democratic socialist
SAMANTHA KATTAN
for assembly

Long Island City, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Sunnyside, Woodside

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As the daughter of immigrants—my mother from Mexico and my father from Syria—I know what it takes to build a life in a new home. As a working parent, I understand the daily sacrifices families make to care for their children while keeping up with the rising cost of living in our city.

And through my years as a tenant organizer, I’ve seen firsthand the unlivable conditions too many New Yorkers are forced to endure. But I’ve also seen how much power we have when we organize together.

My name is samantha Kattan. I’m the first-generation daughter of immigrants, a working parent, a tenant organizer, and a proud democratic socialist.

Queens was built by working class New Yorkers from all over the world. I’m running to make sure the people made our communities can afford to remain in them and benefit from the fruits of their labor.

As your Assembly Member for District 37, I will fight alongside you for social housing, strong tenant protections, universal healthcare, free childcare, immigrant rights, and greener, healthier neighborhoods.

These are not luxuries. They are basic human rights. Together, we can build a New York where the people who make our city run can afford to live, stay, and thrive.

our platform

housing

Whether you’re a rent-stabilized tenant in Sunnyside, a market-rate renter in Ridgewood, or a co-op or condo resident in Long Island City, you deserve to live in an affordable, stable, well-maintained home. I’ve spent my career organizing with tenants, and in Albany I will defend and expand our current rent stabilization laws and Good Cause Eviction protections.

    • I will support the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (A6100), giving tenants the first opportunity to buy their building when their landlord wants to sell, and create a Social Housing Development Authority (A6265) to build world-class, permanently affordable new homes for our families to live in, not to line a landlord’s pockets.

    • I will fight to fund the Department of Homes and Community Renewal better in order to strengthen the state’s ability to enforce rent stabilization.

    • I will carry Assemblymember Valdez’s A5427 to help tenants displaced by fires by guaranteeing the city helps place them in  “suitable accommodation,” paid for by their landlord.

    • I’ll push funding for the Housing Access Voucher Program, one of our strongest tools for keeping homeless New Yorkers or those at risk of becoming homeless in stable homes, and support the REST Act (A4877) making it easier for other municipalities around the state to opt into rent stabilization.

tax the rich

In the richest city in the richest country in the history of the world, too many of us live with too little. I will be fighting to increase taxes on corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers so we can create a state that works for all of us, with high quality social services like universal childcare, single payer healthcare, social housing, free buses, and more.

    • Progressive State Income Tax (A1281)

      • New York currently has a flat tax rate for those earning up to $1 million annually, meaning a working class family is stuck paying the same rate as a literal millionaire. Not only is this system unfair and regressive, it also deprives our state of important revenue streams that could be used to fund vital public programs like universal childcare. I support legislation to change New York’s tax code to be progressive and increase taxes on our highest earners so that everyone pays their fair share.

    • Taxing our most Profitable Corporations (A1971)

      • Tax revenues from corporate income are now at a historic low in New York and with a presidential administration hellbent on doling out handouts to the corporate class, it’s up to us to step up and ensure everyone pays their fair share. I support legislation to increase the corporate tax rate and bring it in line with the radically leftist state of… New Jersey. That’s right, our nextdoor neighbors are more progressive than we are on this issue -- it’s time to tax the rich!

    • A “Fair Share” Tax for NYC Millionaires (A8953)

      • New York City currently has a flat 3.9% income tax on all residents regardless of income level, meaning that a family of four earning $50,000 annually pays the same rate as a single person making $5 million. I support the “Fair Share Act,” which would allow the city to add an additional 2% tax on those making $1 million or more (AKA, millionaires). This would generate significant revenue for the city -- approximately $4 billion annually -- which will help us pay for services without burdening working class New Yorkers.

universal childcare

As a new mom, I know firsthand that our state isn’t set up to support most parents. The Governor and Mayor’s new commitment to 2-k and expanding childcare statewide is necessary and commendable, but still requires long-term funding and strong implementation. We also still need to go further to win free after-care programming, options for parents with nontraditional work schedules, and to extend free childcare to babies as young as six weeks. To ensure that families can put down roots and build a life in Queens, I will lead in this effort to deliver a universal childcare system that truly works for working families.

    • I will back the Universal Child Care Act (A5899), and be a dogged advocate for an implementation that works for everyone, from currently underpaid care workers to families with demanding work schedules.

immigrant justice

Immigrants built Assembly District 37 and make New York the vibrant, thriving multicultural city it is today. As a child of immigrants, I know too often those who were born elsewhere face exclusion, harassment, and threats from a fascist federal regime. I will support legislation to secure access to legal counsel during immigration court cases, to prohibit local law enforcement statewide from collaborating with ICE, to ban ICE agents from masking during civilian immigration actions, and more.

