The Jewish Vote: June 2026 Voter Guide

JFREJ's recommendations for 2026 democratic primary races across New York City.

This is a voter guide made by JFREJers, for JFREJers. If you find it useful, please share it with your friends, family, neighbors, group chats, and beyond! And if you aren’t yet a member of JFREJ, please join us at jfrej.org/join! 

In this guide you will find:

1. JFREJ’s recommendations for how to fill out your ballot this June. In this election, you will have the chance to vote for the Democratic primary candidates for New York state offices, including Governor & Lt. Governor, NYS Comptroller, State Senate and State Assembly, as well as your member of Congress.  Click on the links below to jump down to the section you want to read!


2. Critical voter information like poll site locations and hours (click here) and where to view a sample ballot (click here).

✼

About this guide:

In the Democratic primary election on June 23, we have the opportunity to shift the balance of power in Albany, with potentially big impacts on NYC. As evidenced by the first few months of the Mamdani administration, so much of city policy hinges on support from Albany. Taxing the rich, preventing local jurisdictions from working with ICE, and ensuring no cuts to city services all rely on the state. Each assembly and senate race is crucial to ensure our priority issues have champions at the state level. 

For our 2026 Voter Guide, JFREJ leaders from the electoral team came together to research candidates and offer voting recommendations based on JFREJ’s campaign priorities: End Deportations, Hate Violence Prevention, and Share the Wealth for Care. These recommendations are distinct from our endorsements, which can be found here. In our recommendations for each race, we highlight candidates who align with our JFREJ values and priorities and have a reasonable path to victory. We also tell you who you shouldn’t vote for, usually because they are not progressive, or because they have shown they view public office as a transactional vehicle to enhance their power, not the public good.

A few specific notes:  

  • There is no ranked-choice voting in state and federal races. You will need to choose one candidate. 
  • There are some candidates we are recommending but who JFREJ did not endorse. That doesn’t mean they aren’t great candidates; we made decisions about endorsements based on multiple factors, including numbers of JFREJ members in-district as well as members’ enthusiasm for getting involved in the race.
  • Some shorthand you may see mentioned in candidate descriptions include: 
    • New York for All (NY4All): legislation to create sanctuary protections across New York state, including preventing local law endorsement from cooperating with ICE.  JFREJ strongly supports this legislation. 
    • “Buffer bills”: legislation designed to restrict protest around houses of worship and affiliated educational facilities. The state bill initially introduced would have opened protesters up to felony charges. The version of the bill that passed is largely redundant of existing law, but does include Class B misdemeanor charges. JFREJ opposes this legislation. 
    • ACTJEW: a new organization about which there is limited public information available that opposes candidates who speak up for Palestinian rights. An endorsement from ACTJEW indicates that a candidate likely does not share JFREJ values.

About JFREJ and the Jewish Vote:

Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) is a 6,000-member grassroots organization and the home of New York’s Jewish Left. For 36 years, JFREJ has organized alongside our neighbors to transform New York from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy, free from all forms of racist violence. JFREJ issues endorsements under the name The Jewish Vote, which is JFREJ's electoral arm.

✼

NOT ON YOUR PRIMARY BALLOT [RUNNING UNOPPOSED]

Governor: Kathy Hochul is the current governor of New York State and is running unopposed in the primary. While Hochul has shown willingness to negotiate and work with Mayor Mamdani, her reluctance to support the Tax the Rich and New York for All bills is a huge obstacle towards building the New York we deserve. In the general election, voting for Hochul on the Working Families Party line is recommended to maintain WFP’s ballot line. 

Attorney General: Tish James is running unopposed to continue as Attorney General, an office she has held since 2019. James has used the office to advance JFREJ priorities. She has recently pledged to deploy legal observers to document ICE activity, to bolster sanctuary protections against deportations. She has gone after the ultra-wealthy who evade their taxes. And she has worked against hate violence by defending the rights of trans New Yorkers to receive health care, documenting and verifying claims of harassment by then-governor Andrew Cuomo, and by holding Betar US accountable for their “bias-motivated assaults, threats, and harassment targeting Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers.”

