Photo: assembly.state.ny.usNY · Officeholder
DAssembly Member · District 42
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: NY State Assembly · District 42
Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is the Democratic incumbent for NY State Assembly District 42, in office since January 2015. An engineer, investment banker and former math teacher by background, she is the Assembly Majority Whip, chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs), and has also served as chair of the Kings County Democratic Party. She is running for re-election in November 2026.[1][2][3][4]
Bichotte Hermelyn was born and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants; according to her official biography, she is the first Haitian American woman elected in New York City. The biography also says she attended LaGuardia School of Music and Performing Arts.[1] She holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, an MS in electrical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, a BS in electrical engineering from SUNY Buffalo, and a BS in mathematics in secondary education and a BT in electrical engineering from Buffalo State College; the biography says she graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 2024 with a J.D.[1]
Before public office, she worked as a math teacher in the New York City public school system, a telecommunications engineer (with assignments in Japan and China), and an investment banker, according to her official biography, and was named an MIT Fellow in the Mel King Co-Lab Project.[1] She was elected a Democratic District Leader in 2010 and served as a board member of Habitat for Humanity, taking part in a 2011 home-building effort in Leogane, Haiti, according to the biography.[1]
Bichotte Hermelyn ran for the District 42 Assembly seat in 2014, defeating three candidates in the Democratic primary, and assumed office on January 1, 2015, succeeding Rhoda Jacobs. Since becoming a legislator she has introduced more than 200 bills, 34 of which have become law, and co-sponsored more than 250 others, according to her official biography.[3][1] She serves as Assembly Majority Whip and chairs the MWBE oversight subcommittee, which her biography credits with sponsored laws enacted in 2022 on MWBE program fraud, refinancing through the MWBE lending program and state contract spending thresholds; she also sits on the Housing, Education, Governmental Operations, Health, Higher Education and Ways and Means committees.[1][2] She sponsored the Jonah Bichotte Cowan Law, named for her late son, which sets requirements for hospital treatment of women who come in with concerns about pre-term labor. Her biography also describes her role in establishing the Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College and the Little Haiti Cultural and Business District in Flatbush.[1]
She was nominated chair of the Kings County Democratic County Committee in January 2020, according to Ballotpedia. In October 2026, City & State reported that a state Supreme Court justice ruled her term as chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party's executive committee ended after a September 23 organizational meeting.[3][4] Bichotte Hermelyn sits on Governor Kathy Hochul's Domestic Violence Advisory Council and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Edu Hermelyn, and their son, according to her official biography.[1]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.
Full candidate research ›NY State Assembly · District 42 ›
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. How topics are assigned
Most contested
Relates to certain mandatory disclosures for job advertisements
Requires certain mandatory disclosures for printed or digital job advertisements by an employer or third-party job posting entity; provides for the imposition of a fine of $2,500 for violations.
Jun 2, 2026 · Passed Assembly 86–54Official record ↗
Relates to labeling requirements for gas stoves
Requires the display of certain labels and warnings on gas stoves sold, displayed for sale, or offered for sale at retail to a consumer in this state; authorizes the department of state to adopt regulations regarding the placement and format of such labels; provides for penalties; authorizes the attorney general to enforce such provisions.
Jun 1, 2026 · Passed Assembly 91–48Official record ↗
Relates to the payment of restitution by registered and unregistered repair shops
Establishes that if financial loss has been made and a registrant or unregistered repair shop fails to comply with an order to pay restitution, the commissioner shall, by order, increase the amount of the penalty assessed.
Jun 1, 2026 · Passed Assembly 92–47Official record ↗
Most contested
Relates to the effectiveness of provisions of law relating to providing that in the case of any application for gas service to a building which is not supplied with gas, a utility corporation or municipality shall be obligated to provide gas service to such building.
Mar 31, 2026 · Passed Assembly 83–61Official record ↗
Provides that the assignment, transfer, or modification of leases for exploration, development, and production of gas or oil in state forests, reforestation areas and wildlife management areas shall not allow expansion or extension of such provisions.
Mar 10, 2026 · Passed Assembly 93–50Official record ↗
Relates to portable solar generation devices
Defines "portable solar generation device"; exempts portable solar generation devices from interconnection or net metering requirements; requires the state energy conservation construction code to allow for portable solar generation devices to be connected to a building's wiring through an electrical outlet.
May 28, 2026 · Passed Assembly 89–47Official record ↗
Most contested
Facilitates appellate review of rulings that implicate issues of public concern
Relates to facilitating appellate review of rulings that implicate issues of public concern.
May 18, 2026 · Passed Assembly 81–56Official record ↗
Provides that an accusatory instrument or supporting deposition consisting of factual allegations by a deponent with limited English proficiency is not sufficient unless accompanied by a sworn statement from an interpreter affirming the accuracy of the English interpretation.
Apr 28, 2026 · Passed Assembly 83–53Official record ↗
Requires certain elections take place in even-numbered years for certain municipal and judicial officials except in the city of New York.
Jun 5, 2026 · Passed Assembly 82–52Official record ↗
Most contested
Relates to determining the capacity of a defendant to stand trial
Provides for the use of restoration services when determining the capacity of a defendant to stand trial.
Jun 5, 2026 · Passed Assembly 83–49Official record ↗
Relates to labeling requirements for gas stoves
Requires the display of certain labels and warnings on gas stoves sold, displayed for sale, or offered for sale at retail to a consumer in this state; authorizes the department of state to adopt regulations regarding the placement and format of such labels; provides for penalties; authorizes the attorney general to enforce such provisions.
Jun 1, 2026 · Passed Assembly 91–48Official record ↗
Requires children enrolled in an overnight camp, summer day camp, or travelling summer day camp to be vaccinated against a specified list of diseases.
Apr 28, 2026 · Passed Assembly 90–47Official record ↗
Most contested
Establishes a comprehensive electric vehicle fast charging station implementation plan; requires the New York state energy and research development authority to further establish a "Fast Charge NY working group" to develop such plan; makes related provisions.
Mar 18, 2026 · Passed Assembly 108–35Official record ↗
Provides that a rental vehicle company or peer-to-peer car sharing program administrator may act as an agent for an authorized insurer with respect to accident and health insurance that provides coverage to shared vehicle owners, shared vehicle drivers, or a combination thereof, and any other coverage that the superintendent of financial services may approve as meaningful and appropriate in connection with the sharing of a shared vehicle.
Feb 10, 2026 · Passed Assembly 101–42Official record ↗
Relates to adjudications and owner liability for a violation of traffic-control signal indications in the city of Ithaca.
Jun 2, 2026 · Passed Assembly 105–34Official record ↗
Most contested
Requires children enrolled in an overnight camp, summer day camp, or travelling summer day camp to be vaccinated against a specified list of diseases.
Apr 28, 2026 · Passed Assembly 90–47Official record ↗
Requires name and contact information to be provided in certain calls made to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment.
Jan 29, 2026 · Passed Assembly 98–36Official record ↗
Enacts the "freedom to read act"
Requires each board of education to adopt a written policy for reconsideration of school library materials and make such policy available on its website; requires such policies to include provisions for the creation of a reconsideration committee to review complaints regarding school library materials; requires the commissioner of education to develop one or more model policies for school districts.
Jun 4, 2026 · Passed Assembly 114–27Official record ↗
Most contested
Requires that when a complaint is made to local code enforcement of a violation of the uniform fire prevention and building code or a local code which results in the issuance of a compliance order, the complainant shall also be provided a copy of such order.
Mar 30, 2026 · Passed Assembly 96–45Official record ↗
Relates to the bonding authority of the New York city housing development corporation
Increases the maximum aggregate principal amount of the outstanding notes and bonds of the New York city housing development corporation from twenty billion dollars to twenty-two billion dollars.
Jun 2, 2026 · Passed Assembly 92–47Official record ↗
Requires NYCHA to provide information and trainings to all residents regarding the formation of resident management corporations, the requirements of such resident management corporations and the potential benefits of creating such resident management corporations.
Jun 1, 2026 · Passed Assembly 95–44Official record ↗
Most contested
Provides for the protection of health information
Provides for the protection of health information; establishes requirements for communications to individuals about their health information; requires either written consent or a designated necessary purpose for the processing of an individual's health information.
Jun 4, 2026 · Passed Assembly 96–45Official record ↗
Enacts the responsible data center development act
Places a one year moratorium on the issuance of data center permits; requires utilities to establish an independent classification of service for large data centers; sets energy efficiency goals for data centers; provides for benefits for host communities; sets labor standards for the construction of data centers.
Jun 4, 2026 · Passed Assembly 103–38Official record ↗
Requires covered businesses to annually report to the department of labor regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on hiring and the nature of artificial intelligence use for the previous year; requires the department of labor to file an annual report on the impact of artificial intelligence on hiring and the nature of artificial intelligence use in the state; establishes penalties for covered business that fail to submit such reports.
Jun 3, 2026 · Passed Assembly 105–35Official record ↗
Voted with most of their party on all 100 party-divided votes on file.
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
Facilitates appellate review of rulings that implicate issues of public concern
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 81–56 · Yes 81–No 56 · Democrats 81–11, Republicans 0–45
May 18, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 83–53 · Yes 83–No 53 · Democrats 83–9, Republicans 0–44
Apr 28, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 83–61 · Yes 83–No 61 · Democrats 83–17, Republicans 0–44
Mar 31, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 82–52 · Yes 82–No 52 · Democrats 82–9, Republicans 0–43
Jun 5, 2026Official record ↗
Relates to certain mandatory disclosures for job advertisements
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 86–54 · Yes 86–No 54 · Democrats 86–9, Republicans 0–45
Jun 2, 2026Official record ↗
Relates to determining the capacity of a defendant to stand trial
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 83–49 · Yes 83–No 49 · Democrats 83–6, Republicans 0–43
Jun 5, 2026Official record ↗
Enacts the "police radio transparency act"
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 78–62 · Yes 78–No 62 · Democrats 77–18, Republicans 1–44
Jun 3, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed Assembly 83–51 · Yes 83–No 51 · Democrats 83–8, Republicans 0–43
May 28, 2026Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Provides for a license to sell liquor at retail for consumption on certain premises at 22 N Main Street in the village of Florida, county of Orange.
Increases the occupancy tax in the county of St. Lawrence from three to five percent.
Provides for the use of restoration services when determining the capacity of a defendant to stand trial.
Establishes a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the village of Croton-on-Hudson; repeals authorization of program December 31, 2031.
Relates to a license to sell liquor at retail for consumption on certain premises in the county of Greene.
Relates to labor peace agreements and the cannabis industry wage board.
Prohibits the use of restraints on and the use of force against incarcerated individuals during labor and incarcerated individuals who have experienced different pregnancy outcomes, absent extraordinary circumstances, and on pregnant and post-pregnancy persons during a custodial interrogation; provides for certain exceptions for restraints to be used and in such case limits the use to wrist restraints.
Makes conforming changes reflecting the previously authorized scope of practice of nurse practitioners; adds nurse practitioners as persons who can authorize or make certain determinations authorized to be made or determined by physicians.
Requires certain elections take place in even-numbered years for certain municipal and judicial officials except in the city of New York.
Permits the town of Monroe to impose a hotel and motel tax; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.
Showing 10 of 313 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.