Darius Shahinfar Runs for Albany Treasurer
May 31, 2013, Albany, NY – Darius Shahinfar, an Iranian American lawyer, announced his bid for City Treasurer of Albany, New York on April 14, 2013. Shahinfar will be facing County Legislator Gary Domalewicz in the Democratic primary. Both men are seeking to succeed current treasurer Kathy Sheehan, who is running to become Albany’s mayor.
The City Treasurer is Albany’s Chief Fiscal Officer, responsible for the custody and disbursement of City funds, making investments on the City’s behalf, preparing the City’s financial statements, and supervising the Parking Authority, among other duties.
Announcing his candidacy, Shahinfar stated: “I am running to bring City government into the 21st Century. I want to protect, continue, and expand the work that [Sheehan] has done in the office, where she modernized it, streamlined operations and improved revenue.” He went on to outline his plans for the city, saying: “We need a technological overhaul… The software that we use should be integrated within the office, as should all the software platforms between and among City departments. As a city we should look to our sister municipalities not just to share services to create efficiencies, but also to see how they addressed similar issues, overcame similar obstacles and solved similar problems.”
Shahinfar’s campaign has picked up numerous significant endorsements from public officials and community leaders, including Treasurer Sheehan herself, Assembly members Pat Fahy and Phil Steck, Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk, retired County Executive Mike Breslin, retired Assembly member Jack McEneny, and several City Common Council members and County Legislators.
Shahinfar’s father immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1959 so he could attend medical school. A child of upstate New York, he was raised in New Hartford. He attended Bates College in Maine, and after college, Albany Law School, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Review and graduated cum laude in 1997. He was subsequently admitted to both the New York and Massachusetts Bar.
Shahinfar has worked in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. His experiences include negotiating public and private contracts, streamlining operations, and cutting red tape for businesses, community organizations, seniors, and veterans.
In 2006, he joined the Congressional campaign of Kirsten Gillibrand (now one of New York’s U.S. senators), and after her victory, went to work for her as her Regional Representative.
Shahinfar and his wife, Albany County Legislator Noelle Kinsch, live in Albany’s 9th ward with their children Jackson and Ava.
Click here to read more about Shahinfar’s campaign for Albany City Treasurer.
The campaign would mark Shahinfar’s third bid for public office. In 2008, PAAIA’s connected political action committee, IAPAC, supported his campaign to represent the 21st Congressional District of New York.
