Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (House District 42)

Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is a Democratic Assembly Member representing New York's 42nd District in Brooklyn, which includes portions of East Flatbush, Flatbush, Ditmas Park, and Midwood. Born on December 2, 1972, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Haitian immigrant parents and as an heir to Haiti's slave abolitionist Jean-Jacques Dessalines, she is the first Haitian-American woman elected to the New York City legislature. Elected in 2015, she serves as New York State Assembly Majority Whip, Chair of the Kings County Democratic Committee , and Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. She also holds positions on committees including Housing, Education, Governmental Operations, Health, Higher Education, and Ways & Means, and serves on Governor Kathy Hochul's Domestic Violence Advisory Council and Mayor Eric Adams’ MWBE Task Force.

Notable achievements include sponsoring Jonah Bichotte Cowan's Law , which requires hospitals to treat pregnant women in pre-term labor situations to address maternal mortality disparities. She has introduced over 200 bills , co-sponsored over 250 others, established the Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College, and introduced international civil rights resolutions.

Education and Political Experience

Specific details on her formal education are not detailed in available records. Her political experience began with election to the New York State Assembly in 2015 for the 42nd District, where she has won general elections with over 90% of the vote in a safely Democratic seat. Prior to her Assembly role, she served as a District Leader. In 2020, she became Chair of the Kings County Democratic Committee, succeeding Frank Seddio, and has been a key supporter in local party dynamics, including backing Eric Adams' mayoral campaign.