ozone Park, New York) is a Republican politician from Queens, who sits on the New York City Council for District 32. He won his bid for re-election on November 5, 2013.[2]

Early life and education

Ulrich was born and raised in Ozone Park, Queens, where he attended P.S. 63Q (Old South), a public elementary school, and later, Nativity, a Catholic elementary school. After graduating from Cathedral Prep. Seminary High School, he became the first member of his family to earn a college degree. While studying political science at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, he met his wife-to-be, Yadira Moran, who is of Dominican descent. The couple married on November 20, 2009.

Ulrich worked for the Transportation Security Administration and the New York City Board of Elections for the borough of Queens. He taught religion at Xaverian High School (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn). He serves as the President of the Our Neighbors Civic Association of Ozone Park. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis Club of Howard Beach, the National Political Science Honor Society-Pi Sigma Alpha, and New York Republican State Committee.

Political career

In 2005, aged 20, Ulrich ran for a Republican District Leader post, but lost by 124 votes. Two years later, he mounted another challenge and won.[3] In February 2009, during a special election, he was elected to a seat on the New York City Council as a Republican, defeating three more senior candidates in the 32nd district, a swing district, in southwest Queens.[4][5]

Ulrich was re-elected in November 2009.[6][7] Ulrich is the youngest member of the city council. He currently serves on the Civil Service & Labor committee, the Education committee, the Housing & Buildings committee, the Public Safety committee, the Transportation committee; and the Waterfronts committee.

As a City Councilman in 2010 Ulrich supported a bill that required the New York City Clerk, whose office issues marriages licenses, to post “a list of all domestic and international jurisdictions that perform same sex marriages” on its website. The Clerk's site would also have been required to state that, due to the law, those couples married outside New York would enjoy the “benefits available to people lawfully married in New York”, at a time when New York only recognized same-sex marriage in other states. A spokesman for Ulrich's campaign stated that “Councilman Ulrich is pro-life and would have voted against the same-sex marriage bill in Albany ... [O]ne can support traditional marriage and provide gay couples with legal information at the same time.”[8] In the September 2012 primary he won the Republican nomination to challenge State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. but lost in the general election on November 6, 2012.

Chairman - NYC Council Veterans Committee

Ulrich also serves as Chair of the New York City Council's Veterans Committee.[9] Since assuming this role in early 2014, Ulrich has held hearings on a range of topics examining local veterans' issues and how New York City government can combat these challenges. For fiscal year 2015, Ulrich secured a $400,000 allocation to support local veterans' direct services. Five organizations were nominated to help veterans and their families with employment, mental health, and legal issues. Funding also supports programming for women veterans and newly returned service members.[10]

In April, 2014, Ulrich introduced a resolution (Res. 200/2014) in support of New York State military buy back reform. Current law excludes public employees from purchasing and applying credit toward retirement for peacetime military service. The Council's Committee on Veterans unanimously passed this Resolution in May and the Council adopted it the following month. The New York State Legislature subsequently passed military buy back reform in June and the bill currently awaits Governor Andrew Cuomo's signature.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Republican Eric Ulrich Wins Special Election for City Council". Urban Elephants. February 25, 2009. Republican Eric Ulrich, who turned 24 this month...
  2. ↑ "Ulrich wins re-election", New York Post, November 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ Ulrich political profile, vote.nyc.ny.us (PDF)
  4. ↑ Lauinger, John (2009-02-26). "New blood in 32nd District: 24-year-old GOP upstart grabs special election seat". New York Daily News.
  5. ↑ Jonathan P. Hicks (1997-10-13). "Queens Council Incumbent, Once Critic, Is Now Criticized". New York Times.
  6. ↑ NY1 News (2009-11-04). "NY1 Election results". NY1.
  7. ↑ http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/pdf/results/2009/General/7.28Queens32CouncilRecap.pdf
  8. ↑ Bragg, Chris (April 30, 2012). "For Eric Ulrich, gay marriage an attack line and a potential liability". City & State. Manhattan Media. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  9. ↑ "District 32 - Council Member - Republican". nyc.gov. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  10. ↑ Kristen Meriwether. "City Council Expands Funding Of Veterans Services". Gotham Gazette: The Place for New York Policy and Politics. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Press Release". nyc.gov. Retrieved 3 March 2015.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Joseph Addabbo, Jr.		 New York City Council, 32nd District
2009–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Vincent Ignizio		 Minority Whip, New York City Council
2010–present 		Incumbent