U.S. House · New York's 7th Congressional District

• Didn't voteProvides that a microbusiness licensee authorized to conduct retail sales may serve as a processor and cultivator for purposes of cannabis showcase event permits · S10113 · Passed Assembly 88–53 · 2026-06-05 official record ↗Provides that a microbusiness licensee authorized to conduct retail sales may serve as a processor and cultivator for purposes of cannabis showcase event permits.
• Didn't voteRelates to granting employees access to personnel records · S3460 · Passed Assembly 92–49 · 2026-05-19 official record ↗Grants employees access to personnel records; requires notice of negative information in such records and an opportunity for a review; permits employee to include certain information in personnel records.

Votes on landmark laws since 2019, plus 2026 roll calls where at least five members voted on the losing side — read from the legislature’s official records.

• bill2025-04-24 · Prime sponsor of A08084, which would place limitations on initial regulated rents so they do not exceed the average rent for a comparable rent-regulated housing accommodation; referred to the Assembly Housing Committee (as of January 2026, not yet passed).[8]
• bill2025-02-14 · Prime sponsor of A05427, which would protect tenants displaced due to fire; referred to the Assembly Housing Committee.[9]
• bill2025-07-16 · Prime sponsor of A08917, which would prohibit employers from using workplace surveillance tools to monitor employees in private, off-duty areas or in a worker's residence or vehicle; referred to the Assembly Labor Committee.[10]
• bill2025-07-16 · Prime sponsor of A08931, which would require just cause for employment termination and restrict use of electronic monitoring for disciplinary purposes; referred to the Assembly Labor Committee.[11]
• bill2026-04-28 · Prime sponsor of A11160, which would repeal the property-tax exemption for private universities that receive real-property tax exemptions of $100 million or more; referred to the Assembly Real Property Taxation Committee.[12]
• actionServes on the Assembly Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Cities, Social Services, Tourism/Parks/Arts/Sports Development, and Transportation committees for the 2025-2026 session.[3]

• ✓SupportsStronger rent regulation and tenant protections

  Campaigns for universal rent control and greater tenant power, and as an Assemblymember is the prime sponsor of a bill to cap initial regulated rents at the average for comparable rent-stabilized units.[7]

  “In Congress, Claire will fight for: Universal rent control”

• ✓SupportsLoosen zoning rules to build more housing

  Supports a full supply of homes through public investment, as part of a housing platform centered on universal rent control and tenant power.[4]

  “A full supply of homes through public investment”

• ✓SupportsExpand public health coverage

  Will sponsor Medicare for All in Congress, aiming to guarantee health care regardless of employment.[7]

  “Claire will sponsor Medicare for All on Day One and fight the insurance companies that profit from denying care and driving up costs.”

• ✕OpposesExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

  Opposes expanded immigration enforcement; campaigns to abolish and dismantle ICE and push for immigration reform that legalizes the status of millions of immigrant Americans.[4]

  “Claire Valdez will fight to dismantle and abolish ICE.”

• ✕OpposesContinue U.S. military aid to Israel

  Opposes continued U.S. military aid to Israel and calls for an end to weapons sales tied to the conflict.[4]

  “Push to end all weapons sales and military aid to Israel and fight for Palestinian freedom.”

• ✓SupportsRaise the minimum wage

  Calls for guaranteeing a job with a living wage as part of a broader labor and economic security agenda.[7]

  “Ensure everyone has the freedom to live a good life by guaranteeing a job with a living wage, paid parental and sick leave, quality health care, and a dignified retirement.”

