Vanessa Aronson

Vanessa Aronson is the Democratic and Working Families Party nominee for the open NY State Assembly District 73 seat, running unopposed. She is a former U.S. Foreign Service officer and New York City public-school teacher who most recently worked at the ASPCA, and she previously ran unsuccessfully for New York City Council District 4 in 2017 and 2025. She is seeking the seat held by Alex Bores, who is running for Congress.[1][2][3]

Aronson grew up in a middle-class family, the daughter of a school nurse and a computer systems analyst, and said in a Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey that her father died suddenly when she was nine.[4] She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education, and an M.P.P. in political advocacy and leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.[1]

Aronson worked as a U.S. Department of State foreign service officer, including as vice consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and as a food security officer in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs; her campaign website says she spent a decade as a Foreign Service Officer.[1][2] She also taught math and science in New York City public schools and co-founded Aronson Concierge Vacations, and her campaign website says she advised the president of Hunter College.[1][5] According to her campaign website, she most recently served as Senior Director of Strategy at the ASPCA.[2][3] She describes herself as a former Community Board 8 member, former president of the Lexington Democratic Club, New York County Judicial Delegate and Democratic County Committee member, and former co-chair of the Tikkun Olam Committee at Park Avenue Synagogue.[2][5]

Aronson ran in the 2017 Democratic primary for New York City Council District 4, receiving 6.84% of the vote (746 votes) in a primary won by Keith Powers.[1] In 2025 she placed second in the Democratic primary for the same seat, losing to Virginia Maloney in the final round of ranked-choice voting, 53.1% to 46.9%.[1][6] She filed in September 2025 to run for Assembly District 73 in case Alex Bores, the incumbent, ran for Congress; as of April 2026 City & State reported she was the only Democrat to file petitions, so no Democratic primary was held.[1][6][3] According to her campaign website, she lives on the Upper East Side with her husband and two children.[2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.