Key:

✅ JFREJ-endorsed candidate! Best choice.
✔️ Consider voting for this candidate.
❌ DON’T consider this candidate.
(*I) Incumbent
⭐️ Someone great JFREJ has worked with in the past, or who we’re especially enthusiastic to support this June
🐺 Endorsed by the Working Families Party

STATEWIDE

COMPTROLLER

✔️ Drew Warshaw
❌ Tom Dinapoli (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Raj Goyle

The race for state comptroller has surprisingly turned into one of the most contentious races this cycle. Two candidates are challenging incumbent Tom Dinapoli, who has served as Comptroller since 2007. Drew Warshaw is a former housing nonprofit executive who has focused his campaign on policy solutions such as investments in affordable housing, ensuring taxpayer money doesn’t go towards funding ICE, and promising to divest from companies such as Palantir. Raj Goyle is a former Kansas legislator with a conservative record who has evolved on many issues. He is a strong supporter of climate justice and wants to divest funds from Israeli and other international bonds. Dinapoli has been a competent manager of pension funds but has refused to divest from Israel.

✼

MANHATTAN

(key here)

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 10

✅ Brad Lander ⭐️ 🐺 
❌ Dan Goldman (*I) 

JFREJ has endorsed Brad Lander, JFREJ member and our longtime ally in office as NYC comptroller and council member. He’ll be the leading Jewish progressive voice in Congress: fighting ICE and authoritarianism at home, supporting the Block the Bombs bill to end U.S. military aid to Israel , and championing affordable housing, and tenants’ and workers’ rights. His impactful cross-endorsement during the 2025 mayoral primary played a significant role in Zohran Mamdani's victory, embodying a politics of solidarity and service over ego and ambition.

Incumbent Dan Goldman consistently votes for: bills favorable to cryptocurrency; bills that equate anti-zionism with antisemitism and contribute to Trump’s attack on higher education; and bills to materially support the genocide of Palestinians. Goldman is one of the richest members of Congress and has committed to spending $1 million of his own money on this race, a sharp contrast to Lander’s grassroots support. Goldman is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 12 [open seat]

Congressmember Jerry Nadler is retiring after over two decades in office representing this district. There are multiple candidates running for the open seat, including:

  • Alex Bores, NY Assembly Member who currently represents a district on the East Side
  • George Conway, “former” Republican and a participant in the Lincoln Project
  • Micah Lasher, NY Assembly Member who currently represents a district on the UWS (where we’ve endorsed Eli Northrup to succeed him)
  • Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson and political commentator
  • Nina Schwalbe, a public health researcher
     

No candidate in this race has emerged as the right choice for JFREJ. Micah Lasher is the Assembly’s lead sponsor of the statewide buffer zone bill. Alex Bores is a co-sponsor of the bill and has links to Palantir. Neither would support the Block the Bombs bill to end U.S. military aid to Israel and both have been endorsed by ACTJEW. Jack Schlossberg has very little job experience. George Conway was a registered Republican until 2025 when he decided to run for this seat. Nina is polling at approximately 2%. 

We don’t have a high caliber of candidates in this race and are disappointed that it appears whoever gets elected will be far less progressive than Nadler. 

Also on your ballot: Chris Diep, Laura Dunn, Patrick Timmins

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 13

✔️ Darializa Aviles-Chevalier
❌ Adriano Espaillat (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Theo Chino-Tavarez, Oscar Romero

Darializa Aviles-Chevalier is a union organizer backed by DSA and Justice Democrats. She organized with UAW region 9A when she was a grad student at Columbia and is now a PhD student at CUNY. She supports the Block the Bombs Act to end U.S. military aid to Israel, and as well as JFREJ’s domestic policy priorities. 

Adriano Espaillat is a machine Democrat. He is a sponsor of Medicare for All and supports raising the minimum wage to $17 by 2028, but does not support College for All, an ultra-millionaire’s tax, or the Block the Bombs Act. He is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 65 [open seat]

✔️ Illapa Sairitupac 

Also on your ballot: Jasmin Sanchez, Mariama James, Lilah Mejia, Wei-Li Tjong, Jacky Wong

This is a crowded race for the seat being vacated by Assembly Member Grace Lee. 

Illapa Sairitupac is a DSA-endorsed tenant organizer running on a platform of overall affordability, and immigrant and housing justice. He has been endorsed by: Senator Bernie Sanders; Assembly Members Claire Valdez, Emily Gallagher, and Diana Moreno; State Senator Julia Salazar; and numerous labor organizations including HTC, 32BJ SEIU, UAW, and NYSNA. 