• ✓SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuels

  Supports a Green New Deal-style transition, including freezing electricity rates and rapidly investing in clean, publicly accountable energy.[7]

  “Call for freezing electricity rates, holding corporations accountable, and investing in a rapid transition to an affordable, clean, and reliable energy system”

• "Building a thriving labor movement is really gonna be the key to defending our democracy," and says she wants a federal government that supports union organizing, citing her own experience as a former UAW Local 2110 member.[6]
• In Congress, Valdez will fight to strengthen and pass the PRO Act, establish federal support for union organizing, and end "at will" employment.[7]
• She will sponsor Medicare for All on "Day One" in Congress.[7]
• She will fight to dismantle and abolish ICE and push for immigration reform that legalizes the status of millions of immigrant Americans.[7]

• Worked as a union organizer and served on the bargaining committee of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2110 at Columbia University; elected Unit Chair in 2022.[3]
• Elected to the New York State Assembly, District 37 (Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, Ridgewood) in November 2024 after defeating incumbent Juan Ardila and Johanna Carmona in the June 2024 Democratic primary; assumed office January 1, 2025.[3][5]
• Assembly committee assignments for 2025-2026: Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Cities; Social Services; Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development; Transportation.[3]
• Endorsed in her 2026 congressional campaign by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Justice Democrats, and NYC-DSA.[3]

Raised $1.7M · spent $1.5M · $207K cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

• actionSays his community organizing helped draft legislative proposals for an Anti-Flip Tax intended to deter housing speculators from quickly reselling properties in working-class neighborhoods; the bill has not been introduced in Congress as Rivera does not currently hold office.[14]

• ✓SupportsStronger rent regulation and tenant protections

  Supports tenant-protection measures including cease-and-desist zones against real-estate speculators and an anti-flip tax, framed as protecting existing tenants from displacement.[13]

  “Shift from renter instability to ownership, stability, and community control.”

• ~MixedExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

  Supports a 'balanced' enforcement approach targeting people with criminal records and requiring warrants, while also proposing expedited Green Card pathways for long-term, law-abiding, tax-paying residents.[13]

  “A system that is lawful, humane, and practical.”

• ✓SupportsIncrease police funding and staffing

  Proposes fully funding police departments with higher officer salaries and added mental-health support.[13]

• ✓SupportsLoosen zoning rules to build more housing

  Supports tenant-to-owner conversion policy (TOPA) as a path to expand homeownership and community-controlled housing rather than new market-rate construction specifically.[13]

• "Shift from renter instability to ownership, stability, and community control."[13]
• Proposes a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) giving tenants first right to purchase their building, plus an anti-flip tax and expanded cease-and-desist zones against real-estate speculators.[13]
• Calls for fully funding law enforcement with increased officer salaries and mental-health support alongside community engagement.[13]
• "[a] competitive economy that works for workers, not monopolies."[13]

• Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn; began community work as a teenager at the YMCA and has been a community activist for more than 30 years.[14]
• Helped organize tenants across nine buildings targeted by New York City's Third-Party Transfer program after a management company (Riseboro) allegedly mismanaged his rent-stabilized building toward foreclosure in 2019, and says the effort protected the affordability of more than 150 rent-stabilized apartments.[14]
• Assisted families displaced by Hurricane Maria in 2018 with housing, benefits, and employment connections.[14]
• Served in the NYC Mayor's Public Engagement Unit during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as a Social Distance Ambassador.[14]
• Helped organize community opposition to National Grid's proposed North Brooklyn Pipeline in 2020.[14]

• ✓SupportsLoosen zoning rules to build more housing

  Supports expanding access to affordable housing and homeownership for working families.[17]

  “I will advance policies that expand access to affordable housing and homeownership for working families while ensuring property taxes reflect income realities rather than just rising market values.”

• ✓SupportsExpand public health coverage

  Supports treating health care access as a fundamental right, with an emphasis on expanding community-based mental-health services.[17]

  “Healthcare should be a fundamental human right, and access should be made available for every person.”

• "Housing is the foundation of stability, and homeownership is the pathway to generational wealth."[17]
• "Healthcare should be a fundamental human right, and access should be made available for every person."[17]
• Campaign centers on three pillars: opportunity, accountability, and access.[15]

• Born in Washington, D.C., to immigrant parents from Iran and Bolivia; has lived in New York City for more than three decades, in Chelsea, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg.[16]
• Career as a designer spanning seven publicly traded companies in business and creative leadership roles.[16]
• Holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing with a focus on International Trade, plus additional degrees in design and merchandising, and earned a fourth degree in Entrepreneurship in May 2026.[16]
• Served as president of her homeowners association, where her campaign says she stabilized its finances during the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]