Bella Abzug - Legislative Career

Legislative Career

In 1970, she challenged 14-year incumbent Leonard Farbstein in the Democratic primary for a congressional district on Manhattan's West Side. She defeated Farbstein in a considerable upset, and then defeated talk show host Barry Farber in the general election. In 1972 her district was eliminated via redistricting and chose to run against William Fitts Ryan,who also represented part of the West Side, in the Democratic primary. Ryan, though seriously ill, defeated Abzug. However, Ryan died before the general election and Abzug defeated his widow, Priscilla, in a party convention to choose the new Democratic nominee. In the general election Priscilla Ryan challenged Abzug on the Liberal Party line, but was unsuccessful. In the general election she was reelected easily in 1974. For her last two terms, she represented part of The Bronx as well.

She was one of the first members of Congress to support gay rights, introducing the first federal gay rights bill, known as the Equality Act of 1974, with fellow Democratic New York City Representative, Ed Koch, a future mayor of New York City.

Abzug's career in Congress ended with an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1976. She was narrowly defeated by a more conservative Democrat, Daniel Patrick Moynihan who went on to be elected and served four terms.