Eddie Esses
Community leader Joey Cohen Saban has officially announced his candidacy for the New York State Assembly’s 45th District, launching a high-stakes rematch against incumbent Michael Novakhov – the same opponent Saban nearly unseated in one of the most shocking races in recent New York political history.
In 2024, in an election where more than thirty thousand people voted, Saban fell short by only 200 votes.
What was expected to be a routine re-election for an entrenched incumbent instead became a political earthquake. A first-time candidate, powered by grassroots energy and community conviction, came within inches of victory. But more importantly, his campaign ignited something far bigger than a single race – it awakened a community.
A Civic Movement Is Born
Saban’s 2024 campaign sparked an unprecedented surge in engagement across Brooklyn’s Sephardic community. Record-breaking voter registration. Historic turnout. A new generation stepping into civic life.
That movement didn’t fade after election day – it grew. Just months later, it propelled the successful election of State Senator Sam Sutton. As Sutton’s campaign manager, Saban built and executed the infrastructure that powered the victory – organizing volunteers, coordinating outreach, mobilizing voters, and ensuring flawless execution at every level. When Senator Sutton won, it wasn’t just a political win. It was proof: when the community unites, it can shape its own future.
Delivering Results in Albany
Since that victory, Saban has served as Chief of Staff to Senator Sutton, where he has been deeply involved in shaping policy and delivering tangible results.
In just weeks of legislative session in 2025 Saban has:
• Helped pass multiple bills into law
• Played a pivotal role together with Senator Sam Sutton in securing $20 million in new funding for religious institutions and millions more in capital grants for community institutions
• Advanced legislation to prohibit protests outside houses of worship
• Lead the fight to codify the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism into New York State law
Finishing What He Started
Now, with proven experience, relationships in Albany, and a tested political machine, Saban is ready to finish what he started.
His campaign is built on action, accountability, and unapologetic representation:
• Delivering meaningful funding to community institutions
• Fighting anti-Semitism at every level of government
• Securing additional security grants for synagogues and yeshivot
• Supporting law enforcement and strengthening public safety organizations
• Serving as the strongest, clearest voice in Albany against dangerous policies
A Clear Contrast
Saban argues that the current Assembly representation has failed to deliver meaningful results for the community. “Our community has received no funding under the current assemblymember,” Saban says. “He has been in Albany for almost four years and has not passed a single piece of legislation.”
This race is about access, influence, and results. It is about having a representative at the table where decisions are made, and one who knows how to use that seat to deliver.
A Personal Mission
For Joey, this campaign is deeply personal. On Election Day 2024, his grandparents – who fled their homeland decades ago in search of safety and opportunity – cast their votes for the very first time. They voted for their grandson.
That moment embodied the story of so many families in the Brooklyn Sephardic community: resilience, faith, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief in building a better future.
Joey was raised in these neighborhoods and is a proud member of our community. His children attend the same schools, he prays in the same synagogues, he walks the same streets. He understands firsthand the challenges families face and the opportunities they deserve.
Now, he is determined to become the first homegrown representative from the Sephardic community to serve in the New York State Assembly as a representative who does not just know the community, but comes from it.
The Message
Saban’s message to voters is direct and unifying: “This is about giving our community a real seat at the table – a voice in the majority that actually delivers results”.
Make sure to follow Joey throughout the campaign (@joeysaban on Instagram) and be sure to vote for Joey Cohen Saban for Assembly. He’s one of us, among us, and he will make sure our voice is heard in Albany. The movement that shocked New York once is returning. But this time it is stronger, larger, and more determined than ever. And, it’s ready to win.