Robert C. Carroll (born October 26, 1986) is an American politician and attorney. He is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 44th District. The district includes portions of the neighborhoods of Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Borough Park, Victorian Flatbush, Ditmas Park, Prospect Heights and Midwood, as well as the entirety of Prospect Park.
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Early life and education
Carroll is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn and was raised in the Windsor Terrace and Kensington neighborhoods. He attended P.S. 230 and Xaverian High School before graduating from Binghamton University and receiving his J.D. from New York Law School.
He currently resides in Park Slope with his wife Virginia and their son Teddy.
Career
Carroll was a practicing attorney at a firm in Manhattan and the Development Director of a non-profit theatrical organization.
Carroll became the youngest president of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats. He also served as a member of Brooklyn Community Board 7.
New York State Assembly
Retiring Assemblyman James F. Brennan stepped down in 2016, creating the first vacancy in 32 years.
Carroll easily secured the Democratic nomination. He also won the nomination of the Working Families Party.
Carroll is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Museums and Cultural Institutions as well as the Commission on Government Administration.
Carroll has written and co-sponsored several bills designed to help children with dyslexia. In 2020, Carroll wrote a bill that would enforce tests in schools that would help to screen young students for dyslexia. The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity praised Carroll and the bill, calling the bill "groundbreaking news for all who care about [d]yslexia and the future of children who are [d]yslexic."
In 2019 Carroll worked with the Brooklyn Irish LGBTQ+ Organization (BILO) and the Irish American Parade Committee to allow for BILO to walk in the Brooklyn St. Patrick's Day Parade. This marked the first time an openly LGBTQ+ organization marched in the parade. Carroll's grandfather co-founded the parade in 1976. On the committee's decision, Carroll stated, "I am so glad that everyone was able to come together to honor Irish heritage and culture and make this the first fully inclusive St. Patrick's Day parade in Brooklyn."
Winter Olympic and Paralympic Initiatives
Carroll has advocated for a future Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games shared between New York City and Lake Placid. During the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, he discussed the Milan-Cortina regional hosting model as a possible precedent for New York, with existing venues in the two regions used for different events.
In June 2026, Governor Kathy Hichul appointed Carroll to the leadership group of the Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Exploratory Committee. The committee was established to assess the feasibility of a future games, including the use of existing venues, costs, sustainability and community effects. Its formation did not constitute a formal bid.
Carroll also sponsored legislation, signed in 2025, making eligible Team USA athletes who train in New York eligible for in-state tuition at State University of New York and City University of New York institutions.
Literacy and Dyslexia
Carroll, who has dyslexia, has advocated for changes to reading instruction and support for students with learning disabilities. In 2019, "Chalkbeat" reported on his criticism of New York City schools' approach to identifying and teaching students with dyslexia.
He later introduced the Right to Read Act, a proposal addressing evidence-based reading curricula, teacher training and literacy support. The bill has not been enacted in full; New York adopted separate reading-instruction measures in its 2024 budget.
Carroll sponsored the Dyslexia Diagnosis Access Act, enacted in 2024, concerning insurance coverage for neuropsychological examinations used to diagnose dyslexia. The law was amended in 2025 to specify conditions of coverage.
Environmental Policy
Carroll was the Assembly sponsor of the Build Public Renewables Act, provisions of which were included in New York's 2023–24 state budget. The law expanded the New York Power Authority's authority to develop, own and operate renewable energy projects.
He has also sponsored legislation concerning New York City's property-tax abatements for solar panels and energy-storage systems. In 2026, he introduced a proposal to make solar incentives available to certain affordable-housing buildings that could not use the existing tax abatement.