Lifelong New Yorker and Champion of Public Education

Elected to the New York City Council in 2005, New York born Jessica Lappin was educated in the city's public schools and is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School.  Now the mother of a son in public school with another soon to join him, Jessica's record of accomplishments includes being key to the approval of over 20,000 new school seats across the city.  She was also a tireless advocate for two new elementary schools on the Upper East Side.

Putting Public Safety First and Promoting a Senior-Friendly City

Now Chair of the City Council's Aging Committee, Jessica has been instrumental in restoring millions of dollars in funding for programs like Meals on Wheels and keeping senior centers open in the face of budget cuts.

Reacting forcefully to two catastrophic crane collapses in her district, Jessica authored four construction safety laws.  She has also been instrumental in passing bills to make our streets and playgrounds safer.

Business Friendly

Jessica authored a biotech tax credit that has proven successful in encouraging small biotech companies to create and retain jobs in the city.  She was instrumental in encouraging Cornell University and Israel's Technion University to locate in New York, and she is working closely with them as they plan a world-class engineering school on Roosevelt Island that is expected to create 30,000 jobs over the next three decades.

Champion of a Woman's Right to Choose

Jessica is the author of a landmark law to regulate anti-choice so-called crisis pregnancy centers in New York, which endanger women by masquerading as legitimate reproductive health clinics when they are not. 

Recognized As an Effective Legislator

Jessica focusses on practical, common-sense solutions, and she has been praised by The New York Times for her "steely resolve, dedication, and energy."

She has also been hailed by environmental advocates as one of the leading environmental lights on the City Council as a result of her success in passing green bills and securing funding for three new waterfront parks.

Jessica earned her B.A. in Government from Georgetown University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude.  She lives with her husband and sons in East Midtown.