Karen Ortiz

Ortiz describes herself as born in New York's 12th District and raised primarily in Garden City, Long Island, and Ballotpedia lists Garden City High School as her high school.[2][3] According to Ballotpedia, she earned a bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 1994 and a law degree from Fordham Law School in 1998; she also holds a 2011 certificate from the Laughing Lotus Yoga Center and is a certified yoga instructor.[2][3] According to her campaign website, she began her legal career as an undergraduate assisting criminal defense attorney Barry Slotnick, then worked in public service for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an administrative judge, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the Social Security Administration, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and MTA NYC Transit.[2][3] A West Side Rag profile places her at the commission's New York District Office and says her earlier work included disability litigation for the Social Security Administration.[5]

Ortiz says she was among the first federal workers to speak out against the Trump administration's executive orders in early 2025 and was terminated after refusing to follow its executive orders on transgender people.[2] She also says she took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla as a U.S. delegate.[2] The same profile describes the 2026 race as her first run for elected office.[5] During the campaign, she emphasized accountability for the Trump administration, Medicare for All and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.[2][3] She received 1.4% of the vote to Micah Lasher's 77.2%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[1]