Donovan Richards

Prior to his election in February of 2013, Councilman Donovan Richards Jr. spent the last decade fighting to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. His diligence in public service led to a strong track record as a spokesperson and advocate. This long record of success and advocacy, along with his dedication to community, has led to his becoming representative of the 31st Council District. Since childhood, Councilman Richards has been committed to public service at home and abroad. He served with a mission in Port-a-Prince, Haiti on behalf of St. Albans Congregational Church. This trip was a turning point in his understanding of what it really means to serve the community. Although initially he admittedly had little interest in politics, a tragic circumstance soon led to a reevaluation of his priorities. In March of 2003, his childhood friend, Darnell Patterson, was fatally shot in front of his own home. Councilman Richards decided he wouldn’t let Darnell die in vain, and became a positive force in the community. Shortly after Darnell’s death, Councilman Richards attended a meeting hosted by the previous Councilman, James Sanders Jr., regarding gun violence in the community. His outspoken testimony at this forum caught the attention of the Council Member. He would join the former Council Member’s staff that November, where over the course of a decade, he would work in every capacity from intern to Chief of Staff. After he was elected as Councilman of the 31st District, Councilman Richards and his staff hit the ground running, with no intention of slowing down. Councilman Richards has already managed to achieve many major victories for his district; all while facing the enormous challenge of rebuilding the community post Hurricane Sandy. Councilman Richards called out New York City when the plan was to leave homeowners impacted by Hurricane Sandy without reimbursement, stood up to the MTA for planning to cut services during the recovery, and created the Sandy Tracker Bill legislation, designed to protect our city from the scams and transparency issues that have plagued other disaster recoveries. He won fierce budget battles that have protected daycare centers, afterschool programs, firehouses, and libraries from proposed closures. He has allocated extra funding to every school in the district and already brought a Workforce 1 Career Center to District 31. Councilman Donovan Richards has been a voice for the people of New York City’s 31st District. In 2014, Councilman Richards was appointed by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to chair the committee on Environmental Protection which will help shape policies to create a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable city. Moving forward, Councilman Richards looks forward to representing voters in Rosedale, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Far Rockaway in the New York City Council for years to come.