State Sen. Jabari Brisport, a Brooklyn Democrat who built his 2017 City Council campaign around a pledge to slash his own salary to the median income of Brooklyn, is facing renewed scrutiny over that promise after payroll records showed he has collected his full legislative pay since taking office in January 2021.
The democratic socialist represented one of the most progressive districts in New York when he ran for NYC Council eight years ago. In campaign materials and interviews at the time, Brisport argued it was unreasonable for elected officials to earn $148,000 annually while working-class New Yorkers survived on far less. He pledged to cut his own pay to $47,000 — Brooklyn's median income — and distribute the surplus to his staff so they would be "paid adequately."
"I'm the only candidate not only talking the talk about income inequality and calling for higher taxes on the wealthy, but also walking the walk and pledging to slash my own salary to the median income of Brooklyn," Brisport said in a 2017 interview with Gothamist. "It's a socialist plank."
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive allies and good-government advocates are divided over what the salary records mean for accountability politics.
State Assemblymember Anna Kelles, who has sponsored constitutional amendments to limit executive power in budget negotiations, said campaign promises matter regardless of political ideology. "Elected officials need to be held to the commitments they make to voters," Kelles told Playbook. "When people run on specific pledges and then change course once in office, it undermines trust in the process itself."
Some progressive organizations have remained silent on Brisport specifically, but advocates who spoke with Political Bytes argued that the broader issue of legislative pay deserves attention regardless of individual members. The Working Families Party, which has backed Brisport in past elections, did not respond to requests for comment.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative critics say the revelations demonstrate what they characterize as a pattern among progressive lawmakers: ambitious rhetoric followed by pragmatic self-interest once elected.
"This is exactly what voters should expect from career politicians who treat office as an end goal rather than a means to serve," said a spokesperson for the state Republican Party. "When you promise to live on median income and then collect $600,000 in salary, you're not just breaking a promise — you're demonstrating that your principles are negotiable."
The New York State Conservative Party called for Brisport to either honor his original pledge retroactively or explain what changed between 2017 and 2019.
What the Numbers Show
Payroll records reviewed by Politico show Brisport has collected more than $607,000 in government salary since taking office in January 2021. He also received approximately $100,000 in taxpayer-funded travel stipends during that period.
In 2023, Brisport voted to increase his own pay and that of other legislators, raising the legislative salary floor from $110,000 to $142,000 — making New York's state lawmakers the highest compensated in the nation. The vote passed the Senate 39-24 with Brisport voting in favor.
Brisport's current base salary as a state senator is $142,000 annually. Brooklyn's median household income was approximately $57,000 according to the most recent Census Bureau data for the district he represents, which includes Bedford-Stuyvesant and Clinton Hill.
The Bottom Line
Brisport faces a primary challenge from community activist Marlon Rice on June 23. Rice is running on a more moderate platform than the incumbent.
When asked about his changed position, Brisport said through a spokesperson that he shifted focus when launching his 2019 state Senate campaign to concentrate on "fighting for higher wages for working class people and making New York more affordable for everyone." He has not addressed why he voted for the legislative pay increase in 2023.
Brisport is a close political ally and former roommate of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The mayor has yet to endorse Brisport's re-election bid, though a person close to his administration said endorsements are expected in coming weeks.