J. Gary Pretlow

James Gary Pretlow was born on August 27, 1949, and is a Democrat serving in the New York State Assembly representing the 89th Assembly District. His district includes Mount Vernon and Yonkers. First elected to the Assembly in 1992, Pretlow has maintained his seat for over three decades. Before entering state politics, he served on the Mount Vernon City Council from 1985 to 1992, where he held leadership roles including Chairman of the Finance and Planning Committee and Chairman of the Capital Projects Board.

Education

Pretlow earned his degree in Business Administration from Baruch College in 1972. He is a licensed stockbroker and insurance agent.

Political Experience

Before his election to the Assembly, Pretlow held several positions in the private sector, including Manager of Accounting for Bloomingdale's Department Store and Assistant Controller at The Limited retail company. In 1985, he established a partnership in the financial planning and management-consulting field.

In the State Assembly, Pretlow currently serves as Chair of the Committee on Racing and Wagering and is a member of the Assembly committees on Ways and Means, Rules, Codes, and Insurance. He also serves on the Assembly Steering Committee and is active in the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus and the NYS Senate and Assembly Hispanic Task Force, where he holds the position of Treasurer of the NYS Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators.

Among his notable legislative achievements, Pretlow sponsored a law that legalized and implemented consumer protections for interactive fantasy sports in New York, which was anticipated to generate approximately $4 million for state Education Aid. He has also championed online gaming legislation, introducing measures to classify certain forms of online poker as skill-based games.