Gus Lambropoulos
From Ballotpedia
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Gus Lambropoulos (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New York State Senate to represent District 59. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 25, 2024.
Lambropoulos completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Gus Lambropoulos was born in New York, New York. He earned a bachelor's degree from the Baruch College and a graduate degree from Adelphi University. His career experience includes working as a business consultant and organizer.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: New York State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for New York State Senate District 59
Incumbent Kristen Gonzalez won election in the general election for New York State Senate District 59 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kristen Gonzalez (Working Families Party / D) | 98.9 | 100,073 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 1,142 | ||
| Total votes: 101,215 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 59
Incumbent Kristen Gonzalez defeated Gus Lambropoulos in the Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 59 on June 25, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kristen Gonzalez | 85.1 | 14,870 |
 | Gus Lambropoulos | 14.6 | 2,543 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 58 | ||
| Total votes: 17,471 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Working Families Party primary election
The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Kristen Gonzalez advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Senate District 59.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lambropoulos in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gus Lambropoulos completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lambropoulos' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I’m the son of hardworking Greek immigrant parents raised in Astoria. My father was a proud labor union member, and my mom worked long hours as a factory worker and server.
I attended local public schools, graduated from CUNY Baruch College, earned my MBA at Adelphi University, and worked as a business consultant, helping businesses succeed by retaining great employees through good wages and benefits.
My wife Maria and I, as dedicated community volunteers, have played a pivotal role in creating Astoria’s annual holiday tree lighting and parade, and launching Restaurant Week locally. Our commitment to the community is unwavering.- Affordability: Gus will fight to address the affordability crisis in our communities by supporting small businesses with equitable tax policy approaches to grow and retain employees and reduce the tax burden on working families. Gus will bring firsthand economic expertise to help small businesses succeed in spurring economic activity and creating good-paying local jobs. Gus is a champion of fairness and equity, and working with business owners, he has fought to ensure that working men and women receive fair wages and good benefits. We need the right solutions rather than adding to the affordability crisis and taxing the lowest wage earners struggling to make ends meet, which is irresponsible and wrong.
- Public safety: Gus will work to improve public safety and our quality of life by restoring a collaborative approach with law enforcement and opposing radical policies to defund the police. As a dedicated problem solver, Gus will spark investment in our communities and foster the growth of community policing. This proactive approach will safeguard our neighborhoods, giving small business owners a sense of security. Additionally, as small business owners face rising retail theft and dangerous threats in our community, Gus will stand up against efforts to decriminalize and excuse away criminal activity that has exploded in New York City.
- College affordability: we start living on minimal income streams while in college; our incomes fail to rise, but costs are skyrocketing. These challenges occur from tuition, housing, food, books, supplies, and fees. The collegiate journey starts with financial assessments, and then surprise academic cost spikes derail the best students in countless ways. I’m proposing a new deal for CUNY and SUNY students, where tuition, related costs, and fee structures are fixed from day one until graduation as long as the student continues without a break in academic enrollment. It is fair and equitable for public-funded higher education institutions to be cost-consistent during a student’s tenure to plan for the future.
I learned the values of hard work, sacrifice, and ingenuity from my parents, and I stand here today because they dreamed about a better life for their children. It is a story that so many of us share. I cannot thank my parents enough for raising me in Astoria and allowing me to live the American Dream, becoming our family's first generation to graduate college.
That is why I am so passionate about education. A good education is the essence of opportunity; a good education can level the playing field and has enabled me to succeed in business. I want these opportunities to exist for the next generation of New Yorkers, especially as a father of three, so they can live in a thriving city full of promise and opportunity.
That is why I am so passionate about education. A good education is the essence of opportunity; a good education can level the playing field and has enabled me to succeed in business. I want these opportunities to exist for the next generation of New Yorkers, especially as a father of three, so they can live in a thriving city full of promise and opportunity.
My father worked so hard to make the American Dream a reality for our family, and I watched him struggle undaunted and find a way for all of us to have a better life. I want to use my father's work ethic and commitment to problem-solving to improve New Yorkers' lives.
So many influences can tell parts of my political philosophy, and I’m probably a bit more unique as a newcomer to the political stage. The film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington would be my hope to fulfill the promise of change and unimpeachable integrity in a place that is often hard to find.
An elected official's essential principles are honor, integrity, and truthfulness. Today, there is a rightful lack of trust in politicians, and I will fight tenaciously to be a State Senator residents can be proud of and know will always be on their side.
My business and financial expertise will help me tackle the affordability crisis, and my practical problem-solving approach will allow me to address the biggest challenges we face as New Yorkers.
The core responsibilities are being accountable to residents and fighting for the community with the approach that doing what is right by the public always comes first. The duties are often viewed primarily through public policy, but I will ensure a first-class approach to constituent services because problem-solving is my specialty.
I need to be the type of public official who leaves—a legacy of someone who counted on to improve things.
When I was a young child, I remember the attempted assassination of President Reagan and the early events that led to the fall of the Soviet Union.
My first job was a bus boy working in a restaurant as a teenager.
