Incumbent
William Colton
Assembly Member for District 47 since 1997; first elected in November 1996
Focus: Education
Susan Zhuang +3
General Election
ELECTION WAS NOV 3
NY Assembly · Assembly District 47
A longtime Assembly incumbent's record against a school-council leader's safety focus
Democrat William Colton has held the seat since 1997 and won in 2024 with 60.5% of the vote. Republican John J. Ricottone, a retired police officer and president of Community Education Council District 20, also runs on the Conservative and Stop Mamdani lines.
Candidates
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Issues
Schools, gifted programs and school safety
State law can direct New York City's Education Department on programs such as gifted and talented classes.
In coverage
Wants to expand gifted classes admitted by merit and to keep the specialized high schools and their admissions test, the SHSAT. Sponsors a bill requiring New York City's Education Department to create more gifted and talented programs, and sponsored the 2023 law making Asian Lunar New Year a school holiday.
VOTE411 Voter Guide (League of Women Voters) — William Colton's answersPublic safety and criminal justice
State law decides which charges let a judge set bail, the rules for certificates of relief from disabilities (issued by a court or the state corrections department, they lift some legal barriers for people with criminal convictions), and whether police radio stays open to the public; the Legislature writes those rules and the governor can sign or veto them, as with a police radio bill vetoed in December 2025.
In coverage
Sponsored a bill letting judges set bail or order jail before trial for people charged with hate crimes. Voted against the Keep Police Radio Public Act in 2025, which the governor vetoed, and against a 2024 bill, which became law, on certificates of relief from disabilities (which lift some legal barriers for people with criminal convictions).
New York State Assembly — A1789 (2023) bill record (summary, actions, floor votes)Voting access and redistricting
Voting access and congressional redistricting after the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision are election questions both candidates addressed.
Opposes redrawing New York's congressional map for 2026, saying the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais changed the federal legal landscape but gives no good reason for an emergency remap.
VOTE411 Voter Guide (League of Women Voters) — John Ricottone's answersThe money
Cycle-to-date · NYS Board of Elections — figures change as new reports are filed.
Colton$17K
JRRicottone
$6K
Researched & verified Sep 30, 2026. Compiled from verified public sources; claims that failed verification are excluded.
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