WHITE PLAINS, NY – Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, a public interest lawyer from Northern Westchester who currently lives in White Plains, intends to run as a Democrat for the 89th District of the New York State Assembly. 

Frei-Pearson works at the White Plains law firm of Meiselman, Denlea, Packman & Eberz, where he represents underpaid workers.  He is also affiliated with Children’s Rights, where he has represented thousands of children in foster care and used the courts to reform broken government agencies on behalf of at-risk children.  He has made it possible for thousands to grow up in safer living situations and for many to go on to college.  Frei-Pearson has a strong record of reforming government as a lawyer and activist, and has pledged to continue this work as an Assembly Member.

Said Frei-Pearson: “My wife Karla and I both grew up in Westchester.  As kids, this community gave us both incredible opportunities:  great schools, arts and athletics programs, safe streets and clean air and water.  We have returned home to start a family.  Unfortunately, times are tough, and there is a real risk that the community we grew up in may not be able to provide the same opportunities to the next generation of children or to our parents as they grow older.  I am running for Assembly because I want every child, and everyone, to have the same opportunities that I had.”

To this end, Frei-Pearson has released a six-point plan, “Six Steps To Restore Opportunity in Westchester,” outlining his proposed steps to revitalize the region.  This plan is reproduced in full below.

Frei-Pearson grew up with his brothers in Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, and Bedford Hills.  He graduated from John Jay High School.  While in high school, he worked regularly at the Mount Kisco Boys & Girls Club.  He met Karla in 1998, when they were both counselors at the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts’ summer camp.  Despite her being from the rival school, Fox Lane, they managed to get past that, date throughout college, and marry in 2009. 

Frei-Pearson attended Skidmore College, in Saratoga, New York, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and worked at the Saratoga preschool program and Saratoga disability clinic.  While in college, he interned for Senator Kennedy.  After college, he attended Stanford Law School, where he was a Public Interest fellow and ran a community law center for poor people.

Frei-Pearson serves as the Straight Allies Director of Marriage Equality New York, on the board of the American Constitution Society (NY Lawyers Chapter); and is active in many local groups, including Take 19, Westchester for Change and Democracy for New York.  He is also involved in many charitable activities – for example, Jeremiah and Karla recently partnered with community groups to collect 2,000 toys, which were then distributed to 1,300 underprivileged children this past holiday.

Six Steps To Restore Opportunity in Westchester

1. Help cut local taxes by reducing unfunded mandates from Albany;
2. Work every day to create jobs in our community and support local businesses;
3. Protect our environment and drinking water by standing firmly against unsafe hydro-fracking;
4. Support marriage equality and a woman’s right to choose;
5. Fight to reform our government by implementing meaningful campaign finance reform; and
6. Ensure that Westchester continues to be a great place to raise children by supporting public schools, parks and playgrounds and projects such as Muscoot Farm and the Westchester Children’s Museum.