Jasmin Sanchez is a NYCHA resident who has been a strong advocate for climate resiliency. She is running on a platform focused on strengthening public schools, immigration, and public safety. Sanchez has been endorsed by outgoing Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and DC37. Mariama James is a district leader who has been an advocate for 9/11 survivors and first responders with a focus on housing affordability. Lilah Mejia is a lifelong resident of the Lower East Side whose priorities include protections for NYCHA, education, and climate resiliency.  

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 66 [open seat]

✔️ David Siffert  
❌ Ben Yee

Also on your ballot: Ryder Kessler 🐺, Jeannine Kiely

David Siffert is a civil rights lawyer, law professor, and community organizer who has spent years writing and fighting for progressive legislation on issues like civil rights, data privacy, police reform, and government transparency. Siffert has a proven record of building coalitions, taking on powerful interests, and pushing bold policy solutions that directly improve people’s lives.

Ryder Kessler is a WFP-endorsed local organizer and former member of the Community Board, running on a platform of increasing housing and affordability. Jeannine Kiely is a district leader who has been endorsed by the outgoing Assembly Member, Deborah Glick. Ben Yee is a Democratic State Committeeman who has faced allegations of sexual harassment. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 68

✔️ Diana Ayala 🐺
❌ Eddie Gibbs (*I) 

Eddie Gibbs is the incumbent Assembly Member whose tenure has been marred by controversy and complaints of poor constituent services. He is being challenged by former Council Member Diana Ayala who is focused on affordability, protecting immigrants, and fighting for the wellbeing of working families in the district. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  69 [open seat]

✅ Eli Northrup ⭐️ 🐺
❌ Stephanie Ruskay

Eli Northrup is a public defender and JFREJ member who we endorsed in his initial run for Assembly in 2024 and are proud to support again this year. He has successfully advocated for equitable cannabis legalization, and sentencing and bail reform. He has made our campaigns to End Deportations and to Tax the Rich to fund universal childcare core parts of his campaign. He is on the record opposing the state buffer bill and other efforts to block protest. 

Stephanie Ruskay is a school administrator and ordained rabbi. Although she also favors some progressive causes, she supports the state buffer bill and has not committed to taxing the rich. She has received uncoordinated financial support from Westside Progress, which represents landlords with buildings in the district, including the worst landlord in NYC. She is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  70

✔️ Conrad Blackburn 🐺
❌ Jordan Wright (*I) 

Conrad Blackburn is a public defender and labor leader who is challenging incumbent Assembly Member Jordan Wright. Blackburn worked to end solitary confinement in NYC jails and sued the Adams administration when it refused to follow the law prohibiting this policy. He is a prominent UAW organizer and a DSA-endorsed candidate. 

Wright is the son of Manhattan Democratic Party chairman Keith Wright, who previously held this seat from 1993-2016. He co-sponsored the state buffer zone bill, is endorsed by ACTJEW, and has been to the right of JFREJ on our priority issues.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

SENATE DISTRICT  27 [open seat]

✅ Yuh-Line Niou ⭐️ 🐺
❌ Grace Lee

JFREJ has endorsed Yuh-Line Niou, who has been a partner to us since her time in the New York State Assembly representing District 65, which overlaps with SD27. First elected to the Assembly in 2016, she ran as a grassroots candidate and fought to protect tenants and against corruption, courageously standing as one of the loudest voices against disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo. She has been endorsed by State Assembly Member Ron Kim, Brad Lander, former Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Chi Ossé. 

Grace Lee is the current Assembly Member in District 65. She is a co-sponsor of the state buffer bill. She is endorsed by ACTJEW. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

Manhattan incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

Assembly District 67: Linda Rosenthal (*I) 

Assembly District 71: Al Taylor 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 72: Manny De Los Santos 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 73: Vanessa Aronson 🐺 (unopposed non-incumbent)  

Assembly District 75: Tony Simone 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 76: Rebecca Seawright 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 28: Liz Krueger (*I) 

Senate District 29: Jose Serrano 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 30: Cordell Cleare 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 31: Robert Jackson ✅ ⭐️🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 47: Erik Bottcher 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 59: Kristen Gonzales ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Council District 3: Carl Wilson (*I) 

✼

BROOKLYN

(key here)

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7 [open seat]

✔️ Antonio Reynoso ⭐️ 🐺
✔️ Claire Valdez ⭐️
❌ Julie Won

Also on your ballot: Vichal Kumar

One of the most divisive races in this cycle, there are reasons to support both Claire Valdez and Antonio Reynoso. Both Assembly Member Valdez and Borough President Reynoso have been strong allies on JFREJ’s core issues, including taxing the rich and supporting immigrants. 

