Micah Lasher and Brad Lander will be freshmen in the House of Representatives, but they are far from new kids on the block. Lander is heading to Congress after serving as New York City comptroller and co-founding the progressive caucus as a Brooklyn city council member. Lander was an early proponent of equity and dynamism in Brooklyn, fighting for bike lanes along Prospect Park and the Gowanus rezoning. Though he backtracked during the primary campaign to draw a contrast with incumbent Dan Goldman, he also previously expressed strong support for the revitalization of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal—which will deliver thousands of homes, new transit infrastructure and public space, and help shift delivery of goods to cleaner “blue highways.” We are eager to see Lasher and Lander bring policy vision, deep understanding of New York’s challenges, and unequivocal commitment to New Yorkers’ most fundamental rights to Congress.

Micah Lasher and Brad Lander will be freshmen in the House of Representatives, but they are far from new kids on the block. Lasher is coming straight from the Assembly, where he was an architect of major bills from AI policy to rebutting the Trump administration. Previously he served as policy director for Governor Hochul, where he was a main driver behind her ambitious 2023 Housing Compact plan that would have lowered rents and made room for many new New Yorkers—unfortunately, the legislature blocked it. Still, he has been at the forefront of the conversation on the need for an “abundance” answer to the scarcities that hurt New Yorkers’ lives and livelihoods. We are eager to see Lasher and Lander bring policy vision, deep understanding of New York’s challenges, and unequivocal commitment to New Yorkers’ most fundamental rights to Congress.

Younger congresspeople who are nonetheless veterans of DC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ritchie Torres represent neighboring districts but bring very different temperaments to their work. Torres, a former progressive City Council member, has become more moderate over his tenure—often critiquing the DSA-aligned left for undermining good governance. On the other hand, AOC is a national hero of the left and a potential future candidate for Senate or the presidency. However, though they represent different ideological “lanes,” they share a rejection of failed status quo politics—and a shared fight for a government that actually works better at delivering outcomes for working people in their districts and beyond.

Younger congresspeople who are nonetheless veterans of DC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ritchie Torres represent neighboring districts but bring very different temperaments to their work. Torres, a former progressive City Council member, has become more moderate over his tenure—often critiquing the DSA-aligned left for undermining good governance. On the other hand, AOC is a national hero of the left and a potential future candidate for Senate or the presidency. However, though they represent different ideological “lanes,” they share a rejection of failed status quo politics—and a shared fight for a government that actually works better at delivering outcomes for working people in their districts and beyond.

John Mannion won a contested congressional race in Syracuse just two years ago, but now the seat is seen as safely blue. Part of that shift is Mannion’s strength as an incumbent; a public school teacher and two-term senator, he is appreciated for his dedication to the district and for his sound policymaking. Mannion was instrumental in securing Micron’s $100 billion investment in Central New York and voted for the SPEED Act to speed permitting nationally. Mannion understands the necessity of a government that works better: as he wrote in the questionnaire for this Voter Guide, “I agree that we should revisit and update outdated rules with a focus on efficiency, quality, outcomes, and benefits to the community. We can modernize our systems and improve outcomes while continuing to support a local workforce and drive community benefit.”

After ascending unexpectedly to the state’s highest office in 2021 and narrowly winning election in her own right in 2022, Kathy Hochul, New York’s first woman governor, has found her stride. She is an impressively effective and clear-eyed leader focused on delivery—even when it means taking on tough fights against the Trump administration and special interests closer to home. We strongly recommend that New York voters give her a second full term to continue her work. On housing, New York’s central challenge, Governor Hochul has far outpaced her predecessor in centering the home shortage and resulting affordability crisis. Housing is the issue that hits New Yorkers’ wallets harder than any other cost, making up 40% of city residents’ household budgets. In 2023, she proposed a large-scale Housing Compact to require every municipality to do its fair share in adding new homes to the statewide stock. Reflecting her unsteady start, that plan was quickly shot down in the legislature.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is seeking his fifth full term as the state’s comptroller in a race expected to be far less competitive than the gubernatorial election at the top of the ticket. We welcome his reelection. Though we wish he had done more over the last two decades in office to spur more effective governance, his priorities are on point. He wrote in the questionnaire for this Voter Guide about infrastructure and personnel needs: “New York's capital projects consistently cost too much, take too long, and lack transparency” and “Government can't deliver for New Yorkers if it can't hire the people it needs. Outdated civil service processes have created real barriers to building a strong, diverse, and qualified state workforce, and reforms that make hiring faster and more job-relevant are long overdue.” Additionally, DiNapoli supports the housing supply, transit investment, and clean energy deployment goals that will help lower New Yorkers’ costs and serve their long-term thriving. We look forward to his next term.

In Nassau County, healthcare administrator and first-time candidate Lisa Vider is taking on two-term senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. Long Island has trended red over recent years, and this match-up has not made the top coverage of toss-up districts. However, Donald Trump only won this district by 4 points in 2024, and in a strong blue year it is certainly possible for a Democrat to prevail. As a result, this district deserves a close look by Long Islanders who are concerned about cost of living and quality of life. On those counts, we recommend a vote for Vider, who will bring a much-needed affordability perspective to Albany. In response to this Voter Guide’s questionnaire, she wrote, “Long Island families are being squeezed by high property taxes and rising utility bills.

Jessica González-Rojas was first elected to the Assembly in 2020, defeating an incumbent in the primary. In this race she boasts an impressive endorsement coalition: the WFP, Brad Lander, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Her Seven-Point Climate Resilience Plan is the most detailed climate platform of any candidate we have researched this cycle, covering flood infrastructure, heat resilience, transit investment, green jobs, and interagency coordination. She responded to our questionnaire and agreed with our positions.

New York City senators Julia Salazar, Zellnor Myrie, and Andrew Gounardes all started as outsider insurgents—and now they are among the most respected and effective legislators in Albany. Senator Salazar represents the best of the synthesis between far-left political commitments and a focus on innovative policy. She architected Good Cause Eviction to keep tenants housed and was the force behind the Preservation Trust program to unlock new funding for NYCHA.

New York City senators Julia Salazar, Zellnor Myrie, and Andrew Gounardes all started as outsider insurgents—and now they are among the most respected and effective legislators in Albany... Senator Myrie has been the Senate’s foremost champion of democracy reforms to make New York’s elections more professionalized and more accessible. As a mayoral candidate, he set the standard for the field on ambitious housing plans with his 1 million home vision.

New York City senators Julia Salazar, Zellnor Myrie, and Andrew Gounardes all started as outsider insurgents—and now they are among the most respected and effective legislators in Albany... Senator Gounardes has been a champion across issues, from carrying the Stop Super Speeders bill to crack down on deadly driving to leading the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal to deliver thousands of new homes and new public green space.