Meet Austin

Austin Shafran is proud to be raising his two sons, Mason and Teddy, with his wife Jennifer, in the same Bayside community where he was born and raised by two former New York City school teachers and union members.

After attending P.S. 169, I.S. 25, and St. Francis Prep High School, Austin went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Queens College, where he was named Academic Athlete of the Year in each of his years there, and now volunteers with the Bayside Little League, where he helps run their youth sports programs.

Austin began his career in public service as a Community Liaison for former U.S. Congressman Gary Ackerman, where he helped seniors, the disabled, and new immigrant communities access federal services and programs. Austin went on to serve as Communications Director for then-New York City Council Finance Chair David Weprin, where he helped oversee millions of dollars in community-based grants for Northeast Queens groups, expand programmatic services for seniors, students, and small businesses, and helped draft legislation to reform New York City's property tax assessment system to ease the burden on small businesses and home and co-op and condo owners.

Austin continued his career in government service working as a senior official for the NYS Senate Democrats where he helped pass historic Marriage Equality legislation and New York's first Millionaire's Tax and Property Tax Cap. He was then appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as Deputy Commissioner for Public Affairs, where helped manage the operations of Regional Economic Development Councils and the investment of nearly $1 billion annually in business growth and job creation programs. Austin also played a role in shaping the state's small business assistance, worker training and placement programs, while also serving as a senior advisor and communications specialist on successful legislative efforts including the passage of the tuition free college degree Excelsior Scholarship program and the anti-gun violence NY SAFE ACT.

Building on his government experience, Austin has worked in the private sector as president of Metropolitan Public Strategies for the past 7 years, where he ran government affairs campaigns including successful efforts to make New York the first state to enact a $15 minimum wage, the largest expansion of affordable housing in the city's history, and the passage of the country's most comprehensive paid family leave and universal Pre-K programs.

Austin is also proud to have recently helped lead efforts to advance nationally recognized clean energy and offshore wind development projects and school safety, funding and transportation initiatives.

Austin has served as a board member of the Queens Jewish Community Council and Democratic District Leader in Northeast Queens, and was named a "Rising Star" by the Queens Courier and one of the "Top 40 Under 40" by City & State NY. Most recently in 2020, Austin was ranked fifth highest in City & State's "Political PR Power 50" and sixth in their "Political Consultants Power 50."