Dan Quart Retiring From UES Assembly Seat; Kallos, Squire May Run

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Dan Quart will not run for re-election next year for his East Side seat in the State Assembly, he announced Thursday, immediately triggering speculation about who could replace the longtime lawmaker.

Quart, 49, was first elected in 2011 to the 73rd District seat, which covers Carnegie Hill, Lenox Hill and much of Midtown East and Murray Hill. A lawyer by trade, Quart recently finished a disappointing last place in the Democratic primary for Manhattan District Attorney, in which he ran as one of the race's most progressive candidates.

"I want to thank my constituents for their faith in me, my family for the sacrifices they have made to allow me to serve in elected office, and my staff, both past and present, who tirelessly worked to help me serve my constituents," Quart said in a statement posted to Twitter Thursday morning.

Rumors had swirled for months that Quart might be wavering on whether to run again. Amid the uncertainty, some speculated that outgoing Councilmember Ben Kallos would be an immediate front-runner if he sought the seat.

It has been the honor of my life to serve my community in the State Assembly but after much consideration, I've decided not to seek re-election next year.

My full statement below: pic.twitter.com/5tJGCXthvw
— Dan Quart (@AMDanQuart) December 23, 2021

Despite his fourth-place finish in the primary for Manhattan Borough President, Kallos performed strongly within the bounds of Quart's district, finishing first with nearly a third of the vote. That speculation only intensified when Kallos opened a state-level campaign finance account on Aug. 10.

Reached by phone on Thursday, Kallos said that news of Quart's retirement "came as a surprise to me," and praised his work on criminal justice reform. He did not deny an interest in the soon-to-be-open seat.

"It's an exciting opportunity and I will be thinking on it over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday," Kallos told Patch.

Meanwhile, another contender has made clear for months that he would run if Quart did not: Community Board 8 chair Russell Squire.

Squire confirmed Thursday that he is running for the seat in light of Quart's announcement, telling Patch that his campaign will center on quality-of-life issues.

"[I'm] very excited about talking to people of the district about the race and about the issues we’re confronting," he said. "Public safety's very important, education's very important, and there's a lot of other issues."

Though he would likely become the underdog if Kallos enters the race, Squire made clear that he would continue his own campaign.

Cameron Koffman, a recent college graduate who earned a third of the vote when he challenged Quart in last year's Democratic primary, said Thursday he had no interest in running for the seat.

Next year's primary elections will be held on June 28.

Have an Upper East Side news tip? Email reporter Nick Garber at nick.garber@patch.com.