Donald Marc Halperin (July 25, 1945 – June 26, 2006) was an American lawyer and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Early life

He was born on July 25, 1945, the son of Charles Halperin and Gladys Halperin. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School. He graduated from

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

in 1967, and from

Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a Private university, private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and adjunct faculty. ...

in 1970. He married Brenda, and they had two children. While still in law school, he entered politics as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Career

Halperin was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

from 1971 to 1993, sitting in the 179th, 180th, 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th and

190th New York State Legislature The 190th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6, 1993, to December 31, 1994, during the eleventh and twelfth years of Mario Cuomo's governorship, in Albany. B ...

s. In September 1993, he ran in the Democratic primary for

New York City Public Advocate The office of New York City Public Advocate (President of the City Council) is a citywide elected position in New York City, which is first in line to succeed the Mayor of New York City, mayor. The office serves as a direct link between the wikti ...

, but came in fifth among six candidates. On October 4, 1993, Halperin was appointed as New York State Commissioner of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal. He remained in office until the end of 1994. Afterwards Halperin practiced law in New York City. He was among those who, outnumbered 35 Republicans to 26 Democratic state senators, used a 23 day slowdown until concessions were made by the majority. This was not the only time Halperin was involved in influencing outcomes. In 1971 the

New York Civil Liberties Union The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is a civil rights organization in the United States. Founded in November 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, it is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with nearly ...

ranked him the third most liberal member of the legislature's upper house.

Death

He died on June 26, 2006, in the Menorah Nursing Home in

Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn Manhattan Beach is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, by Sheepshead Bay on the north, and Brighton Beach to the west. Traditionally known as an Itali ...

, of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

, and was buried at the Mount Lebanon Cemetery in

Glendale, Queens Glendale is a neighborhood in the west-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. It is bounded by Forest Hills, Queens, Forest Hills to the east, Ridgewood, Queens, Ridgewood to the west, Woodhaven, Queens, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halperin, Donald 1945 births 2006 deaths Politicians from Brooklyn Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Rutgers University alumni Brooklyn Law School alumni Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) alumni Burials at Mount Lebanon Cemetery 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature