Ari Kagan

Kagan was born in Minsk in 1967.{{Cite web |last=Prince |first=Cathryn J. |date=February 10, 2017 |title=When it comes to supporting the US president, former Soviet Jews say Israel trumps all |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/when-it-comes-to-supporting-the-us-president-fsu-jews-say-israel-trumps-all/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US}} His parents were survivors of the Holocaust. His paternal grandmother Sofiya was killed in the Minsk ghetto in 1942 while his father Mikhail survived.{{Cite web |last=Galak |first=Ilya |date=April 4, 2012 |title=Russian American journalist Ari Kagan: "Hard work pays everywhere" |url=https://statenislandpolitics.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/russian-american-journalist-ari-kagan-hard-work-pays-everywhere/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Citizens Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=NARA – AAD – Display Full Records – Application (SS-5) Files, 1936 – 2007 (Last Names K through L) |url=https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=3079&mtch=10&cat=all&tf=F&q=mikhail+kagan&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=393615&rlst=393615,393616,914481,914482,2672896,5899866,937779,1023939,1023940,923021 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=aad.archives.gov}}

After graduating Secondary School No. 20 in Minsk, he attended the Leningrad Suvorov School until the Spring of 1984 after which he joined the Soviet Army and in the Fall of 1984, he was admitted to the Journalism Department at Lviv Higher Military-Political School, from which he graduated in Spring 1988.{{Cite web |title=Ари Каган |url=https://ilyagalak.livejournal.com/598.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=ilyagalak.livejournal.com}}

In 1991, Kagan left the Soviet Army and the Soviet Communist Party. He said he "became disillusioned with the Soviet-Communist ideology". He immigrated as a refugee to the United States with his family in May 1993, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the U.S., he attended Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Advertising in 1999.{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2022 |title=Ari Kagan, 55, City Council member from Brooklyn |url=https://www.jta.org/2022/06/28/ny/ari-kagan-55-city-council-member-from-brooklyn |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=October 2, 2015 |title=J5048 |url=https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/resolutions/2009/j5048 |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=NY State Senate |language=en}}

In 2002, he legally changed his name from "Arkadiy" to "Ari" when he became naturalized as a U.S. citizen. In a 2010 interview, Kagan said of the name change: "Firstly, Ari is shorter than Arkadiy, and Americans do not distort my name, and secondly, I like my new name because it resembles the abbreviation of the words "America - Russia - Israel"."{{Cite web |title=Интервью с Ари Каганом |url=http://www.alefmagazine.com/pub2332.html |access-date=2023-04-09 |website=АЛЕФ |language=ru}}{{Cite web |last=Ungar-Sargon |first=Batya |date=August 16, 2013 |title=Who's Behind KGB Claims in Brooklyn City Council Race? |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/kgb-claims-in-russian-district |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Tablet Magazine}}

As a military journalist, Kagan worked in Soviet Latvia with the newspapers Sovetskiy Tankist in Dobele and Dlya Rodiny! in Riga. Kagan said that he was "lucky to work in various papers during the Gorbachev era of Glasnost and Perestroika when criticism of authorities was allowed and sometimes even encouraged". He told TabletMag that "I was not a dissident. But I was honest with myself, with my family, with my readers." After resigning from the Soviet Army in 1991, Kagan worked for two anti-Communist papers: "Independent Baltic Newspaper" (Riga) and "Byelorussian Enterprener" (Minsk).{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In Brooklyn, Kagan worked as a writer for the Russian-language newspapers Yevreiski Mir and Vecherniy New York.{{Cite web |last=Sugar |first=Sara |date=August 12, 2013 |title=Sandy a Big Issue in Crowded Council Race |url=https://citylimits.org/2013/08/12/sandy-a-big-issue-in-crowded-council-race/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=City Limits |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Nathan-Kazis |first=Josh |date=June 13, 2012 |title=Black Firebrand Vies in Heavily Jewish District |url=https://forward.com/news/157699/black-firebrand-vies-in-heavily-jewish-district/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=The Forward |language=en}}{{Cite web |author=Feet in 2 Worlds |date=February 15, 2008 |title=Podcast: Doubts about Obama |url=https://abl.dreamhosters.com/2008/02/15/doubts-about-obama/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=A Better Life? Podcast |language=en-US}} He also presented a weekly television program on the Brooklyn-based Russian Television Network of America (RTN).{{Cite web |last=Chilcote |first=Ryan |date=December 14, 2017 |title=To this Russian-American community, Russia has become a political scapegoat |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/to-this-russian-american-community-russia-has-become-a-political-scapegoat |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}} From 2005 to 2021, Kagan hosted the morning Radio Show "New York City News" on Russian language Davidzon Radio (620 AM).{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In 2012, Kagan was elected as a Democratic District Leader in the 45th New York State Assembly District. He founded the political club Bay Democrats in 2014.{{Cite web |last=Guedes-Reed |first=Caleb |date=June 28, 2022 |title=Ari Kagan, 55, City Council member from Brooklyn |url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jta/ari-kagan-55-city-council-member-from-brooklyn/article_78c98ece-1708-5a01-aa68-1705c61bd59d.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Cleveland Jewish News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Berke |first=Ned |date=January 27, 2014 |title=Dem District Leader Ari Kagan Finally Gets His Club |url=https://bklyner.com/dem-district-leader-ari-kagan-finally-gets-his-club-sheepshead-bay/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Bklyner |language=en}} In December 2022, Kagan became a Republican and stepped down from his District Leader post.{{Cite web |last=Sommerfeldt |first=Chris |date=December 4, 2022 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Brooklyn Councilman Ari Kagan expected to switch parties from Democrat to GOP |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-ari-kagan-switches-parties-brooklyn-20221205-5sjgcitybnb5jmclzcspwgub2y-story.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=New York Daily News}}{{Cite web |last=Stark-Miller |first=Ethan |date=December 5, 2022 |title=Brooklyn Council Member Ari Kagan switching to GOP, challenging Justin Brannan in 2023 general election |url=https://www.amny.com/politics/brooklyn-ari-kagan-switching-gop-challenge-justin-brannan/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=amNewYork |language=en-US}}