Team of Rivals because it captures the approach President Lincoln brought to governing and leading our nation in tumultuous times.
Sherlock Holmes because he is a problem solver.
Hotel California
As a two-time cancer survivor, I know real adversity and will bring the tenacity of my darkest days to embrace a philosophy that every day is a gift.
It is imperative to have a vital check and balances, where the state legislature stands with the governor when they are right and opposes them when they are wrong, all based on the best interest of their constituents.
Over the next decade, we must address the affordability crisis in various areas that impact New Yorkers. These challenges can be found in childcare, education, healthcare, prescription drugs, housing, and many aspects of the cost of living.
A representative democracy should reflect the population by having people from different perspectives serving in the state legislature. To forward new ideas and fresh approaches, electing people who can bring concepts to solve problems facing New Yorkers is vital. It is helpful to have some people with prior government experience, but currently, Albany has too much of that vantage point, which leads to stagnant approaches to public policy.
The political divisiveness in our country, state, and communities harms problem-solving. Building relationships, celebrating differences, and learning to respect debate and discussion will produce a better government. My ability to build consensus will be the hallmark of how I legislate and will benefit our communities.
As a newcomer, I bring a fresh perspective. I look to former New York City Council Speaker Peter Vallone as a public official to model myself after, especially for his leadership in opening the budget process to more significant public input and his outstanding work in Astoria.
This is my first run for public office, and I will subscribe to the rule that once elected, I should do the best job I can, and the rest will take care of itself. I’m very content with making a difference as a State Senator.
When visiting residents during my time canvassing, I was particularly struck by the young family in Astoria struggling to make ends meet because of the cost of childcare. They are feeling the pinch of the affordability crisis, love their neighborhood, and don’t want to be forced to move out of the area due to rising costs. They drive me every day as the reason to work hard in this campaign and be an agent of change to make a difference in the lives of our residents.
Borrow joke that I appreciate … why don’t you let a politician on a plane? They will destroy the opposite wing.
The state legislature should have the right to oversee and grant the use of emergency powers; it is critical to have the perspective of all residents' direct representatives when emergency powers are necessary.
My opposition to congestion pricing taxation has been front and center in my campaign, and I would introduce a bill to end this terrible scheme.
Budget and Revenue
Commerce, Economic Development & Small Business
Higher Education
The government belongs to the people, not the politically connected, and I demand the highest levels of transparency and accountability. We need to simplify access to financial records online, which should be accessible in three clicks or less from government homepages.
The people should have the right to the state ballot initiative process to express their will regarding our state's most critical issues. Often, the people, not politicians, need to decide because many politicians need more fortitude to make tough decisions in the state's best interest.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 22, 2024
Current members of the New York State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Minority Leader:Robert Ortt
Senators
District 1
Anthony Palumbo (R)
District 2
Mario Mattera (R)
District 3
Dean Murray (R)
District 4
Monica Martinez (D)
District 5
Steven Rhoads (R)
District 6
Siela Bynoe (D)
District 7
Jack Martins (R)
District 8
Alexis Weik (R)
District 9
District 10
James Sanders (D)
District 11
Toby Stavisky (D)
District 12
Michael Gianaris (D)
District 13
Jessica Ramos (D)
District 14
Leroy Comrie (D)
District 15
Joseph Addabbo (D)
District 16
John Liu (D)
District 17
Steve Chan (R)
District 18
Julia Salazar (D)
District 19
Roxanne Persaud (D)
District 20
Zellnor Myrie (D)
District 21
Kevin Parker (D)
District 22
Sam Sutton (D)
District 23
District 24
Andrew Lanza (R)
District 25
Jabari Brisport (D)
District 26
Andrew Gounardes (D)
District 27
Brian Kavanagh (D)
District 28
Liz Krueger (D)
District 29
Jose Serrano (D)
District 30
Cordell Cleare (D)
District 31
Robert Jackson (D)
District 32
Luis Sepúlveda (D)
District 33
J. Rivera (D)
District 34
District 35
District 36
Jamaal Bailey (D)
District 37
Shelley Mayer (D)
District 38
William Weber (R)
District 39
Robert Rolison (R)
District 40
Peter Harckham (D)
District 41
Michelle Hinchey (D)
District 42
James Skoufis (D)
District 43
Jacob Ashby (R)
District 44
James Tedisco (R)
District 45
Daniel Stec (R)
District 46
Patricia Fahy (D)
District 47
District 48
Rachel May (D)
District 49
Mark Walczyk (R)
District 50
Christopher Ryan (D)
District 51
Peter Oberacker (R)
District 52
Lea Webb (D)
District 53
Joseph Griffo (R)
District 54
Pamela Helming (R)
District 55
Samra Brouk (D)
District 56
Jeremy Cooney (D)
District 57
George Borrello (R)
District 58
Thomas O'Mara (R)
District 59
Kristen Gonzalez (D)
District 60
Patrick Gallivan (R)
District 61
Sean Ryan (D)
District 62
Robert Ortt (R)
District 63
April Baskin (D)
Democratic Party (41)
Republican Party (22)
