Heading into a new legislative session and budget negotiations, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has once again turned to a former state Senate challenger to serve in the influential role of counsel to the speaker. But that’s about where the similarities end.
Heastie on Wednesday announced Alana Sivin as his new counsel, which elevates her instantly to one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes politicos in Albany. She has a long track record in the criminal justice reform space and came to the Assembly from the Vera Institute for Justice where she lobbied the very same chamber to pass the very bills she will now be working on. “Alana is a talented individual who joins the Assembly with vast experience addressing some of our state’s most challenging and complex criminal justice issues,” Heastie said in a statement. “I know she will be a vital asset to our team and will continue to serve the people of New York well as we keep moving our state forward.”
Sivin initially announced a campaign against state Sen. Brian Kavanagh in Lower Manhattan as a proud socialist in 2021. When former Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou announced she would primary Kavanagh (and later shifted to running for Congress), Sivin pivoted to running for the open Assembly instead. She sought the endorsement of NYC-DSA, but ultimately did not receive it. She continued running against DSA-backed candidate Illapa Sairitupac, which strained her relationship with the socialist group, but ultimately wound up dropping out of the race before Election Day. Sairitupac lost to now-Assembly Member Grace Lee, a member of the conference that Sivin will now work with.
Sivin replaces Miguelina Camilo, who left to work for New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin. The same election cycle that Sivin as Sivin, Camilo also ran against an incumbent member of the state Senate, only that race was in the Bronx and against the staunchly progressive state Sen. Gustavo Rivera. Camilo hadn’t initially intended to challenge Rivera, but redistricting in 2022 placed her in his district – and when it did, the Bronx Democratic Party (over which Heastie wields enormous influence) still backed her. Camilo had deep ties to the Bronx Dems, and months after losing her insurgent campaign, Heastie brought her on as his counsel.
Camilo is an accomplished lawyer and a respected civil servant and Menin’s pick earned praise. But selection of Sivin to a top staff position in the Assembly certainly sets a different tone ahead of a year where left-wing activists and members will have renewed vigor with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pushing his agenda.
Progressive criminal justice advocates expressed excitement about Heastie’s choice. “Alana Sivin combines sharp legal analysis with an unwavering commitment to justice,” Katie Schaffer, director of advocacy and organizing at the Center for Community Alternatives, said in a statement. “She is deeply thoughtful, incredibly smart, and grounded in the real-world impact of policy decisions.” Public defender and leftwing Assembly candidate Eli Northrup called Sivin a “wonderful choice” on social media. And New York Communities for Change referenced working with Sivin on X and said her “moral compass is pointed in the right direction.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Heastie said that he has considered Sivin a friend for many years whom he would often “bounce things off of.” As for her association with the DSA, the speaker denied that he has anything against the lefty wing of his party that has historically challenged his incumbent members. “I have an extraordinary relationship with the members of the DSA in my conference, and they’ll tell you that,” he said.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Sivin was still an active DSA member. She didn’t respond to a request for comment.
