Karl A. Brabenec

Karl Brabenec
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 98th district
Incumbent
Assumed office December 14, 2014 [1]
Preceded by	Annie Rabbitt
Town of Deerpark Supervisor
In office January 1, 2010 – December 14, 2014
Preceded by	Gary W. Flieger
Succeeded by	Gary Spears
Town of Deerpark Councilman
In office January 1, 2008 – December 31, 2009
Preceded by	Edward Chuckran
Succeeded by	David Dean
Personal details
Born	(1979-07-12) July 12, 1979 [2] Manhasset, New York
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jessica Ebbecke (2005–2009)
Children	Karl Kimberlee
Residence	Westbrookville, New York
Alma mater	Mount Saint Mary College (B.A.) John Jay College of Criminal Justice (M.P.A.)
Website	Campaign Website Assembly Website

Karl A. Brabenec (born July 12, 1979) is the New York State Assemblyman from the 98th District. A Republican, he has served in the Assembly since 2014, when he won a special election.^[3] The 98th District contains portions of Orange and Rockland Counties in the Hudson Valley.

On April 27, 2018 Brabenec confirmed he is considering running to replace retiring New York State Senator John Bonacic in the November 2018 election.^[4][5] The race is expected to be one of the most competitive in New York State and could easily determine whether Republicans maintain their slim majority in the New York State Senate.^[6][7][8]

Personal life, education and career

Brabenec was born in Manhasset, New York and lived in Bayside, Queens^[9] before moving with his family to Slate Hill, New York when he was 8 years old.^[10] He went to Minisink Valley High School, and graduated from Mount Saint Mary College in 2000.^[11] In 2005, he received his Masters of Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. His father, Rainer K. Brabenec, was a police officer with the New York City Police Department; Brabenec's mother, Emilie (Popule) Brabenec, was a police dispatcher, also with the NYPD. Both of Brabenec's parents are Czechoslovak refugees from the former Sudetenland who fled from Soviet communist oppression in the late 1940s.^[12]

From 2010 to 2014 Brabenec was the Town Supervisor for the Town of Deerpark, having previously served from 2007 as a Town Councilman.^[13] He became an assistant professor at SUNY Orange in 2010. He previously served as a staff assistant to Orange County Executive Edward A. Diana in the early 2000s. He is a former Director/Ambassador for the Tri-State Chamber of Commerce.^[13]

Brabenec resides in Deerpark, New York and has two children with his ex-wife, Jessica Ebbecke, to whom he was married from 2005-2009.

New York State Assembly

Brabenec takes the oath of office.

Brabenec was chosen in a special election held November 2014 to fill the remaining term of Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, who had resigned to become Orange County Clerk. Brabenec was concurrently elected to serve a full two-year term starting January 2015.^[14] He won reelection to a second term in 2016 with 59% of the vote.^[15]

Brabenec currently serves as the Ranking Minority Member of the Labor Committee, and is a member of the committees on Election Law, Aging, Cities, Housing and Local Government.^[16] He is also a former member of the Board of Directors for the Regional Economic Community Action Program, Inc., an associate member of the Orange County Shields, member of the Greenwood Lake Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #2067, Association of the United States Army, Town of Deerpark Lion's Club, National Rifle Association, the Sons of the American Legion - Monroe Post #488, and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association.^[17] He is also an honorary Major with the United States Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol.

Awards

• 2010 Rising Star, Orange County Chamber of Commerce ^[13]
• 2015 Rising Star, New York State Republican Committee ^[13]

References