The New York Primary Elections are June 23rd
At a time when the federal government is gutting healthcare for millions of New Yorkers, insurance companies are driving up state, county, municipal and school district budgets, and every day New Yorkers are spending more for their healthcare and getting less — it’s more important than ever to elect New York Health Act Healthcare Champions who will fight for all of us.
Below you will find the current New York Health Act cosponsors and primary challengers who have responded to our candidate questionnaires and have pledged support to not just cosponsor the New York Health Act, but champion it.
Please note: The CNYH Healthcare Champion designation is not an endorsement, but an acknowledgment of a candidate’s support for the New York Health Act.
New York State Senate
Senate District 12
Steven Raga
Current Cosponsor in the NYS Assembly
“The fight for universal healthcare is personal. When I was seven years old, my father passed away. He needed emergency medical care that our family could not afford. That loss changed everything. It shaped how I see government and responsibility. Because when someone dies not because care didn’t exist, but because it wasn’t accessible, you understand a hard truth: policy decisions are life and death. To anyone who experienced what my family has lived through – know that your fight is my fight. I will never stop fighting until we pass the New York Health Act. “
Aber Kawas
“Healthcare should be treated as a human right, not a privilege tied to income, employment, or the ability to navigate complicated insurance systems. No one should have to go into debt, delay treatment, or fight endless bureaucratic battles just to access basic care.”
Senate District 13
Jessica Ramos
Current Cosponsor
Jessica González-Rojas
Current Cosponsor in the NYS Assembly, Circle of Champions
“I have spent my career fighting for health justice and it is more critical than ever to elect legislative champions for the New York Health Act to continue to be a voice in the legislature for this bold legislation.”
Senate District 15
Joseph Addabbo
Current Cosponsor
Senate District 23
Omar Mohamad
“To every New Yorker drowning in medical debt or fighting a denied claim, I want you to know that I don’t just understand your struggle, I have lived it alongside you, for five years as a first responder I looked into the eyes of neighbors who tried to refuse my ambulance because they were more afraid of the bill than the emergency”
Senate District 25
Jabari Brisport
Current Cosponsor, Circle of Champions
“Healthcare is a human right, and the only way to guarantee quality care and equitable access is to eliminate profit by creating a single-payer healthcare system in which every New Yorker has comprehensive health coverage regardless of age, income, employment, or immigration status. That means that the government, rather than health insurance companies, negotiates with providers, lowering overall costs and guaranteeing that everyone has access to healthcare.”
Senate District 27
Grace Lee
Current Cosponsor in the NYS Assembly
Yuh-Line Niou
“As someone that has struggled with the rising cost of medical care myself, I think it is important to understand that our current healthcare system puts profit over people, and we need leaders that are willing to stand up for what is right and champion the affordability agenda that an overwhelming number of New Yorkers want and deserve. Our campaign doesn't accept any money from the healthcare lobby or pharmaceutical industries, because we believe in building real working class power instead of being beholden to corporate and special interests.”
Senate District 29
Jose Serrano
Current Cosponsor
Nicholas Reyes
“Healthcare is a human right, and no one should have to go into debt for it. We are the richest country in the world and also one of the richest states in the nation. It is a policy failure when we choose to give billionaires and corporate interests tax breaks instead of providing for our communities. It would be an honor to fight this battle for you in Albany and finally free millions of people who are bound in wage and debt slavery because of our current for-profit healthcare system.”
Senate District 30
Cordell Cleare
Current Cosponsor
Senate District 31
Robert Jackson
Current Cosponsor
“The New York Health Act just keeps getting better, and now is our time to get the job done. With the addition of long-term care and support services, NYHA will truly provide universal coverage. The creation of a single payer system will start us on the path to reforming medical billing and prioritizing quality of care of quantity of services rendered. I am proud to stand pushing for NYHA’s swift passage.”
Senate District 39
Lisa Kaul
“This message is to every New Yorker who has rationed their insulin, avoided a surgery because of cost, watched the bills pile up until they couldn't breathe.
You are not the only one going through this. And there is a real plan to fix this.”
Evan Menist
“I will never stop fighting for health justice. Together, we can build a new system for healthcare in New York State. A system that puts people over profits and prioritizes care rather than cost savings.”
Senate District 44
Sarah Rogerson
“I will bring my red tape cutting skills and deep dedication to the well-being of my constituents to the job of State Senator. Transparency, elimination of unnecessary hurdles to care, accountability for corporations profiting off of keeping people sick and a focus on what keeps families healthy in New York’s 44th and beyond are my primary concerns.”