Valdez is endorsed by both DSA and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and can bring a unique perspective to Congress as a former union organizer with UAW who wants to use a congressional seat to strengthen union protections. She has put out substantial policy platforms on a number of our core issues, and has the clearest grasp of the genocide in Gaza and broader history of  Israel-Palestine. Valdez won the endorsement of The Jewish Vote when she ran for her current position as Assembly Member.

Reynoso has a long history of substantial work in Brooklyn politics, helping form New Kings Democrats to fight against “machine politics” and serving as city council staff member before becoming a two-term city council member, and now Brooklyn Borough President. In the city council, he worked closely with JFREJ and Communities United for Police Reform as a lead sponsor of the Right To Know Act. As Borough President, he has drawn much-needed attention to Black women’s maternal health in Brooklyn. He is endorsed by the Working Families Party and a host of democratic elected officials including Attorney General Tish James and outgoing Congressmember Nydia Velazquez. 

Julie Won, currently a Council Member from Western Queens, is generally aligned on JFREJ priorities, but has been less outspoken on our core issues. Won recently voted for one of the city buffer bills JFREJ strongly opposed. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 10

✅ Brad Lander ⭐️ 🐺 
❌ Dan Goldman (*I) 

JFREJ has endorsed Brad Lander, JFREJ member and our longtime ally in office as NYC comptroller and council member. He’ll be the leading Jewish progressive voice in Congress: fighting ICE and authoritarianism at home, supporting the Block the Bombs bill to end U.S. military aid to Israel , and championing affordable housing, and tenants’ and workers’ rights. His impactful cross-endorsement during the 2025 mayoral primary played a significant role in Zohran Mamdani's victory, embodying a politics of solidarity and service over ego and ambition.

Incumbent Dan Goldman consistently votes for: bills favorable to cryptocurrency; bills that equate anti-zionism with antisemitism and contribute to Trump’s attack on higher education; and bills to materially support the genocide of Palestinians. Goldman is one of the richest members of Congress and has committed to spending $1 million of his own money on this race, a sharp contrast to Lander’s grassroots support. Goldman is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  46

✔️ Chris McCreight 🐺

Also on your ballot: Joe Santangelo

Unlike the majority of other races this cycle, which are contests for secure Democratic seats, this primary race will determine which candidate will challenge the incumbent Republican in office Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny. 

Chris McCreight is a former senior advisor to Council Member Kayla Santosuosso, a vice co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, and a former Chief of Staff to Council Member Justin Brannan. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  46

✔️ Lydia Green 
✔️Jo Anne Simon 🐺 (*I)  

Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon has been a valued partner in JFREJ’s campaign to Tax the Rich for care, although her campaign platform does not mention immigration. She did not co-sponsor the statewide buffer zone bill. She is endorsed by ACTJEW. Lydia Green is a District Leader, JFREJ member and a committed electoral organizer.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  54

✔️ Christian Celeste Tate 🐺 
❌ Erik Dilan (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Paperboy Love Prince

Christian Celeste Tate is an organizer who works as a strategy consultant for nonprofits and philanthropists. Tate’s campaign priorities are to stop speculative real estate investors from displacing people from their homes, pass NY4All, and reduce crime by investing in youth and mental health services. Tate has unified support on the left, including endorsements from WFP, DSA, and many others. 

