NADLER
Jerrold

• 1. Early life, education, and early political career
• 2. New York State Assembly

Jerrold Lewis Nadler is an American lawyer and politician who since 2023 has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 12th congressional district, which includes central Manhattan. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected in 1992 to represent the state's 17th congressional district, which was renumbered as the 8th district from 1993 to 2013 and as the 10th district from 2013 to 2023. Nadler chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023. In his 17th term in Congress, Nadler is the dean of New York's delegation to the House of Representatives. Before his election to Congress, Nadler served eight terms as a New York State Assemblyman.

Early life, education, and early political career

Nadler was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, the son of Miriam (née Schreiber) and Emanuel "Max" Nadler. Nadler described his father as a "dyed-in-the-wool Democrat" who lost his poultry farm in New Jersey when the younger Nadler was seven. In his youth, he attended Crown Heights Yeshiva; he is the only member of Congress with a yeshiva education. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1965 (where his debate team partner was the future philosopher of science Alexander Rosenberg, and Dick Morris managed his successful campaign for student government president).

Nadler received his B.A. in 1969 from Columbia University, where he became a brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi. After graduating from Columbia, Nadler worked as a legal assistant and clerk, first with Corporation Trust Company in 1970, then the Morris, Levin and Shein law firm in 1971. In 1972, Nadler was a legislative assistant in the New York State Assembly before becoming shift manager at the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation, a position he held until becoming a law clerk with Morgan, Finnegan, Pine, Foley and Lee in 1976.

While attending evening courses at the Fordham University School of Law, Nadler was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1976. He completed his J.D. at Fordham in 1978.

New York State Assembly

Nadler was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1992, sitting in the 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th and 189th New York State Legislatures.

In 1985, he ran for Manhattan Borough President. He lost the Democratic primary to David Dinkins. In the general election, he ran as the New York Liberal Party nominee, and again lost to Dinkins.

In 1989, he ran for New York City Comptroller. In the Democratic primary, he lost to Kings County D.A. Elizabeth Holtzman.

Nadler founded and chaired the Assembly Subcommittee on Mass Transit and Rail Freight.