Steve Behar grew up in Bayside, Queens. Steve is married to Fafart who was born in Haiti. Fafart is a nurse at the Northport VA Medical Center where she serves our senior veterans. Together, Steve and Fafart are raising Steven, age 11 and Jeanine, age 12.
Steve is a proud product of the New York City public schools. He graduated from P.S 46, M.S. 74, and Cardozo High School. He was President of the M.S. 74 Class of 1978. He went on to receive a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University at Albany, an M.B.A. in Finance and Management from Tulane University, a J.D. from Tulane University and a LL.M (Master of Laws) in Securities and Financial Regulation from the Georgetown University Law School.
Steve recently served as First Vice President of the Parent Teachers Association (the “PTA”) of P.S. 46 and proudly served on the Fifth Grade Committee of the PTA which helped prepare the fifth grade class as it prepared to graduate in June 2023.
Steve spent six years as Counsel to New York City Council Member Barry Grodenchik. Steve worked in both the District Office and the City Hall Office of the Council Member. In his role as Counsel, Steve was responsible for the Council Member’s policy, legislation, and land-use decisions. Steve prepped Council Member Grodenchik for all hearings and meetings of the Council at City Hall.
Steve began his legal career at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in Washington, D.C. during Bill Clinton’s administration. He was an attorney in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, Office of Financial Institutions. At the SEC, Steve reviewed Initial Public Offerings, Secondary Offerings of Securities, Mergers and Acquisitions, Proxy Statements and Annual Reports, Quarterly Reports and Periodic Reports filed with the SEC. Steve also SEC drafted rules and regulations. At the SEC, Steve was trained to understand the intricacies of financial reporting and disclosure and to detect financial fraud. In 1998, Steve moved back to New York City and worked as Senior Associate at the Wall Street Law firm Milbank LLP. Steve worked in Milbank’s New York and Hong Kong offices. Steve then became Corporate Counsel at Toys “R” Us, Inc. where he was the head securities attorney and head international attorney.
In 2004, Steve opened his own law practice on Wall Street. Steve still practices law in addition to his other duties. In his law practice, Steve is a corporate law specialist for small and medium-sized businesses. Steve advises small and medium-sized businesses, including start-ups, on all aspects of securities law, corporate finance law, corporate governance, contract review and general corporate law. After opening his law practice, Steve also became an entrepreneur and a political consultant.
Steve served in the New York State Senate as Counsel to State Senator James Sanders Jr. from 2013 through 2014.
In the political world, Steve has served as Field Director, Senior Consultant, and Campaign Manager to many Democratic campaigns. Steve has served as a volunteer election attorney in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. For many years Steve ran the Nassau County legal “boiler room” on Election Day. Steve has also served in several states as a volunteer attorney for the Democratic National Committee (the “DNC”) fighting voter suppression and guaranteeing that everyone who is eligible to vote is allowed to. In 2020, he worked in South Carolina as an attorney for DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison’s U.S. Senate campaign. In South Carolina he ensured that all registered voters in rural South Carolina were permitted to vote. He also worked on the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.
In 2011, Steve was Field Director for Carrié Solages’ campaign for Nassau County Legislature. Carrie was the first American of Haitian descent on Long Island to be elected to public office. In 2012, Steve served as Campaign Manager for James Sanders Jr.’s successful campaign for the New York State Senate.
In 2015, Steve served as Campaign Manager for Barry Grodenchik’s campaign for New York City Council. After Council Member Grodenchik’s electoral win in 2015, Steve became Counsel to Council Member Grodenchik. Steve also served as Campaign Manager in Council Member Grodenchik’s successful re-election bid in 2017.
In 2022, Steve served as Campaign Manager for Sanjeev Jindal’s campaign for New York State Assembly in Nassau County.
Before becoming an attorney, Steve spent six years as an EMS first responder. Steve drove and worked in the back of an ambulance in Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx.
Steve has also been very active in our local community. His community activities include serving three terms as a member of New York City Community Board 11, serving as General Counsel and a Member of the Board of Directors of the New American Voters Association and serving as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Bayside Historical Society. Steve continues to be on the Leadership Team of The Sickle Cell Awareness Foundation.
Steve has also donated his time by giving pro bono legal services to many non-profit organizations and civic associations. Steve’s pro bono legal work also includes establishing the Haitian American Political Action Committee of New York and the Muslim Political Action Committee.
Finally, Steve has served as an Adjunct Professor at the State University at Old Westbury where he taught Introduction to U.S. Politics.
Steve Behar’s campaign for Congress focuses on several key issues, reflecting his dedication to improving the community:
Education: Behar has worked to drive over $300 million of investment into local schools, advocating for smaller class sizes, increased resources for teachers, and a strong emphasis on STEM education. He is committed to fully funding schools and never voting for budget cuts that could impact education quality.
NYC Retirees’ Healthcare: Behar has been actively opposing NYC’s plan to replace promised healthcare for retirees with substandard options. This issue is personal to him, as both his parents were NYC retirees. He pledges to continue leading the fight for retirees’ healthcare rights.
New 116th Precinct: Recognizing the need for improved law enforcement presence and response times in Southeast Queens, Behar played a key role in securing $105 million for the new 116th Precinct. This initiative aims to alleviate the strain on the 105th Precinct and enhance community safety.
Transportation: Addressing the transportation challenges in his district, Behar advocates for improved bus services, including better Express Bus service to Manhattan and Bus Rapid Transit on the Q46 line. He also supports more affordable options for Eastern Queens on the Long Island Railroad.
Co-ops and Condo Legislation: Behar, a long-time co-op resident, has been involved in efforts to exempt garden apartment co-ops and condos from Local Law 97. He also supports revising the property taxation system in Albany to ensure co-ops and condos are taxed fairly, reflecting their role in providing affordable home ownership.
Behar’s policy positions demonstrate his commitment to addressing a range of community concerns, from education and healthcare to law enforcement, transportation, and housing.