Representative Anthony Brindisi

Anthony Joseph Brindisi (born November 22, 1978) is an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from the state of New York who has served at the local, state, federal legislative, and federal judicial levels. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. representative from New York’s 22nd congressional district from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2021, and later became a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. He previously represented New York’s 119th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2019 and built his early public career on local service in Utica, New York.

Brindisi was born in Utica, New York, on November 22, 1978, and was raised in the Mohawk Valley region. He grew up in a family active in the local community and legal profession; his father, Louis Brindisi, was a well-known Utica attorney, and his mother, Jacqueline Brindisi, was involved in civic and charitable activities. He attended local schools in Utica, where he developed an early interest in public affairs and education issues that would later shape his political career. His upbringing in a working- and middle-class community in upstate New York informed his focus on economic development, education, and constituent services throughout his time in public office.

Brindisi pursued higher education in New York State, earning his undergraduate degree before attending law school and qualifying for admission to the bar. After completing his legal studies, he returned to Utica to practice law, joining the family firm and working as an attorney in private practice. In this role, he handled a range of civil matters and gained experience representing individuals and businesses in the region. His legal work, combined with his longstanding ties to the community, helped establish his reputation as an advocate for local residents and laid the groundwork for his entry into elective office.

Before his election to the New York State Assembly, Brindisi first held public office as a member of the Utica School Board. In that capacity, he focused on issues such as school funding, educational quality, and the needs of local students and families. His service on the school board provided him with direct experience in public budgeting and governance and increased his visibility in local politics. Building on this foundation, he ran for the New York State Assembly and was first elected in a special election in September 2011 to represent the 119th Assembly District, which includes Utica and surrounding communities. He was subsequently reelected and served in the Assembly from 2011 to 2019, where he worked on legislation related to education, economic development, and infrastructure, and served alongside Republican Assembly member Claudia Tenney from 2011 to 2017.

In 2018, Brindisi ran for Congress in New York’s 22nd congressional district, a largely rural and small-city district in central New York that had been held by first-term Republican Representative Claudia Tenney of nearby New Hartford. The district had voted for Donald Trump by a 15 percent margin over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, the largest margin in any House district that would change hands from Republican to Democrat in the 2018 midterm elections. Brindisi ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and attracted notable cross-party support, including endorsements from former Republican congressmen Richard Hanna and Sherwood Boehlert, reflecting the traditionally moderate brand of Republicanism in central New York and the perception of Tenney as a staunch conservative and outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. On November 19, 2018, Brindisi declared victory in the general election; by November 20, his lead had grown to more than 3,900 votes, and there were not enough remaining absentee ballots for Tenney to close the gap. Tenney conceded on November 28, 2018. Upon his swearing-in on January 3, 2019, Brindisi became only the second Democrat to represent the district or its predecessors in 68 years, and the third in 119 years, following Democrat Mike Arcuri, who had represented what was then the 24th district from 2007 to 2011.

Brindisi served one term in the United States House of Representatives, from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2021, representing New York’s 22nd congressional district during a significant and polarized period in American political life. As a member of the House of Representatives, he participated in the legislative process, contributed to committee work, and represented the interests of his constituents in central New York. His tenure coincided with the 116th Congress, encompassing debates over health care, infrastructure, trade, and the federal response to the Trump administration’s policies. As a Democrat representing a district that had strongly supported President Trump, Brindisi was often identified with a moderate, bipartisan approach and emphasized constituent services and pragmatic problem-solving in a politically competitive region.

In 2020, Brindisi sought reelection to Congress. In October 2019, Claudia Tenney announced that she would challenge him for the seat she had previously held. The general election proved extremely close. Initial results were too close to call, and a protracted court challenge ensued over the counting of absentee, provisional, and disputed ballots. On December 8, 2020, a New York state judge ordered a district-wide recanvass of all ballots. By January 29, 2021, Tenney held a 122-vote lead over Brindisi based on unofficial tallies. On February 5, 2021, New York Supreme Court Judge Scott DelConte ruled in Tenney’s favor, allowing her to be declared the winner of the election by a margin of 109 votes. Brindisi’s service in Congress thus concluded after one term, during which he had represented a politically divided district and participated in the democratic process at a time of intense national partisanship.

After leaving Congress in 2021, Brindisi returned to legal practice and remained active in public life. He unsuccessfully sought election to the New York Supreme Court, reflecting his continued interest in judicial service. In 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul appointed him to the New York Court of Claims, where he served as a judge handling claims against the State of New York and its agencies. His work on the Court of Claims further developed his judicial experience and underscored his transition from elected office to the judiciary. Building on this state judicial service, President Joe Biden nominated Brindisi to serve as a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, and he was appointed to that position in 2024. In this federal judicial role, he presides over civil and criminal cases arising in the Northern District of New York, continuing a career that has spanned local education governance, state legislation, federal legislative service, and both state and federal judicial office.