Erik Dilan has been in city- and state-level elected office since 2002, when he took over his father’s seat on the City Council. Dilan has not been a supporter of progressive causes and is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  56 

✅ Eon Huntley ⭐️ 🐺 
❌ Stefani Zinerman (*I) 

JFREJ has endorsed Eon Huntley, an advocate for tenants rights, universal childcare, public education, and workers’ rights. Huntley has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, NYC DSA, and many progressive elected officials throughout New York. He is running to the left of the incumbent, Stefani Zinerman, who was supported by Solidarity PAC in her 2024 campaign and by ACTJEW during this cycle. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  57

✅ Phara Souffrant Forrest ⭐️ 🐺  (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Samantha Johnson

JFREJ has supported Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest since she first ran for office. A registered nurse, she is one of our fiercest champions in Albany, particularly in the fights for Fair Pay for Home Care, and taxing the rich for universal childcare.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT  59

✔️Jibreel Jalloh 🐺 
❌ Jaime Williams (*I) 

Jibreel Jalloh is a community organizer and nonprofit leader. He is newer to the political arena, but has stood up to challenge a very conservative Democrat who is not aligned with JFREJ values. 

Incumbent Assembly Member Jaime Williams strongly opposed a migrant shelter in her district, implied all immigrants are dangerous, and endorsed Curtis Sliwa in the 2025 general election.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

NYC MUNICIPAL CIVIL COURT, DISTRICT 6 (Brooklyn)

✔️Janice Purvis 🐺 

Depending on where you live, you might see judges on your ballot. We are not offering recommendations on judges, with the exception of one candidate, Janice Purvis, who is endorsed by WFP.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

Brooklyn incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

New York Congressional District 8: Hakeem Jeffries (*I) 

New York Congressional District 9: Yvette Clarke (*I) 

Assembly District 41: Kalman Yeger (*I) 

Assembly District 42: Rodneyse Bichotte (*I) 

Assembly District 43: Brian Cunningham 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 44: Robert Carroll 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 45: Michael Novakhov (*I) 

Assembly District 47: William Colton (*I) 

Assembly District 48: Simcha Eischenstein (*I) 

Assembly District 49: Lester Change (*I) 

Assembly District 50: Emily Gallagher ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 51: Marcela Mitaynes ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 53: Maritza Davila (*I) 

Assembly District 55: Latrice Walker 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 58: Monique Chandler-Waterman 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 60: Nikki Lukas (*I) 

Senate District 18: Julia Salazar ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 19: Roxanne Persaud (*I) 

Senate District 20: Zellnor Myrie ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 21: Kevin Parker (*I) 

Senate District 25: Jabari Brisport  ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 26: Andrew Gounardes 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 59: Kristen Gonzalez ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

✼

QUEENS

(key here)

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 6

✔️ Chuck Park
❌ Grace Meng (*I) 

Chuck Park is a former US diplomat and chief of staff for Council Member Shekar Krishnan. Park is running an accessible, grassroots campaign, and his platform aligns with JFREJ’s stances on taxing the rich, immigrant justice, and ending the genocide in Gaza. Park recently got arrested during May Day protests calling to Tax the Rich.

Incumbent Grace Meng has served in Congress since 2013 and has been reelected since with minimal opposition. Her politics have generally mirrored those of the mainstream Democratic Party, including on Israel and Gaza where she was one of NYC’s last members of Congress to call for a temporary ceasefire. She does not support the Block the Bombs Act, and only recently joined calls to Tax the Rich. She is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7 [open seat]

✔️ Antonio Reynoso ⭐️ 🐺
✔️ Claire Valdez ⭐️
❌ Julie Won

Also on your ballot: Vichal Kumar

One of the most divisive races in this cycle, there are reasons to support both Claire Valdez and Antonio Reynoso. Both Assembly Member Valdez and Borough President Reynoso have been strong allies on JFREJ’s core issues, including taxing the rich and supporting immigrants. 

Valdez is endorsed by both DSA and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and can bring a unique perspective to Congress as a former union organizer with UAW who wants to use a congressional seat to strengthen union protections. She has put out substantial policy platforms on a number of our core issues, and has the clearest grasp of the genocide in Gaza and broader history of  Israel-Palestine. Valdez won the endorsement of The Jewish Vote when she ran for her current position as Assembly Member.

Reynoso has a long history of substantial work in Brooklyn politics, helping form New Kings Democrats to fight against “machine politics” and serving as city council staff member before becoming a two-term city council member, and now Brooklyn Borough President. In the city council, he worked closely with JFREJ and Communities United for Police Reform as a lead sponsor of the Right To Know Act. As Borough President, he has drawn much-needed attention to Black women’s maternal health in Brooklyn. He is endorsed by the Working Families Party and a host of democratic elected officials including Attorney General Tish James and outgoing Congressmember Nydia Velazquez. 

