Frank Jereis, candidate for New York State Assembly in District 90, asserts he will be “ready to deliver for the people of Yonkers on day one.” As a lifelong resident of the city, he says he knows the district and because of his experience working in the Yonkers Democratic Party and as chief-of-staff to Nader Sayegh, the retiring current Assemblyman in the 90th District, he knows how to get things done.
He proudly embraces the moniker “Son of the Yonkers Democratic Party,” which he says party chair Thomas Meier once used to describe him. He also embraces the fact that he is only 25 years old, claiming that he is “young, hungry and ready to fight for the people of Yonkers.”
Jereis is a first-time candidate running with the endorsement of the Yonkers Democratic Party. He is facing off against Jeannette Garcia, another first timer. Read Garcia’s profile here.
The primary election is on June 23. In this heavily Democratic district, whoever wins will be the presumptive favorite in the general election against Republican candidate John Isaac. Early voting begins on June 13. The League of Women Voters is hosting a candidates’ forum between the candidates on June 8.
Background – An Early Interest in Politics, and a Desire to Serve the People
Frank Jereis graduated from Iona Prep High School and attended Hunter College planning to become a doctor, but after the storming of the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, he decided to go to law school because of his respect for our judicial system and his interest in politics. He earned a scholarship to New York Law School, graduating in 2025.
During law school, he worked part-time, first as a clerk for the Yonkers Human Rights Commission and then as chief-of-staff for Assemblyman Sayegh. He became the full-time chief- of-staff in May 2025 after graduating law school. He has taken a leave of absence for the duration of the campaign to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest with his government position.
As the chief-of-staff, he was involved in everything going on in the office. He conducted constituent services, attended meetings with the Assemblyman and represented the Assemblyman at meetings when he was unavailable to attend. He evaluated grant applications and analyzed pending legislation.
Jereis prides himself on knowing the important issues that are on the Assembly’s agenda and that are important to residents of the 90th District. He has been actively engaged in working for civil service reform for Tier 6 public employees to ensure that they are treated fairly in comparison to older workers in earlier pension tiers. He has worked on issues regarding flooding that adversely impact many Yonkers neighborhoods and has stood with unions because he believes that they are the key to the creation of well-paying jobs.
He found his work in constituent services particularly gratifying and cited one case where he was able to help a Yonkers resident on the verge of homelessness receive emergency housing. He found coordinating services with elected and appointed officials a satisfying aspect of his work.
Political Activism helped Launch Political Career
Jereis comes from a Yonkers political family. His mother is a longtime Democratic Party ward leader, and his father was the former Chairman of the Yonkers Republican Party. In 2020, Jereis became the youngest ward leader in the Yonkers Democratic Party, giving him a “front-line” role in the campaigns of every endorsed candidate for election in the city.
He coordinated the collection of signatures to qualify for the ballot. He supported unions who endorsed Democratic candidates and generally did whatever was needed to help elect Democratic candidates. In 2024, he became the party’s executive director, assuming a leadership role where he supervised ward leaders and served as a liaison with all elected Democratic officials. He described his rise in the Party as part of a “natural progression” based on his deep involvement in Party matters.
Jereis recognizes that the Party played a significant role in launching his campaign for Assembly. Because of the Party’s endorsement, he has been able to out fundraise his opponent by approximately 5 to 1, having received over $120,000 in campaign contributions, qualifying him for up to an additional $175,000 for the primary in publicly financed matching funds, under New York State campaign financing laws. If he wins the primary, he will receive an additional $175,000 in matching funds for the general election in November.
Jereis has also received the endorsement of Yonkers elected Democrats including County Executive Ken Jenkins, Mayor Mike Spano, Assembly members Shelley Mayer and his boss Nader Sayegh. He has also received the endorsement of the Yonkers Police, Firefighters and Teamsters unions, and other unions including CSEA, 32BJ, SEIU and the New York State AFL-CIO, and the New York League of Conservation Voters
Jereis supports traditional Democratic policy positions, including getting Yonkers its fair share of state school funding, affordability, supporting police and firefighters, expanding STAR property tax reductions, and keeping air and water clean.
Jereis Answers the Tough Questions
Jereis was forthright and resolute when asked about whether he had the necessary experience to be an effective elected member of the New York State Assembly.
With respect to his limited work experience, he said he had proven himself capable in every position he has held, earning the respect and endorsements of the former Assembly Members (Mike Spano, Shelly Mayer and Nader Sayegh) who served in the position he is seeking for the last 20 years. He also believes his work ethic, dedication and drive to help others will serve him well as an elected official.
With respect to his father Zehy Jereis’s 2012 conviction in federal court in a bribery and extortion scheme involving former Yonkers City Council Majority Leader Sandy Annabi, and subsequent guilty plea in a payroll tax scheme, the candidate said it was a very difficult time for him and his family. With respect to how this affected him, he said that from that experience, he learned from his father that it is always important to do what is right.
The Path to Victory
Jereis is taking nothing for granted in this election. He knows that even with the Party’s support he must energize the base and connect with the voters. He is hitting the streets, door knocking in as many of the district’s neighborhoods as possible. As proof, he says he’s already worn through two pairs of shoes in the effort.
It’s clear that Jereis has an advantage going into the primary, both in fundraising and in political backing and organization. However, the unknown in this race is the voters themselves. If history is a guide, the likely outcome is that the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate will win this race in an off-year primary election where voting turnout is traditionally very low.
However, as seen in the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, being the establishment candidate does not guarantee victory. In these volatile political times, many voters are yearning for political change.
Whether there are enough Yonkers Democratic voting for change in the primary may be the deciding factor.
