James Oddo
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James S. Oddo (born 1966) is a Republican politician from Staten Island, currently serving as Minority Leader in the New York City Council. He is one of three Republicans serving on the Council.
Born in Staten Island as the youngest of four sons in a family of city employees, James Oddo earned a B.A. from Fordham University and a J.D. from New York Law School.
He started in politics by working as Chief of Staff to then-councilman John Fusco for seven years and as Legal Counsel to the former Council Minority Leader Thomas Ognibene. He was first elected in February 1999 in order to fill the seat vacated by John Fusco, and has always been reelected since. After the resignation of Ognibene, he was elected Minority Leader of the City Council with the consent of the three other Republicans on the Council in 2002.
His district, the 50th, is located mainly in Staten Island, and encompasses the neighborhoods of Arrochar, Bulls Head, Concord, Dongan Hill, Emerson Hill, Fort Wadsworth, Grant City, Graniteville, Grasmere, Island of Meadows, Midland Beach, New Dorp, Old Town, Prall's Island, Richmondtown, South Beach, Todt Hill, Travis, Westerleigh, Willowbrook; but also parts of Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Bath Beach in Brooklyn.