Kagan worked as a community liaison for Comptrollers John Liu and Scott Stringer, as an assistant to Congressman Michael McMahon and later as Director of District Operations to Council Member Mark Treyger.{{Cite web |title=2013 NYC Voter Guide: Ari Kagan |url=https://www.nyccfb.info/public/voter-guide/primary_2013/cd_profile/CD48_Kagan_1717.aspx |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=www.nyccfb.info}}{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Rose |date=February 9, 2021 |title=Who's running for City Council in the 47th District |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/47th-district-whos-running-for-city-council/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=www.brooklynpaper.com |language=en-US}}

In November 2021, Kagan was elected to the New York City Council as a Democrat, succeeding Mark Treyger.{{Cite web |last=Adcroft |first=Patrick |date=November 17, 2021 |title=Ari Kagan eyes seats on multiple committees after City Council win |url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/inside-city-hall/2021/11/18/ari-kagan-eyes-seats-on-multiple-committees-after-city-council-win |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=NY1 |language=en}}

After switching his party affiliation to Republican due to his strong disagreements with Democrats on public safety, school education and taxation, Kagan joined the City Council's Republican conference. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams suggested that Kagan might lose his position as Chair of the Council's Committee on Resiliency and Waterfronts. "Voters sent Council member Kagan to the Council as a member of the majority conference and this drastic about-face seriously calls into question his commitment to the policy priorities of our conference that will impact his committee roles, particularly his chairmanship given the fact that he is joining a party that denies climate change," Adams said. Kagan resigned from the Committee Chairmanship shortly thereafter, telling the Daily News that he "resigned rather than to wait until being expelled by the Council leadership".{{Cite web |last=Gartland |first=Michael |date=December 8, 2022 |title=NYC Councilman Ari Kagan steps down as committee head after Dem-to-GOP flip |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-city-council-ari-kagan-resigns-committee-chair-20221208-5amhrzrwaffxvh3yr7jrun5qua-story.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=New York Daily News}}

Kagan announced that he would run for re-election in the newly re-drawn 47th district.{{Cite web |last=Stark-Miller |first=Ethan |date=2023-01-21 |title=City Council showdown: Kagan not deterred by early fundraising deficit in race against Brannan {{!}} amNewYork |url=https://www.amny.com/news/kagan-not-detered-by-early-fundraising-deficit-in-council-race-against-brannan/ |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=www.amny.com |language=en-US}} The 47th district was heavily panned as one of the most significant gerrymanders in modern NYC politics, as it connected Bay Ridge to Coney Island through a one-block stretch and divided a Coney Island housing complex between two districts.{{Cite web|last=Honan |first=Katie |date=October 6, 2022 |title=Redistricting Commission Sends Contentious Draft Maps to City Council After Re-Do |url=https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/10/6/23391695/nyc-redistrict-committee-sends-maps-to-city-council |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=The City}}

In his 2023 re-election bid, Kagan won the Republican primary.{{Cite web |last=Camille |first=Jada |date=2023-06-28 |title=Ari Kagan comes out on top in District 47 Republican primary, will face Democrat Justin Brannan in the 2023 general election |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/kagan-wins-republican-primary-to-face-brannan/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=Brooklyn Paper}} He lost to Democrat Justin Brannan in the general election.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-08 |title=Justin Brannan defeats Ari Kagan in heated southern Brooklyn Council race |url=https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/11/justin-brannan-defeats-ari-kagan-heated-southern-brooklyn-council-race/391871/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=City & State NY |language=en}}

{{reflist}}

{{New York City Council}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kagan, Ari}}

Category:1967 births

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:21st-century New York (state) politicians

Category:American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent

Category:Baruch College alumni

Category:Jewish American people in New York (state) politics

Category:Living people

Category:New York (state) Democrats

Category:Politicians from Brooklyn

Category:Politicians from Minsk

Category:New York (state) Republicans