In addition, I will fight to cut State funding to the dozen counties and towns across the state that have entered into formal agreements with ICE to deputize local law enforcement to conduct immigration enforcement. New York has the power to fight back—and we must.

    • New York for All (A3506B)

      • New York for All is a crucial piece of legislation that would end all coordination between ICE and local law enforcement in New York. In addition to ending 478(g)? Agreements that deputize police officers to arrest and detain individuals on behalf of ICE, NY for All would codify sanctuary protections across the state to ensure that local police are not communicating or coordinating with ICE on immigration enforcement operations. ICE is a danger to our communities and none of our local or state resources should be used to enable their terrorism.

    • Dignity Not Detention (A4181)

      • Nowhere in our state should there be immigration detention centers used to lock up our neighbors with little-to-no transparency or oversight. This bill prohibits any person or entity in New York state from owning or operating an immigrant detention facility and requires state agencies to terminate any current immigrant detention contracts they have. We cannot be complicit in the abduction of our immigrant neighbors.

    • MELT Act (A8908)

      • The Mandating End of Lawless Tactics (MELT) Act bans the use of face coverings and plainclothes by ICE and other federal enforcement agents during civilian immigration actions conducted in New York State. We cannot allow masked militias to continue roaming our communities and harassing our neighbors with impunity. ICE officers must be subject to scrutiny and accountability, just like any law enforcement officer.

    • Access to Representation (A270)

      • We have seen from passing Right to Counsel in housing court that having legal representation leads to better outcomes for tenants; we should apply this lesson to immigration court and establish a universal right to legal counsel for all individuals facing deportation. 

CLIMATE

From increased flooding to soaring summer temperatures, Queens is already feeling the impacts of climate change. Fortunately, New York City and State have set ambitious climate goals including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To help us meet these goals, I will fight for the full implementation of the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) so that we can move our state towards publicly-owned renewable energy.

To fight climate change at home, we need Local Law 97 compliance to be successful. But for too many working-class and senior co-op owners and residents, the costs of compliance are more they can afford. As the Assembly Member for District 37, I will be on the front lines of the fight for State resources to help co-ops come into compliance and reduce their emissions, as well as for homeowners to easily invest in energy efficiency upgrades.

    • To help us meet these goals, I will fight to defend the CLCPA and for the full implementation of the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) so that we can move our state towards publicly-owned renewable energy. 

    • To fight climate change at home, we need Local Law 97 compliance to be successful. But for too many working-class and senior co-op owners and residents, the costs of compliance are more they can afford. As the Assembly Member for District 37, I will be on the front lines of the fight for State resources to help co-ops come into compliance and reduce their emissions, as well as for homeowners to easily invest in energy efficiency upgrades.  

    • Keeping our Queens neighborhoods green is a top priority of mine. I will also support state funding for an expanded tree initiative, which can beautify our communities, combat urban heat sinks, and play a significant role in alleviating flooding. I will sign onto the Go Green Schools Act (A3561) to ensure our children’s public schools are powered by renewable energy, and support local groups like the Newtown Creek Alliance that protect our local environment.

PUBLIC SPACE & CULTURE

We deserve neighborhoods that enrich our lives and cultures. In office, I’ll fight to make the district greener, more beautiful, and more supportive of the arts and local businesses.

    • I’ll back the Small Business Rent Stabilization Act (A5568A) to make sure the local small businesses can continue to nourish our communities.

    • I’ll fight to fund parks from Gantry State Park to Rosemary Playground, making sure they’re safe, beautiful and easy to access.

    • Libraries provide a wealth of resources for our neighborhoods; not only do they offer books, magazines, and other forms of media, they also provide meeting space, a wide range of free workshops including citizenship and computer literacy, kid and teen programming, and more. Although much of their funding flows from the City budget, I will fight for funding and legislation at the State level to protect and improve our community libraries. 

      • Freedom to Read (A5995) would prohibit libraries from banning books due to partisan disapproval, protecting the ability of librarians to curate their collections to include diverse viewpoints. 

      • Operating and Capital funding: Our libraries have been underfunded for years. I will support the call for $181.3 million in library operating aid, and $175 million for library construction aid, to both maintain and upgrade our libraries across the state. 