Julie Won, currently a Council Member from Western Queens, is generally aligned on JFREJ priorities, but has been less outspoken on our core issues. Won recently voted for one of the city buffer bills JFREJ strongly opposed. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 30 [open seat]

✔️ Shamsul Haque
❌ Somnath Ghimire
❌ Patrick Martinez

Shamsul Haque is a retired NYPD detective, who became an organizer and public figure supporting the Mamdani mayoral campaign, doing outreach to cops, and to Bangladeshi and Muslim constituencies. An economic progressive, Haque has taken a strong position on taxing the rich. Haque takes a reformist position on policing, not an abolitionist one. 

A member of the Crowley dynasty of insider politics, Patrick Martinez had the endorsement of the Queens Democratic Party before he even launched his campaign in public, and he has support from the largest unions. Martinez works in marketing and serves on his local community board.

Somnath Ghimire is running on the right in this race. His platform includes stronger policing, modern surveillance equipment, and protecting good landlords.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 32 [open seat]

✔️ Latoya LeGrand 🐺
❌ Nathaniel Hezekiah III

Also on your ballot: Tunisia Morrison, Paul Nichols

Latoya LeGrand is a nonprofit founder and has served as the Chair of the Education Committee on her Community Board. Her priorities include fully funding education, affordability, and government accountability.

Nathaniel Hezekiah III is the deputy chief of staff to Congressmember Gregory Meeks and has the backing of the establishment Queens Democratic Party.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 33

✔️Oster Bryan 🐺
❌ Clyde Vanel (*I) 

Oster Bryan is a longtime neighborhood and civic activist. He has done significant work on environmental justice and  flood mitigation with the Southeast Queens Residents for Environmental Justice (SQREJC) 

Incumbent Assembly Member Vanel has a less than progressive track record, endorsing Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 mayoral primary, opposing Not On Our Dime legislation in the past, and not co-sponsoring the package of Tax the Rich bills in Albany.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 34 [open seat]

✅ Brian Romero ⭐️ 🐺

Also on your ballot: Rosa Sanchez  

JFREJ has endorsed Brian Romero, who has spent years working in government, most recently serving as Chief of Staff to State Senator Kristen Gonzalez. He is a JFREJ member with the experience and the values, along with his work as a leader in both immigration and LGBTQIA+ spaces, to hit the ground running once he’s in office himself.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 36

✅ Diana Moreno ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Mary Jobaida, Kevin Coenen

Assembly Member Diana Moreno was recently elected to fill the seat vacated by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. A JFREJ member, former union organizer, and immigration activist, she has been off to a strong start in her few months in office, and we are proud to endorse her in this election. She is the Assembly sponsor of one of the Tax the Rich bills and recently reintroduced the Not On Our Dime Act to prevent NYS non-profits from funding illegal settlements in the West Bank. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 37 [open seat]

✔️ Samantha Kattan 🐺 

Also on your ballot: Pia Rahman ⭐️

This seat is being vacated by Assembly Member Claire Valdez, who is running for Congress. Samantha Kattan is endorsed by WFP and DSA and would be a champion for the progressive legislation we need at the state level. Pia Rahman is a JFREJ member who also supports progressive causes, although she has less institutional support.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 38

✅ David Orkin ⭐️ 🐺 
❌ Jenifer Rajkumar (*I) 

JFREJ has endorsed David Orkin, a JFREJ member, DSA member, and immigration attorney at Make the Road NY. He is running on a platform of immigrant justice and taxing the rich.

Incumbent Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar was a staunch ally of Mayor Eric Adams, and her actions reflect a lack of alignment on our priorities. While Rajkumar highlights her personal history with immigration, her campaign does not feature protecting immigrants as a priority. She does not support taxing the rich. Further, her actions indicate she does not possess the level of integrity we should expect from our elected officials. In a previous run for Public Advocate, her campaign circulated racist cartoon caricatures of her opponent, Jumaane Williams. Most recently she had credible allegations against her for forging thousands of petition signatures to get on the ballot. She is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

SENATE DISTRICT 12 [open seat]\

✅ Aber Kawas ⭐️

Also on your ballot: Steven Raga ⭐️

JFREJ has endorsed Aber Kawas for State Senate. Kawas is a Palestinian organizer and community activist who has worked with JFREJ on numerous campaigns for over fifteen years. Most recently, she helped draft the language of the Not On Our Dime bill that JFREJ proudly supports. The daughter of Palestinian refugees, Kawas’s father was deported by ICE when she was sixteen. She’ll bring her lived and organizing experience to the Senate. She is endorsed by DSA, JVP, Make the Road NY, DRUM Beats, among other JFREJ organizational and elected allies.