Patrick Nelson
“I helped organize a NYHA town hall with Assemblymen Gottfried and Steck in Colonie back in 2017 when I was a staffer in Phil's office. I did at least one or two more personally in 2018. It was a central policy plank in my 2020 run for NYS Senate focusing on the savings for local government and school districts. In this campaign we have discussed the proposal in detail at our 3 town hall meetings including having Scott Desnoyers join us in Saratoga Springs to share the heartbreaking story of his son Danny. As a state senator I will expand and grow these efforts with constituents and invite colleagues to be a part of them. “
Senate District 54
Scott Comegys
“We can ensure that everyone’s healthcare needs are met affordably, eliminate the need to go into debt, and do it with far less hassle than we experience now. No more worries.”
Senate District 61
Jeremy Zellner
Current Cosponsor
Jonathan Rivera
Current Cosponsor in the NYS Assembly
“I see you, and I'm fighting for you. The system you're up against isn't broken by accident; it's designed to protect insurance company profits at your expense. In Albany, I will push every single day to pass the New York Health Act, because no one in this state should have to choose between paying rent and seeing a doctor. Your zip code, your job status, your immigration papers, none of that should determine whether you get care. That's not the New York I believe in, and it's not the New York I'll represent.”
New York State Assembly
Assembly District 24
David Weprin
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 32
Latoya LeGrand
“I believe in that in the richest city in the state and in part the country, it is a failure of our system that people will have to make a choice between paying rent, or car insurance over going to the doctor or receiving the care they need. As the federal government is clawing back resources, it is time for the state of New York to step up.”
Assembly District 33
Clyde Vanel
Current Cosponsor
Oster Bryan
“No one should be denied or delayed quality health care, and no one should be forced to incur significant financial burdens or even risks, in order to receive quality health care—and that is the vision of a New York State government I believe in and will fight for.”
Assembly District 34
Brian Romero
“We can no longer accept false choices and compromise on our most basic human rights, one of those being healthcare. It’s time for Albany to pass the New York Health Act and save lives.”
Assembly District 36
Diana Moreno
Current Cosponsor
"To every New Yorker struggling with medical debt, denied care, or endless insurance bureaucracy: you deserve better. No one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and paying rent. No one should be forced to spend hours fighting with an insurance company just to get the care they need. I will continue fighting for the New York Health Act because healthcare is a human right, and every New Yorker deserves access to care regardless of their income, job, or immigration status.”
Mary Jobaida
"“There is no excuse for denying you the care to which you are entitled as a human being, let alone a resident of the greatest city in the richest country on Earth. I believe that we will win, and soon — because, especially given what the federal government is doing to our already-threadbare health system, we must.””
Assembly District 37
Melissa Orlando
“We cannot continue to rely on employer-provided insurance and other band aids that fall short of healthcare for all. We must care for our citizens, because health care is a human right. And universal health care has been proven to save costs, it is not only the right thing to do for people, it is an economically-sound choice.”
Pia Rahman
“Too often, discussions about healthcare reform are dominated by fear rather than facts. I would work to ensure that constituents and colleagues have access to clear, transparent information about how the New York Health Act would function, what benefits it would provide, and how it could address the affordability and access challenges people face every day.”
Samantha Kattan
“Winning a socialized, universal healthcare system is a main political priority of our time. I will fight to ensure that no one has to deal with the stress of figuring out how to pay for medical care, or navigating complex insurance bureaucracy, to sometimes still be denied coverage.”
Assembly District 38
Jenifer Rajkumar
Current Cosponsor
David Orkin
“We must pass the New York Health Act. We must take the insurance companies that now dominate our system out of the picture and provide universal, egalitarian, high quality coverage, paid for publicly. We must ensure the rich pay their fair share so that their neighbors no longer have to worry about whether they’d have to choose between paying rent and paying off their medical bills.”
Assembly District 39
Catalina Cruz
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 43
Brian Cunningham
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 46
Chris McCreight
“Nobody should go broke because they get sick and your local Assemblymember should be there to help you to make sure you are not being taken advantage or getting a bad deal.“
Joe Santangelo
“No one should face the impossible choice of medical care or bankruptcy. I will support New Yorkers struggling with medical debt by supporting the NYHA. Universal healthcare will keep New Yorkers' hard-earned money in their pockets, rather than paying for what is a right--healthcare.“
Assembly District 50
Emily Gallagher
Current Cosponsor, Circle of Champions
“Every New Yorker — regardless of income level, employment, or immigration status — deserves to live with dignity. Access to healthcare is a fundamental part of that. The capitalist system we are all situated within preys on people at their most vulnerable, including in moments of illness and debt. Too often in this country, one person's misfortune is capitalized on by the medical industrial complex for profit. That is not right. One of my core principals is fighting against this exploitation, and fighting for the rights of everyday people to live with dignity. ”
Assembly District 52
Jo Anne Simon
Current Cosponsor
“People are struggling with medical debt and denials of care precisely because insurance companies’ have a stranglehold on health care and tether health insurance to employment. NY Health Act will not only provide more, and more consistent wellness centered health care, but free people to make employment decisions about employment and not about health care… This is a fight I have been in for a long time and will remain in until we get this done.”
