Toby Ann Stavisky is a Democratic member of the New York State Senate representing District 11 in Queens. She has served since 1999, succeeding her late husband in a special election, and is the first woman from Queens County elected to the State Senate. In 2023, her district shifted from the 16th to the 11th. She chairs the Senate Committee on Higher Education, the first woman to do so, and was recognized as a 2023 Women of Distinction Honoree and 2025 New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame Honoree. Notable positions include advocating for specialized high schools and their admissions tests, as well as sponsoring bills for state health insurance coverage for unauthorized immigrants.

Education and Political Experience

Stavisky graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, a specialized high school whose admissions test she has supported preserving. From 2003 to 2008, she served as Assistant Minority Whip and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Higher Education. She was appointed to the subcommittee on New York City Education in 2013 and continues as Chairwoman of the Higher Education Committee. She won reelection in 2024 for District 11 with about 50% of the vote.