Steven Raga is a current Assembly Member in District 30. He has worked with JFREJ in support of Fair Pay for Home Care and is endorsed by our partners at Caring Majority Rising. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

SENATE DISTRICT 13 

✅ Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas ⭐️ 🐺 
❌ Jessica Ramos (*I) 
❌ Hiram Monserrate

JFREJ has endorsed Jessica González-Rojas for State Senate, and previously endorsed her for State Assembly, the seat she currently holds. From her days as a reproductive and disability justice advocate to her work as an Assembly Member, Gonzales-Rojas cares deeply about and fights to materially improve New Yorkers’ lives. She championed a landmark budget campaign to fund universal school breakfast and lunch, and tirelessly advocates to invest in critical healthcare and protect immigrant New Yorkers. Although her support of a casino in the district garnered mixed sentiment from constituents, we know from our experience partnering with Gonzales-Rojas that she is an effective champion for all of JFREJ’s campaigns and by far the best candidate in this race.

Although previously endorsed by JFREJ, incumbent Senator Jessica Ramos betrayed our movements when she endorsed disgraced former governor Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 mayoral primary.

Hiram Monserrate, a former State Senator in this district, was expelled from this office when he pled guilty to a reckless assault misdemeanor charge stemming from a domestic violence incident; he was later convicted on separate corruption charges stemming from his time on the city council and served 21 months in federal prison. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

Queens incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

New York Congressional District 5: Gregory Meeks (*I) 

New York Congressional District 14: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 23: Stacey Pheffer Amato (*I) 

Assembly District 24: David Weprin (*I) 

Assembly District 25: Nily Rozic (*I) 

Assembly District 26: Edward Braunstein (*I) 

Assembly District 27: Sam Berger (*I) 

Assembly District 28: Andrew Hevesi 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 29: Alicia Hyndman 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 31: Khaleel Anderson 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 35: Larinda Hooks 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 39: Catalina Cruz 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 40: Ron Kim 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 10: James Sanders 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 11: Toby Ann Stavisky (*I) 

Senate District 14: Leroy Comrie (*I) 

Senate District 15: Joseph Abddabbo (*I) 

Senate District 16: John Liu 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 59: Kristen Gonzalez ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

✼

BRONX

(key here)

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 13

✔️ Darializa Aviles-Chevalier
❌ Adriano Espaillat (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Theo Chino-Tavarez, Oscar Romero

Darializa Aviles-Chevalier is a union organizer backed by DSA and Justice Democrats. She organized with UAW region 9A when she was a grad student at Columbia and is now a PhD student at CUNY. She supports the Block the Bombs Act to end U.S. military aid to Israel, and as well as JFREJ’s domestic policy priorities. 

Adriano Espaillat is a machine Democrat. He is a sponsor of Medicare for All and supports raising the minimum wage to $17 by 2028 but does not support College for All, an ultra-millionaire’s tax, or the Block the Bombs Act. He is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 13

✔️ Michael Blake
❌ Ritchie Torres (*I) 

Also on your ballot: Dalourny Nemorin 

Michael Blake is a former State Assembly Member who worked in the Obama White House. He is from the South Bronx and is running on an affordability platform aligned with JFREJ priorities, including opposition to the genocide in Gaza.

Incumbent Ritchie Torres is aligned with AIPAC, and is a longtime foe of JFREJ’s since his time in the City Council, when he betrayed the families of New Yorkers killed by police after making a backroom deal with the NYPD to water down police accountability legislation. He has spoken derisively about JFREJ members in the press and on social media. He is endorsed by ACTJEW.

