Claire Valdez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Valdez in 2025 | |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the37th district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Juan Ardila |
| Parliamentary group | New York State Socialists in Office |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1989-10-12)October 12, 1989 (age 36) Lubbock, Texas, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | |
Claire Valdez is an American politician serving as a member of theNew York State Assembly representing the37th District since 2025. AprogressiveDemocrat and a member of theNew York City Democratic Socialists of America, she represents part of the Borough ofQueens.[1]
Originally fromLubbock,Texas, Valdez moved toNew York City in 2015 and lives inRidgewood, Queens.[2][3][4] She is a member of theDemocratic Socialists of America and Socialist Majority Caucus.[5] She is "a dual citizen ofYsleta del Sur Pueblo Nation and the United States."[6]
Valdez served as a program assistant in the visual arts program atColumbia University before the beginning of her term as an assembly member after having attempted to establish an art career.[7][6] She was an organizer withUnited Auto Workers and is an activist with theNew York City chapter ofDemocratic Socialists of America.[8][9]
In the2024 New York State Assembly election, Valdez was a candidate in the37th district. In theDemocratic Party primary, Valdez defeated Johanna Carmona by 27 percentage points and incumbentJuan Ardila by 48 percentage points.[10] She was endorsed by CongresswomanAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez and had support from theWorking Families Party.[11][12] She ran unopposed for the seat in the November general election.
Amid theinvestigations intoMayor of New York CityEric Adams, she publicly called for his resignation.[13] She endorsedZohran Mamdani in the2025 New York City mayoral election.[14]
Early in 2026, Valdez announced her campaign inthe 2026 United States House of Representatives election, in the state'sseventh House district.[15]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Claire Valdez | 4,075 | 58.6 | |
| Democratic | Johanna Carmona | 2,179 | 31.3 | |
| Democratic | Juan Ardila (incumbent) | 675 | 9.7 | |
| Write-in | 21 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 6,951 | |||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Claire Valdez | 26,527 | ||
| Working Families | Claire Valdez | 7,766 | ||
| Total | Claire Valdez | 34,293 | 98.5 | |
| Write-in | 533 | 1.5 | ||
| Total votes | 34,826 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
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