Asm. Kwani O'Pharrow
Kwani O'Pharrow represents AD-11, a district rated D+19 but with a demonstrated history of competitive general elections — O'Pharrow won the 2024 race by just 1.6 points over Joseph R. Cardinale (50.8% to 49.2%), and predecessor Kimberly Jean-Pierre won by only 0.8 points in 2022, making this one of the more electorally volatile districts despite its partisan lean. The district is majority-homeowner (77.5%) with a racially diverse population — 44.1% white, 31.2% Hispanic, and 21.7% Black — a median household income of $121,622, and a voter registration breakdown of 42.6% Democrat, 29.5% Independent, and 23.8% Republican. Under a favorable Republican environment, the 2026 scenario model places the seat at only Lean D, reflecting genuine vulnerability for a first-term member elected in 2025. O'Pharrow's 68 sponsored bills in the 2025 session concentrate most heavily in Education (10 bills), with additional focus on General Business, Real Property Taxation, Tax, Workers' Compensation, and Banking.AI
Topic Focus AI
Topics extracted by AI from joint Senate-Assembly committee hearing transcripts and floor debate. 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 (6) AI
As a former 25-year law enforcement officer, expressed pride in the bill and noted losing colleagues to suicide. Emphasized the bill enables peer-to-peer counseling training to prevent future tragedies.
Assemblywoman Peoples-Stokes explained that the bill addresses a critical issue for transplant patients, particularly those on Medicaid who are currently restricted to applying to only one transplant program. She noted that approximately 8,000 New Yorkers are on transplant wait lists, with roughly 400 expected to die before receiving a transplant. The bill allows patients to apply to multiple programs, improving access and quality of life by reducing dependence on dialysis.
As a veteran, emphasized the importance of supporting veterans and noted that it is unfortunate that legislation is needed in 2025 to address this issue, given the sacrifices made by service members.
Sponsor explained the bill expands the candidate pool from one recommendation to three, ensuring more efficient selection and better candidates for the Commission.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition AI
No recorded floor speeches in opposition found in our transcript archive for this member.
Electoral History AD-11
General Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Kwani B. O'Pharrow 50.8% (26,878) | Joseph R. Cardinale 49.2% (25,981) | ⚡ 1.6pts |
| 2022 | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 50.4% (18,362) | Christopher Sperber 49.6% (18,077) | ⚡ 0.8pts |
| 2020 | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 59.6% (30,392) | Eugene M. Murray 40.4% (20,573) | 19.2pts |
| 2018 | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 64.4% (23,485) | Kevin V. Sabella 35.6% (13,006) | 28.8pts |
| 2016 | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 60.1% (26,129) | Shawn Cullinane 39.9% (17,369) | 20.2pts |
| 2014 | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 58.0% (11,596) | Mark M. Gallo 33.3% (6,670) | 24.7pts |
| 2012 | Robert K. Sweeney 79.3% (28,064) | Rashad Cureton 20.7% (7,326) | 58.6pts |
| 2010 | Robert K. Sweeney 67.4% (16,798) | Brett A. Robinson 32.6% (8,143) | 34.8pts |
| 2008 | Robert K. Sweeney 71.3% (28,358) | James А. McDonaugh 28.7% (11,415) | 42.6pts |
| 2006 | Robert K. Sweeney 93.0% (15,485) | Donald H. Nohs 7.0% (1,167) | 86.0pts |
| 2004 | Robert K. Sweeney 93.4% (26,145) | Louis Molinaro 6.6% (1,858) | 86.8pts |
| 2002 | Robert K. Sweeney 90.7% (14,543) | Louis Molinaro 9.3% (1,489) | 81.4pts |
| 2000 | Robert K. Sweeney 89.4% (23,139) | Louis Molinaro 5.9% (1,515) | 83.5pts |
| 1998 | Robert K. Sweeney 66.5% (15,626) | Richard J. Burke 29.7% (6,986) | 36.8pts |
| 1996 | Robert K. Sweeney 66.4% (22,482) | Joseph A. Santorelli 33.6% (11,370) | 32.8pts |
Primary Elections
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (Democratic) | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 78.2% (1,411) | Jordan K. Wilson, Jr. 21.8% (394) | 56.4pts |
| 2016 (Republican) | Shawn Cullinane 96.0% (624) | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 4.0% (26) | 92.0pts |
| 2016 (Reform) | Kimberly Jean-Pierre 100.0% (6) | Uncontested | — |
Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts. District history reflects 2022 redistricted boundaries.
Vulnerability Index AD-11
Base lean: D+10
- Won last contested race by only 1.7 points
Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+10). 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 5/21/2026. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.
District 11 Profile
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024).
Voter Registration
Demographics
Commute Mode
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 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.