NY State Assembly · District 30
Brandon Castro
CandidateRCArts & Culture PartyReform Party
- Race
- NY State Assembly · District 30
- Result
- Patrick Martinez, projected winner
- Opponent
- Patrick Martinez (D)
- Research
- In depth
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did1 statement · 0 votes
That means increasing NYPD manpower, investing in better training, and ensuring officers can protect our communities effectively and responsibly.
Increase police funding and staffing
Compare statements with votes ›On the ballotNY State Assembly · 30
2026-11-03
| Patrick Martinez D | challenger |
| Brandon Castro RCArts & Culture PartyReform Party | challenger |
Said vs. did
Each documented position next to the recorded floor votes we map to the same issue. Votes are compared one at a time; no overall stance is inferred from them.
That means increasing NYPD manpower, investing in better training, and ensuring officers can protect our communities effectively and responsibly.
In his 2026 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, says safety requires increasing NYPD manpower and investing in better training; Branch's summary of his platform also describes support for additional NYPD funding.[4][5]
No recorded floor vote in our key-vote set maps to this issue.
Biography
Brandon Castro, the Republican, Conservative, Arts & Culture and Reform Party candidate for the open seat, lost the November 3, 2026 election for New York State Assembly District 30 to Patrick Martinez. A Queens College graduate and former NYC Small Business Services liaison, he lost to Steven Raga in the 2024 general election for this seat; he campaigned on education and workforce reform, infrastructure investment and public safety.[1][2][3]
Castro was born in New York City and describes himself as a lifelong Queens resident and the son of Ecuadorian immigrants, educated in New York City public schools. He graduated from Queens Technical High School and earned a bachelor's degree from the City University of New York, Queens College, in 2023.[1][2]
He worked as a liaison for the NYC Department of Small Business Services, supporting and assisting small businesses, and says he has also worked on grassroots campaigns.[2] In the November 2024 general election, Castro ran against incumbent Steven Raga for this seat on the Republican and Common Sense Party lines; Raga won 60.4% to Castro's 39.3%.[1] He won the 2026 Republican nomination for the seat, which the Queens Daily Eagle and Queens Chronicle describe as setting up a November race against Patrick Martinez.[6][7] He received 28.9% of the vote to Patrick Martinez's 70.8%, according to unofficial results reported by Ballotpedia and Wikipedia.[1][3]
In their own words
Priorities
- Education and workforce reform, including investing in trade schools and vocational training, keeping the SHSAT, and expanding merit-based financial aid.[4]
- Infrastructure investment, including upgrading sewer and stormwater systems and improving public transit, saying growth requires that "infrastructure and public safety must come first."[4]
- Public safety, including increasing NYPD staffing and training to restore a visible police presence.[4]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Loosen zoning rules to build more housing
“While the state pushes new housing, too many of our communities are being left behind with crumbling infrastructure.”[4]
In his 2026 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/brandon-castro
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.New York State Assembly District 30 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Brandon Castro - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 3.New York State Assembly District 30 results 2026 · Wikipedia · 2026-11-09 Reference
- 4.Brandon Castro - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
- 5.Brandon P. Castro platform & website · Branch Reference
- 6.Martinez Wins Assembly District 30 Primary by Seven Votes · Queens Daily Eagle · 2026-07-15 News report
- 7.Four compete for Raga's seat · Queens Chronicle News report