Asm. Lester Chang
Lester Chang represents AD-49, a heavily Democratic district with a D+33 partisan lean and a voter registration breakdown of 48.7% Democrat, 16.1% Republican, and 33.0% Independent. Despite the district's strong Democratic tilt, Chang — first elected in 2022 by a margin of just 4.0 points over incumbent Peter J. Abbate, Jr. — ran uncontested in 2024; the 2026 scenario model rates the seat as at minimum Likely D even under a favorable Republican environment, underscoring his structural vulnerability. The district, centered in Brooklyn, is majority Asian at 51.2% of the population, with a 21.1% poverty rate, a homeownership rate of 33.3%, and a median household income of $65,630. In the 2025 session, Chang sponsored 25 bills with concentrations in Education (5 bills) and Executive matters (4 bills), alongside smaller clusters in New York City Administrative Code, Energy, Financial Services, and General Business.AI
Topic Focus AI
Topics extracted by AI from floor debate speeches, joint committee hearing transcripts, and sponsored legislation. Tag size reflects number of supporting citations.
Key Issues AI
Key issue areas derived from floor debate speeches and sponsored bill law sections.
Legislative Activity (2025–2026)
Bill sponsorship from NYS Open Legislation API. Hearing appearances from joint Senate-Assembly committee transcripts. Floor debate from official Assembly session transcripts (Granicus, 2023–present).
Bill Focus Areas 2025–2026
Grouped by law section from sponsored Assembly bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation API.
Floor Speeches: In Support (4) AI
Supported the bill citing infrastructure improvements including Second Avenue Subway, National Guard facilities, libraries, and funding for Brooklyn institutions like the Botanical Garden, Aquarium, and Zoo, though acknowledged the budget is not broad enough for complete infrastructure upgrades.
Supported the bill citing infrastructure improvements including Second Avenue Subway, National Guard facilities, libraries, and funding for Brooklyn institutions like the Botanical Garden, Aquarium, and Zoo, though acknowledged the budget is not broad enough for complete infrastructure upgrades.
Assemblymember Lavine explained the bill is written with Abraham Lincoln's philosophy in mind, ensuring that veterans who are incarcerated and about to be released receive available federal and state benefits they deserve. Lavine emphasized that New York State has one of the largest veteran populations in the nation and that caring for veterans is a solemn obligation.
Noted acupuncture is an ancient Eastern medicine treatment approved by the Veterans Administration, provides a non-drug option for pain relief, and is affordable and harmless.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition (5) AI
As a 30-year poll site coordinator, argued existing Board of Elections emergency procedures already address disruptions through affidavit ballots and other remedies, and that the bill was drafted without consulting election operations experts. Noted that current law already allows voters to remain at polling sites past closing time if they arrived before 9 p.m.
Skeptical that lawyers, PhDs, or English majors will actually write at an eighth-grade level, and noted that more than half of actual eighth graders read below eighth-grade level, making the standard problematic.
Argued the five-year moratorium was overly restrictive and would cede market share to other states and countries. Suggested a three-year study period with age restrictions would be preferable, and questioned why similar protections don't exist in advanced AI markets like Korea, China, and Japan.
Argued the five-year moratorium is overly restrictive and prevents market development and research. Suggested three years would be more appropriate and advocated for age restrictions rather than a complete ban. Questioned why other countries with advanced AI toy industries were not studied as models.
The bill has flawed language regarding application to out-of-state creditors and debt sales; creates too much conflict for lawyers and courts to interpret, and lacks clear protection for debtors when debt is sold to collectors outside New York.
Electoral History AD-49
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lester Chang 100.0% (15,093) | Uncontested | — |
| 2022 | Lester Chang 52.0% (7,424) | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 48.0% (6,842) | ⚡ 4.0pts |
| 2020 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 100.0% (18,104) | Uncontested | — |
| 2018 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 84.3% (10,799) | Rosemary Mangino 15.7% (2,017) | 68.6pts |
| 2016 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 75.5% (13,824) | Rosemary A. Mangino 24.5% (4,474) | 51.0pts |
| 2014 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 76.0% (4,872) | Henry Lallave 24.0% (1,536) | 52.0pts |
| 2012 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 89.4% (12,108) | Vincent Katinas 10.6% (1,429) | 78.8pts |
| 2010 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 61.4% (7,416) | Peter Cipriano 38.6% (4,659) | 22.8pts |
| 2008 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 71.9% (14,034) | Lucretia Regina-Potter 28.1% (5,487) | 43.8pts |
| 2006 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 74.2% (7,884) | Lucretia Regina-Potter 25.8% (2,737) | 48.4pts |
| 2004 | Peter J. Abbate 72.9% (14,553) | Fred Martorell 27.1% (5,417) | 45.8pts |
| 2002 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 93.4% (7,603) | Cynthia Gallo 6.6% (541) | 86.8pts |
| 2000 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 75.1% (15,705) | Josephine N. Frediani 24.9% (5,212) | 50.2pts |
| 1998 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 67.0% (10,249) | Luigi R. Marano 33.0% (5,059) | 34.0pts |
| 1996 | Peter J. Abbate, Jr. 71.5% (13,570) | Vincenzo Di Giacomo 24.1% (4,572) | 47.4pts |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts. District history reflects 2022 redistricted boundaries.
Vulnerability Index AD-49
Base lean: D+14
- Ran uncontested in most recent election
- Won last contested race by only 4.1 points
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+14). Base lean blends voter registration (40%) with recent contested general election margins (60%), using up to the last 4 general elections with margins under 40 points. Ratings: Safe D/R = 15+ pts, Likely = 8–14 pts, Lean = 3–7 pts, Toss-up = within 2 pts (Assembly districts are smaller and more homogeneous than Senate districts, so tighter thresholds are used). Generic ballot from Silver Bulletin (Nate Silver), as of 10/20/2026. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.
District 49 Profile
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024).
Voter Registration
Demographics
Commute Mode
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). Race and ethnicity figures may not sum to 100% — Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity category that overlaps with racial groups.
Lobbying Activity
No lobbying disclosures on record for this member in the available dataset.
Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov.