Robert Abrams - Biography

Robert Abrams (born July 4, 1938 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American lawyer and politician.

Life and career

He graduated from Columbia College and the New York University School of Law. He is considered a member of the reform wing of the Democratic Party.

Abrams was a member of the New York State Assembly representing the Bronx from 1966 to 1969. From 1970 to 1979, he was the Bronx Borough President and an ex officio member of the New York City Board of Estimate.

He was a delegate to the 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984 Democratic National Conventions. In 1988, he was a presidential elector.

Abrams was New York State Attorney General from 1979 to 1993.

In 1992, he sought election to the United States Senate, to challenge Republican Senator Al D'Amato. He won the Democratic Primary, defeating former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, Rev. Al Sharpton, and New York City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman. The nomination battle was well known for its bitterness, particularly Holtzman and Abrams' attack on Ferraro's questionable associations which Ferraro interpreted as anti-Italian slurs. After Abrams emerged as the nominee, the Democrats remained divided and he was unable to secure Ferraro's endorsement until the last days of the campaign. Abrams was also criticized for calling D'Amato a fascist, and he narrowly lost the general election as a result of these controversies.

After narrowly losing the Senate race Abrams announced his resignation from the office of attorney general on September 8, 1993, to take effect on December 31. He had a year left in his term.

Upon leaving politics, Abrams immediately joined Stroock & Stroock & Lavan as a partner and has remained active in civic affairs in New York.

On May 9, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson renamed the Justice Building at the Empire State Plaza in Albany after Abrams.

<references />

• Political Graveyard
• Attorney General Abrams to Quit To Join a Law Firm in Manhattan. New York Times. September 9, 1993.
• Executive Order renaming Justice Building

External links

• Robert Abrams - Partner: Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP