Melinda R. Katz (born August 19,1965) is an American attorney and politician from New York City, serving as the district attorney of Queens since January 1, 2020.
As a Democrat, she previously served as the Queens Borough President from 2014 to 2019. Katz was also a New York City Councilwoman from 2002 to 2009. She ran for New York City comptroller in 2009. In 2019, Katz won the Democratic nomination for Queens County's District Attorney, and she won the general election in November 2019.
Early life and education
Melinda Katz was born on August 19, 1965, and grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, with three older brothers. She is Jewish and comes from a Jewish family with a long history of civic involvement."Queens community stands united in support of Israel at Kew Gardens vigil," QNS, October 9, 2023. Her mother, Jeanne Dale Katz, founded the Queens Council on the Arts one year after Melinda was born. When Melinda was three years old, her mother was killed in a car accident after being struck by a drunk driver. Her father then raised her and her brothers. "Melinda Katz, pledging justice reform, wins Queens DA race," Queens Daily Eagle, November 5, 2019."A Queens Girl at Home With the Old Boys," Observer, May 26, 2009."Katz’s lifetime of public service began in Forest Hills", Queens Chronicle, March 25, 2021. Her father, conductor David Katz, founded the Queens Symphony Orchestra and a music camp. Melinda sang with the orchestra as a mezzo-soprano."PLAYING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD," The New York Times, July 30, 2000. Her father died in 1987, when Melinda was 21 years old.
Katz attended Hillcrest High School in Queens. "NYC Campaign Finance Board 2013 Voter Guide," nyccfb.info, 2013 She earned a B.A. degree in 1987 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, summa cum laude with honors, where she was named a Commonwealth Scholar."WINNERS' CIRCLE; Destination Albany: The Newest Faces," The New York Times, February 20, 1994. She wrote her college honors thesis on how gay men in the fashion industry had a difficult time receiving loans because bankers were afraid that AIDS would kill the men before the loans could be repaid. She earned a J.D. degree in 1990 from St. John's University School of Law, where she wrote for the Law Journal.
Career Early years After law school, she worked as a law clerk for Michael Mukasey, who was serving as judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She later interned with the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and was an adjunct professor of constitutional law at Queens College.
She was recruited by the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where she worked as an associate on mergers and acquisitions for over four years before running for the New York State Assembly.
New York State Assembly (1994–99) Running on the Liberal and Good Government party lines, and with the endorsement of The New York Times, Katz won election to the New York State Assembly in 1994, defeating local Democratic district leader and Queens Democratic Party candidate Michael Cohen by eight percentage points."In Special Elections, Democrats Win Two Senate Seats," The New York Times, February 16, 1994."Two for the Assembly," The New York Times, February 14, 1994. In 1995, the New York Daily News named her "one of the one hundred up-and-coming young leaders for the 21st Century."
She served as a Member of the New York State Assembly from 1994 to 1999, representing Queens' 28th District. During her tenure as an assembly member, Katz drafted 16 bills that became laws, including health care initiatives. She wrote the law requiring HMOs to provide women direct access to gynecological care, without forcing the women to first see a primary care physician. She was also the Chair of the subcommittee on Urban Health. She was the primary sponsor of several bills to increase penalties for various forms of assault, including a bill to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, which was opposed by the Roman Catholic Church."How Did a Loyal Democrat Become an Enemy of the Progressives?," The New York Times, July 25, 2019. In 1998, she relinquished her seat to run for the U.S. Congress."NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: FOREST HILLS; A Lost Race: Sizing Up The Damage," The New York Times, October 4, 1998.
1998 Congressional Democratic primary In 1998, Katz ran for U.S. Congress from New York's 9th congressional district. The seat had been held by Chuck Schumer, who was running for the U.S. Senate. She was endorsed by The New York Times, which praised her as "an advocate of health and women's issues and for her constituent services"."Races for Congress in New York City," The New York Times, September 10, 1998. She lost the primary by 285 votes to Anthony Weiner, who went on to win the subsequent general election.
From 1999 to 2002, she was Director of Community Boards for the Office of the Queens Borough President.
New York City Council (2002–09) Katz was subsequently elected to the New York City Council, where she served from 2002 to 2009. She represented the 29th district.