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 81

✔️ Morgan Evers 🐺 
❌ Jeffrey Dinowitz (*I) 

Morgan Evers is a local teacher, disability justice advocate, and community organizer. She supports New York for All and Tax the Rich, but also supports state buffer zone legislation. 

Incumbent Jeffrey Dinowitz has held this seat for three decades. He supports the buffer zone bills on the city and state level; during a city council hearing on the legislation, he testified on video from Albany in support of their passage. He has spoken derisively about JFREJ members in his district, and was the lead sponsor of mask ban legislation that JFREJ strongly opposed. 

━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━

Bronx incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

Assembly District 77: Landon Dais (*I) 

Assembly District 78: George Alvarez 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 79: Chantel Jackson (*I) 

Assembly District 80: John Zaccaro Jr. (*I) 

Assembly District 82: Michael Benedetto (*I) 

Assembly District 83: Carl Heastie (*I) 

Assembly District 84: Amanda Septimo 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 85: Emerita Torres 🐺 (*I) 

Assembly District 86: Yudelka Tapia (*I) 

Assembly District 87: Karina Reyes 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 31: Robert Jackson ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 32: Luis Sepulveda 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 33: Gustavo Rivera ✅ ⭐️ 🐺 (*I) 

Senate District 34: Nathalia Fernandez 🐺 (*I) 

✼

STATEN ISLAND

(key here)

SENATE DISTRICT 23

✔️ Omar Mohamad
❌ Jessica Scarella-Spanton (*I) 

Omar Mohamad entered this race late and is running as a progressive who supports taxing the rich. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton is endorsed by the Richmond County Democratic Party. She is endorsed by ACTJEW.

✼

JUDGES

Depending on where you live, you might see judges on your ballot. We are not offering recommendations on judges, with the exception of one candidate who is endorsed by WFP:

NYC MUNICIPAL CIVIL COURT, DISTRICT 6 (Brooklyn)

✔️Janice Purvis 🐺 

✼

VOTER INFORMATION

Only voters registered as Democrats can vote in the primary on June 23rd.* 

Are you registered to vote in the Democratic primary? Check your voter registration status using the voter look up tool from the State Board of Elections.

  • Look for a box titled “Voter Information.” It should have your name, address, and Voter Status & Political Party: if it says Active, you are registered to vote in the general election in November. If it says Democratic, you are registered to vote in the Democratic primary election on June 23


If you need to register to vote:

  • Remember to enroll in the Democratic Party, so you’ll be eligible to vote in the Democratic primary election on June 23!
  • Apply online by June 13.
  • Or apply by mail and postmark your application by June 13.
  • Or apply in-person at your borough Board of Elections office by June 23, Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm.


If you need to change your name or address for your voter registration:


If you’d like to vote by mail, there are three steps:

1. Request an early mail-in ballot:

  • Online by June 13 - available if you are already registered to vote
  • In person at your borough Board of Elections office by June 22, Monday-Friday 9:00am–5:00pm.
  • Early ballots are available to anyone for any reason. Absentee ballots are available if you’ll be unable to vote at regular poll site hours.


2. Fill out your ballot

3. Return your filled-out ballot:

  • by mail, in the envelope that comes with the ballot (no postage needed), postmarked by June 23.
  • or in person to your early voting site (remember to check what time it’s open) from Saturday, June 13 through Sunday, June 21.
  • or in-person to your election day poll site on Tuesday, June 23 6:00 am–9:00 pm.


EARLY VOTING IN-PERSON: Saturday, June 13 through Sunday, June 21 is early voting! Find your early voting site and hours here. (Note: your early voting site may be different from your election-day polling place).

ELECTION DAY IN-PERSON VOTING: Tuesday, June 23 is Democratic primary election day! Polls are open 6:00 am–9:00 pm. Find your election day poll site at FindMyPollSite.vote.nyc.

*Note: If you are registered without a party, or as an Independent, Working Families party, etc. then you can only vote in the general election in November. We highly recommend that you register as a Democrat because the Democratic primary elections are usually the ones that determine the outcome of elections in New York City. Unfortunately, if you are already a registered voter, but not as a Democrat, the deadline has passed to switch parties (it was in February).

Please share this guide!

If you found this guide useful, please share it widely with your families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors using this link: jfrej.org/ballot  And if you aren’t yet a member of JFREJ, please join us at jfrej.org/join!

✼

Related News