After 22 years, Upper West Siders living between West 80th and West 125th streets will soon say goodbye to longtime state Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell.

Elected in 2002, O’Donnell, a liberal Democrat, served in Albany as a leading voice for LGBTQ rights and criminal justice reform.

What You Need To Know

  • Upper West Siders living between West 80th and West 125th streets will soon say goodbye to longtime state Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell

  • Elected in 2002, O’Donnell, a liberal Democrat, served in Albany as a leading voice for LGBTQ rights and criminal justice reform

  • O’Donnell is known for authoring New York’s Same-Sex Marriage Law, repealing the “50-a” statute that concealed some law enforcement officers’ personnel records and embarking on a tour of the state’s prison system

“The earliest memory I have in the political life was the day Robert Kennedy was shot. I was seven,” he told NY1. “At that point, there were only four stations on the TV, and my brother and I came downstairs to watch cartoons, and there were no cartoons on because they were covering this. We went upstairs, and I woke up my parents. I told my mother and she started to cry."

"And as a 7-year-old, mothers aren't supposed to cry. They’re grown-ups, why is she crying? And so struck me, whoever that was, someone we didn’t know, must be very important, and what he does must be very important," he added. 

O’Donnell is known for authoring New York’s Same-Sex Marriage Law, repealing the “50-a” statute that concealed some law enforcement officers’ personnel records and embarking on a tour of the state’s prison system. And yet, he nearly gave up his dream to hold public office.

“I got to Catholic University, the first day of school I met John Banta, we fell in love and there were no gay politicians,” he said. “And at that point, marriage was just a dream. People didn't think that was possible.”

O’Donnell attended law school, worked as a public defender and served on his community board — before finally running and winning his seat in 2002. But once in Albany, he began the yearslong fight towards marriage equality.

Sending weekly emails to fellow lawmakers and even deploying his then-partner John Banta to convince them to cast "yes" votes, O’Donnell helped the bill win passage in his chamber, before 2011 when it eventually cleared the state Senate and was signed into law.

“As all things are, New York did it. And I met some people on a trip, they were from Massachusetts and they said, 'Well, we did it first!' I said, you did, but you didn’t allow people from out of state to get married now did ya, and the guy was like, 'Oh, you really know this,' and I was like, 'Yeah, I lived it for five years!'" he recalled. 

Formerly the Assembly’s Committee on Corrections chairman, O’Donnell sponsored the bill repealing 50-a, which protected NYPD, FDNY and correction officers’ disciplinary records. He also toured dozens of state prisons, assessing conditions and visiting inmates.

“As you whittle down the populations, what you're left with are the people with the most severe problems,” he said, explaining how, at times, the dynamic jeopardizes safety for inmates and guards.

“I'm opposed to solitary confinement, not 100%, but primarily because it is not conducive to people getting better, but you can't take that tool entirely away. If you have to segregate someone, they have an obligation to protect the other inmates from people," he added.

He thinks New York must do more to solve the mental health crisis — an issue that is currently dominating local and national headlines. Working under five governors, two Assembly Speakers and an ever-changing makeup of the chamber’s Democratic majority, O’Donnell says fissures in the party have complicated the job.

“I have been accused of being a right-wing person. I don't even know what to say. I represent the most liberal district in the country,” he said.

It's a hard system to work in. It's a leader-driven system, and leaders want to be elected, re-elected leaders, and they therefore sometimes make decisions that aren't the best. For now, O’Donnell says although he has no job lined up, he’s keen on getting some rest.

“I'm looking forward to being out of the public eye. I'm looking forward to spending longer vacations in France and cooking more,” he revealed.

“It's a hard system to work in. It's a leader-driven system, and leaders want to be elected, re-elected leaders, and they therefore sometimes make decisions that aren't the best,” he continued.

“I'm looking forward to being out of the public eye. I'm looking forward to spending longer vacations in France and cooking more,” he said.

Sources told NY1 that the Manhattan County Democrats nominated O’Donnell to serve as the next Manhattan Board of Elections Commissioner at a recent meeting, following the unexpected death of the prior officeholder Carol Edmead.

The nomination still needs to be confirmed by the City Council.

O’Donnell confirmed to NY1 that he would do the job if approved.

O’Donnell isn’t the only well-known member of his family; his sister is comedian, actress and television producer Rosie O'Donnell. Micah Lasher, also a Democrat, will take over his seat as a freshman Assemblyman come January.