Lydia Green
“As Democratic District Leader and State Committee Member, I introduced a resolution in the New York State Democratic Committee in support of the New York Health Act, and got it passed by working with my colleagues and contending with the state party chair. This resolution served as a mandate to Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to pass the NYHA, and I have been profoundly frustrated that the NYHA has stalled in committee.”
Assembly District 54
Erik Dilan
Current Cosponsor
Christian Celeste Tate
“We simply do not have to accept the status quo: we have the power to enshrine the right to healthcare as fundamental; we have the power to build a healthcare system that puts people over profit; we have the power to strive for transformative change, rather than nibbling around the edges of the problem. We can build the healthcare system we deserve, and it starts by passing the New York Health Act.”
Assembly District 56
Stefani Zinerman
Current Cosponsor
Eon Huntley
“I aim to galvanize New Yorkers into taking action by pointing out that their suffering is not the result of a broken system, but rather a fundamentally exploitative system functioning exactly as it’s intended to. I would tell New Yorkers that the path forward can’t be making small tweaks around the edges to a system that was never meant to center patients’ needs in the first place, but rather must be to replace the for-profit healthcare model in its entirety by passing the NYHA.”
Assembly District 57
Phara Souffrant Forrest
Current Cosponsor, Circle of Champions
As a nurse, Phara has seen firsthand how the private market, insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and private hospitals profit from suffering. In order to ensure that all New Yorkers have the dignity of being able to seek medical treatment, she is on the front lines fighting to pass the New York Health Act which would create a single-payer healthcare system here in New York.
Assembly District 59
Jaime Williams
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 65
Wei-Li Tjong
“I’ll bring a practical, results-focused approach to Albany to make government work better for people here at home.
That means more transparency, fewer barriers to care, holding corporations accountable when they profit off people getting sick, and focusing on what actually keeps families healthy in Assembly District 65 and beyond.”
Illapa Sairitupac
“I am wholeheartedly supporting the New York Health Act and will do all in my power to promote its passage, including being a co-sponsor, educating New Yorkers regarding both its excellent coverage and financial viability, and bringing it to a vote. I shall also post this pledge on my website in an act of solidarity with my constituents.
When the NYHA is passed, New York will act as a courageous model for the rest of the United States. I am dedicated to being part of this historic event. The time is now!”
Assembly District 66
Ben Yee
“I am fighting to pass the New York Health Act to permanently dismantle the predatory insurance bureaucracy that profits off your pain. Under this universal system, your private coverage worries are gone—there will be no premiums, no co-pays, and no deductibles. Medical decisions will be made by you and your doctor, not a corporate adjuster looking to protect a bottom line.”
Jeannine Kiely
“Health care is a human right, and absolutely no one should be in medical debt or lack access to care. I am going to fight like hell to get the New York Health Act passed so that no New Yorker ever has to fear financial ruin or lack of health care access again.
Many legislators are afraid of the fight. Passing the NYHA requires us to take on powerful corporate interests that will spend money to defeat the legislation and evict politicians who cross them. I will help overcome that barrier and lead by example.”
Assembly District 68
Eddie Gibbs
Current Cosponsor
Diana Ayala
“Too many New Yorkers are delaying care, drowning in medical debt, or being forced to fight insurance companies just to receive treatment their doctors already approved. That is unacceptable.
We need elected officials willing to stand up to powerful corporate interests and build broad public support around a healthcare system that guarantees coverage for everyone.”
Tamika Mapp
“No one should be forced to choose between paying rent, buying food, or getting any medical care they need. No parent should have to fight an insurance company while they or their child is sick. No senior should be buried in paperwork just to get medication, treatment, home care, or basic support. No senior should be buried in paperwork just to get the medication, home care. treatment, or basic support. No worker should stay in a bad job because they are afraid of losing heath coverage.”
William Smith
“My focus will always remain on working families, seniors, people with disabilities, essential workers, and underserved communities who too often carry the greatest burden in our healthcare system. Healthcare reform is about dignity, fairness, and building a healthier future for every New Yorker.”
Assembly District 69
Eli Northrup
“I have spent my career fighting for those who need it most, and I will continue to do so as an Assemblymember. This includes ensuring that everyone receives the medical care they need. I will support efforts to prohibit state-operated hospitals from suing patients for medical debt, and I will work to ensure equal care, regardless of ability to pay – as a public defender, this is part of my ethos.”
