ERIK BOTTCHER, born on this date,  is an American politician representing New York City. He is a Democratic member of the 3rd district of the New York City Council, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen.

In late December 2025, he announced he was going to run for the state senate seat held by Brad Hoylman-Sigal who was elected to be the Manhattan Borough President. Bottcher abandoned his earlier plans to run to replace retiring Congressman Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th congressional district. 

But as competition grew, Bottcher ultimately decided to run for Hoylman-Sigal’s old seat. When he pivoted to run for State Senate, Bottcher said in a written statement that his decision was “rooted in where I believe I can do the most good immediately,” adding that the “State Senate is where critical decisions are being made on housing affordability, addressing the mental health crisis, safeguarding our environment, and defending New York from the Trump agenda.”

Bottcher was raised in Wilmington, New York, a small town in the Adirondack Mountains located outside of Lake Placid. His parents, Jerry and Linda, owned and operated a fly fishing motel called “The Hungry Trout”.

As an adolescent, Bottcher suffered from depression and struggled to come to terms with his sexual orientation. At the age of 15 and following several suicide attempts, he was admitted to Four Winds Hospital, a mental health facility in Saratoga Springs, New York.

After graduating from Lake Placid High School, Bottcher wrote an open letter to the school board sharing his experiences with bullying he endured at the school and why the district needed to do more to protect its students. Shortly thereafter, the school district added “sexual orientation” to its non-discrimination policy. Bottcher often credits these early experiences as the beginning of his political activism. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University.

As a member of the New York City Council, Bottcher has passed significant legislation and negotiated transformative urban development and safety initiatives.