Assemblymember J. Gary Pretlow was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1992 representing the 84th Assembly District (A.D.) now known as the 89th A.D., which includes the City of Mount Vernon and part of the City of Yonkers.
Gary’s professional journey began as Manager of Accounting at Bloomingdale’s Department Store and Assistant Controller at The Limited, a national retail company. In 1985, he co-founded Moncur-Pretlow & Company, a financial planning and management consulting firm.
Pretlow’s political career began in 1985 with his election to the Mount Vernon City Council, where he served until joining the NYS Assembly. During his tenure on the city council, he held positions such as Chairman of the Finance and Planning Committee and Chairman of the Capital Projects Board. He also served as a member of the Urban Renewal Agency as well as Commissioner of the Mount Vernon Housing Authority, playing a pivotal role in introducing new affordable housing to Mount Vernon.
Gary’s first assigned Chairmanship in the NYS Assembly was the Racing & Wagering Committee (R&WC) and served as chairman for 19 yrs. During his tenure as chair, he championed legislation that legalized the Video Lottery Terminals at Racetracks which is credited for saving the horse racing industry and raising tens of billions of dollars for education.
He also championed legislation to legalize consumer protections for Interactive Fantasy Sports in New York, generating approximately $4 million for state education aid in its first year as well as assisted in implementing Mobile Sports betting that also earned billions of dollars for education.
Amongst his other legislative accomplishments, Gary is particularly proud of sponsoring Cynthia’s Law, which classifies reckless assault of a child as a Class D felony and promotes awareness of shaken baby syndrome through public education campaigns.
In addition to Cynthia’s Law, Assemblymember Pretlow proudly sponsored Ava’s Law, which directs the State Department of Health to provide the public with information about resources available for individuals who have suffered a pregnancy or infant loss.
In order to advance the need of diversity in the appearance enhancement business, Assemblymember Pretlow implemented legislation that established The New York State Appearance Enhancement Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary of State on all matters relating to the appearance enhancement business.
In 2025, he was appointed Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee and is a longstanding member of the Rules and Assembly Steering Committees.
Additionally, he is affiliated with The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, & Asian Legislative Caucus, The New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, The New York State Senate and Assembly Hispanic Task Force, and serves as Treasurer of The New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, Asian Legislators, Inc.
Gary resides in the City of Mt. Vernon with his wife Donna and is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, the Lions Club of Mount Vernon, and the St. Joseph’s Lodge #117 PHA. Throughout his career, Gary has been honored with numerous awards & accolades recognizing his service and dedication to the people of New York State.