Assembly District 70
Jordan Wright
Current Cosponsor
Conrad Blackburn
“I will fight for every New Yorker. I will not bend to the insurance industry, I will not look at the complexity of the medical field and throw up my hands to say it’s impossible, I will not give up the fight to make healthcare work for every person in this state regardless of their age, their gender, their race, or their immigration status. If you’re having trouble navigating the system, my office can be a resource. But the struggle that you’re going through, one I’ve known because I didn’t have health insurance before I became a public defender, you will not go through it alone. And that struggle is why I will fight for universal healthcare tirelessly because healthcare is a human right. Access to healthcare should not be predicated on your finances, and it should not be a thing that piles on to how unaffordable the state can be.”
Assembly District 71
Al Taylor
Current Cosponsor
Julien Segura
“This is just one battle I am committed to. I am an activist and an organizer first, and anything I am in support of I will organize rallies for, shut down the streets, etc, like I have for issues like affordable housing, police reform and corrections reform. I am a relentless fighter for a better future, and I won't stop when I'm elected.”
Assembly District 72
Manny De Los Santos
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 75
Tony Simone
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 81
Jeffrey Dinowitz
Current Cosponsor
“I’m proud to be a longtime co-sponsor of the NY Health Act and determined to get it passed. We are fighting to ensure all New Yorkers get the care they need. I hope everyone will join us in this fight.”
Morgan Evers
“I am visually impaired and would make history as the first blind woman elected to serve in the NY state legislature. Healthcare is personal and a top priority for me. When I get to Albany I'll lead the way on protecting New Yorker's civil rights, which includes our right to accessible and quality healthcare — a human right.”
Assembly District 82
Michael Benedetto
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 84
Amanda Septimo
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 86
Yudelka Tapia
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 87
Karines Reyes
Current Cosponsor
Assembly District 90
Jeannette Garcia
“As an attorney and labor advocate, I’ve fought for working people my entire career. I support the New York Health Act because Yonkers families deserve healthcare without financial barriers or insurance headaches.”
Assembly District 102
Janet Tweed
“Healthcare is an essential part of life. Most Americans are only one big injury or illness away from bankruptcy with the current system. This isn’t right and needs to change. The NYHA provides a way for New Yorkers to thrive. AND if we can do universal healthcare in New York, so can the rest of the country.“
Thomas Boomhower
“The important thing right now is gearing the education to our rural communities to ensure that grassroots support is statewide. I would utilize my platform as a member of the Assembly to platform and work with the Campaign for NY Health and other NYHA advocates to spread understanding and build support. I would hold community town halls dedicated primarily or entirely to NYHA and healthcare related questions. And I would lobby my colleagues and the Governor to get this passed.”
Mary Finneran
“I have been advocating, rallying, lobbying for the New York Health Act since 2007 and won't stop until it passes.”
Assembly District 106
Didi Barrett
Current Cosponsor
“I have supported and been a co-sponsor of the New York Health Act for years, and have voted for it when it has come up for a vote. I will continue to fight for it to address the immense healthcare access challenges my district faces.“
Sam Hodge
“When I was young, my dad was dying from cancer, and my family was buried in medical bills. No one should have to fight their insurance company while they’re fighting for their life.
That’s why I will fight for the New York Health Act. We deserve a system that puts care first, not profit, and I’m committed to making that real.”
Assembly District 123
Dan Norton
“New Yorkers should not have go bankrupt to get the care they need, and New Yorkers should not have to litigate against their insurance companies to get the care they need.
We can and must fight back, and the best way to do it is by passing the NY Health Act. If we do so, New Yorkers will not have to worry about bankruptcy, denied care or administrative bloat—their care will be covered and paid for, and accountable to a public board comprised of health care professionals and others.“
Assembly District 129
William Magrinelli
Current Cosponsor
Maurice Brown
“Too many New Yorkers are doing everything right and still finding themselves trapped between medical bills, insurance bureaucracy, and impossible choices. No one should have to decide between going to the doctor and paying rent or staying in a job they hate just to keep coverage. I want people to know that I see healthcare not just as a policy issue but as a quality of life issue.”
Assembly District 130
Carl Fitzsimmons
“I have been an advocate of Single Payer Health Care for decades..
We have family members who put off doctors visits because of a range of problems the for profit health access system has created. The NYHA will remove the in/out of network and copay problems. You will receive eye, dental and be covered for a general physician as well as from birth to elder care. Help me get this passed. Together is the is only way this is going to happen.“
Assembly District 149
Adam Bojak
“As a member of Buffalo DSA, I have been fighting for the passage of NYHA for nearly a decade. I am ready to continue that fight in Albany, where I can add my voice to the growing bloc of legislators who are done with politics as usual.“
If you are a candidate running for New York State Assembly or Senate and would like to apply for our Campaign for New York Health Healthcare Champion designation, please fill out our brief questionnaire
New Yorkers deserve a healthcare system that prioritizes their health over profits — and we are leading that fight.
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