Katz served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Land Use, which was responsible for approving major projects and rezoning measures for wide-ranging pockets of the city, including Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Jamaica. As Chair of the committee, Katz oversaw the rezoning of 6,000 city blocks, including the Greenpoint-Williamsburg rezoning in 2005, the rezoning of 125th Street in Harlem, and the redevelopment of Willets Point.
In 2003 she introduced legislation to make it easier for New Yorkers to have pets, including protecting the elderly from being evicted from an apartment building due to their having a pet."A Bill to Ease Restrictions On Living With Pets," The New York Times, December 9, 2003. In 2005, she wrote to the president of New York City Transit, urging the installation of a camera surveillance system in Queens subway stations to deter crime."When the Crime Fighter Is a Hidden Camera," The New York Times, November 6, 2005.
Private sector Katz reached her Council term limit in 2009. She worked as a shareholder at the Greenberg Traurig law firm, where she specialized in government affairs and land use until her 2013 election as the Borough President of Queens. As Borough President, she lobbied for News Corporation.
2009 New York City Comptroller Democratic primary
In 2009, Katz ran for New York City Comptroller in a four-person Democratic primary. She sought to diversify pension funds, expand bank access to residents in poor neighborhoods, require greater transparency in the New York City Department of Education, and explored investing pension fund money in distressed debt. She was the only female who was running for any citywide political office that year."Police Union Backs Weprin for Comptroller," The New York Times, May 6, 2009. She finished third with 20% of the vote, behind winner Councilman John Liu and runner-up Councilman David Yassky."A Victory, Runoffs and Several Incumbents Ousted," The New York Times, September 15, 2009.
Queens Borough President (2014–20)
In 2012, Katz announced her plans to run for Queens Borough President in 2013. Her priorities were reported by The New York Times as including "an economic master plan for development in the borough ... [and] a better plan for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where a soccer stadium is being considered." She was endorsed by The New York Times, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Councilman Leroy Comrie, Pastor and former Congressman Floyd Flake, and the 1199 Hospital Workers Union."New York City Election Choices," The New York Times, August 23, 2013."Katz Gets Big Endorsement: Report," Patch, March 5, 2013. She won the Democratic nomination, defeating former New York City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. by 11 percentage points. She went on to win the general election with 80% of the vote.
In 2014, she broke with her predecessor's position and said that the New York State Pavilion in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, which had been created for the 1964 New York World's Fair should be restored "for future generations to enjoy," rather than being demolished, calling it an “architectural marvel.”"In Queens, the Fate of a Towering Relic From the 1964 World’s Fair Is Debated," The New York Times, February 17, 2014. In March 2017, she said that two significant challenges facing the borough were overcrowded schools, at 115% of capacity, and the borough's need for more housing."Five Leaders on New York’s Five Boroughs," The New York Times, March 23, 2017.
She was re-elected in 2017 with 78% of the vote in the general election. In 2017, she sent three letters to Carmen Fariña, the New York City Schools Chancellor, requesting that the process for hiring high school principals be changed. She said that the current process was “entirely shrouded under a veil of silence and secrecy.”"Rising Tumult Over Principal at Elite Queens High School," The New York Times, March 8, 2017.
Queens District Attorney (2020–present)
In December 2018, Katz announced her candidacy for Queens District Attorney. Her platform included working to reduce the impact of the Iron Pipeline, fighting for worker protections, targeting hate crimes and housing fraud, opposing ICE agents inside the courthouse, not prosecuting low-level marijuana offenses, not prosecuting sex workers but targeting traffickers, pimps, and people who solicit sex workers, and working to prevent elder abuse."2019 NYC elections Queens DA district attorney whos running candidates Melinda Katz Joe Murray NYC", Spectrum News, October 31, 2019."New York Primary Elections: Who’s Running for Queens D.A. ," The New York Times, June 25, 2019."Katz Throws Hat In The Ring For District Attorney," PoliticsNY, December 5, 2018. She was endorsed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and by U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks and Carolyn Maloney, Speaker of the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie, and Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr."Ocasio-Cortez Backs Insurgent Tiffany Cabán for Queens D.A., Testing Her Influence in N.Y.," The New York Times, May 22, 2019."What you need to know about each Queens DA candidate," City and State NY, June 17, 2019."Ocasio-Cortez Backs Insurgent Tiffany Cabán for Queens D.A., Testing Her Influence in N.Y.," The New York Times, May 22, 2019.