New York State Assembly Member Michael Blake was born in The Bronx, NY to Jamaican Immigrants. He is in his third term, representing the 79th District. In the NY State Assembly, Blake is the chairperson of the subcommittee on Mitchell-Lama and member of the following committees: Banks, Correction, Election Law, Governmental Operations, Housing, Veterans’ Affairs, Black, Puerto Rican & Asian Legislative Caucus and Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.

His mother, Hilary, overcame homelessness and breast cancer to work 40 years at a manufacturing plant. His father, Headly, cleaned hospital rooms and was a proud member of 1199SEIU. Blake attended New York City public schools before graduating from Northwestern University.

After a career in journalism, Blake began his political career in the 2006 “Yes We Can” training program. He then managed three winning state legislative races in Michigan, became President Obama’s 2008 Iowa Caucus Constituency vote director, and served in eight additional states, including Michigan, where his team won all seven races as part of their Coordinated campaign. Blake later served as White House Associate Director of Public Engagement and Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In 2012, Blake was National Deputy Operation Vote Director for President Obama.

Blake sits on the board of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, is an Honorary National Co-Chair of the New Leaders Council, and, in 2016, became the first sitting elected official to serve as a fellow at the Harvard University Institute of Politics.