In 2002, Parker defeated former City CouncilmanNoach Dear in a tightly-contested Democratic primary for a newly drawn, open State Senate seat in Brooklyn. He won the 2002 general election and was elected to the Senate for the first time. In the 2008 Democratic primary, Parker held off a strong challenge from New York City Councilmembers Simcha Felder and Kendall Stewart; he won the primary with less than 50% of the vote. In 2012, Parker's district was redrawn and became a majority African American district. After Democrats won the Senate majority in the 2018 elections, Parker was named Chair of the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications. As of March 2019, Parker serves as Majority Whip.
Tenure
On June 24, 2011, the State Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act. Parker voted in favor of the legislation, which was signed into law that evening; however, he stormed off the Senate floor in protest because he was not allowed to speak on the bill. According to Parker, Senate Democrats had previously been informed that each Senator would have two minutes to explain his or her vote. Sen. Parker added that the doors to the Senate chamber were locked on the evening of June 24 to prevent senators from leaving the chamber when the bill was voted upon. On January 22, 2019, the State Senate passed the Reproductive Health Act. Parker voted in favor of the bill. Gov. Cuomo signed the bill into law. On May 20, 2019, the State Senate passed a Parker-sponsored bill that would ban undetectable firearms.
On May 8, 2009, Parker was charged with felony criminal mischief for attacking a New York Post photographer and damaging the photographer's camera and car door. According to prosecutors, the photographer's finger was broken in the alleged attack. Parker was charged with a felony due to the value of damage to the camera and car door. As a result, he was stripped of his leadership position as majority whip and chair of the Energy Committee. Parker was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief. On March 21, 2011, he was sentenced to three years' probation and fined $1,000. Had he been convicted of a felony, he would have automatically lost his seat in the Senate, and the Senate had already expelled Hiram Monserrate for misdemeanor charges earlier in the year. The Senate Democrats expressed an unwillingness to expel Parker as they had Monserrate.
Other alleged altercations
In January 2005, Parker was arrested after allegedly punching a traffic agent in the face during a dispute over a traffic citation that he had been issued. He was subsequently charged with third degree assault, a misdemeanor. The charges were dropped after he agreed to take anger management classes. In 2005, a staffer alleged that Parker had hit and shoved her while she was working for him as an office manager. The staffer further alleged that after she made these accusations, Parker had threatened her at a restaurant. In 2008, an aide filed charges against Parker, alleging that he pushed her during an argument and smashed her glasses.
Tirades
In February 2010, Parker was reportedly restrained by his colleagues during a profane tirade against Senator Diane Savino in which Parker referred to Savino as a "bitch." In April 2010, Parker launched into a tirade while colleague John DeFrancisco of Syracuse was questioning a black nominee for the New York State Power Authority. Parker objected to DeFrancisco's questions and asserted that he had never seen a white nominee treated in similar fashion. "Amid the nearly two-minute tirade, committee chairman Carl Kruger told Parker he would be removed from the hearing room if he didn't settle down." During the tirade, Parker accused his colleagues of racism. He followed up in a radio interview by accusing his Republican "enemies" of being white supremacists, but later apologized for the "white supremacists" accusation. In an April 2019 closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats, an argument between Parker and Sen. Alessandra Biaggi occurred; Parker reportedly "ripped off his tie and threw it down in a rage".
'Kill Yourself' tweet
In December 2018, a vehicle bearing Parker's official parking placard was parked in a New York City bicycle lane. When questioned about the vehicle on Twitter, Parker replied, "Kill yourself!" Incoming Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins expressed her "disappointment" at Parker's action. As of January 27, 2019, no formal disciplinary action had been taken against Parker in regard to the "Kill yourself!" Tweet.