    • I’ll support increased funding for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and back bills like A6309 to establish regional arts, cultural affairs, and parks sustainability grant programs across the state.

education

New York used to be a model for public education, enabling generations of working class, immigrant, and New Yorkers of color to access high-quality instruction that led to greater upward mobility. Today, New York ranks 18th in K-12 performance and our SUNY and CUNY systems are in dire need of resources. I am committed to investing in public -- not private -- education that is equitable, competent, and expansive to protect access to high-quality education as a right for all New Yorkers.

    • A New Deal for CUNY (A1727)

      • After decades of disinvestment, it is time we restore CUNY to this previous model through strategic investments at the state level. This bill would bring back free tuition and cover the cost for CUNY, implement plans to reach appropriate student-to-staff ratios for both faculty and mental health counselors, and allocate funds to address CUNY and SUNY’s capital needs. This legislation would deliver the funding our university system needs to deliver high-quality education to New Yorkers and I fully support it.

    • Fully funding Foundation Aid

      • Educators, parents and teachers have been sounding the alarm that our current foundation aid formula and amount fails to accurately and adequately fund our public schools. The current system is outdated and systematically underfunds districts that serve our most vulnerable students. Combined with student-teacher ratio requirements and the federal defunding of our education system under the Trump administration, the time to correct this issue and update the formula is now. I support updating the Regional Cost Index to reflect the current costs of education in New York City (A9049), increasing the weight for the highest-need English Language learners and students with disabilities, and adding a weight for students in foster care or experiencing homelessness (A9048). 

    • Supporting Public Schools and Putting Limits on Charter Schools

      • I want to ensure that our public dollars serve public schools, which are required to demonstrate financial transparency and meet the needs of our most vulnerable students. I will support the Charter School Transparency and Accountability Act (A6884), and support the move towards smaller class sizes by ending the requirement that school districts offer space in public school buildings to charters

transit

New York’s transportation system is one of the most robust and expansive in the world. Our subways, buses, and commuter railways make it so we can be less reliant on cars that pollute our environment and take up valuable public space on our streets. Still, our public transit has a long way to improve and access to reliable means of getting place-to-place is still lacking, especially in Queens (just look at the subway map, AD 37 is in that giant blank space!). We also need to improve street safety in our neighborhoods so that pedestrians and cyclists can travel freely without fear of reckless car drivers.

    • Reclaiming our Streets

      • Over 100 pedestrians were killed in accidents in New York City last year, which is outrageous. As a mother, I want my daughter to be able to walk and play on our block without fear of reckless drivers. Unfortunately, many of our neighborhoods were designed with cars first and people second.

      • I will engage with NYC DOT to expand critical infrastructure like curb extensions, pedestrian medians, signal timing changes, and universal daylighting to make our streets safer. I will also advocate for legislative initiatives like the Super Speeders Bill (A2299B) to slow down traffic and hold bad drivers accountable so that our streets are safer for everyone.

      • Cyclists are also at risk and we need more bike lane networks along dangerous corridors like Rust Street to make roads safer for riders, and we need more North-South protected bike lanes in the district including on 43rd Street in Sunnyside. 

    • Free and Fast Buses

      • Queens residents know firsthand how hard it is to get around our neighborhoods without reliable subway options. Fast and free buses was a signature issue in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign last year and while the city is in charge of road infrastructure that can speed up our buses, it’s up to the state-run Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to make them free. With free buses, we can expect to see faster speeds, less time waiting at stops, and increased ridership across the city. Most importantly, free buses will ensure that everyone can move around our city freely, whether it be for their commute to school or work, to run errands, or just to visit a loved one, regardless of their income level. As an assemblymember, I will fight to make this vision a reality.

    • The Interborough Express

      • The Interborough Express (IBX) is a planned new subway line that would connect Queens and Brooklyn using existing freight rail that borders parts of Assembly District 37, with stations proposed at Myrtle Avenue, Metropolitan Avenue, Eliot Avenue, and Grand Avenue. I support the IBX as a way to increase transit options for Queens residents and better connect neighborhoods that currently lack access to transit. As the planning for IBX continues, I am committed to engaging with our communities and bringing concerns to the forefront of discussions with the MTA.

    • Resuming G Train Service to Forest Hills

      • It’s time to bring the G Train back to Forest Hills. For decades until 2010, the “Crosstown Local” lived up to its name, running from Church Av in Brooklyn to Forest Hills-71st Av in Queens. Now, it only has two stops in Queens, meaning that if you want to go to places like Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, or Forest Hills, you’ll probably need to make several subway transfers or take a (currently) not-free and not-fast bus. Ridership trends have changed significantly since 2010, and now is the right time to bring service back to Forest Hills so that we can strengthen the cross-borough connection. Even the Mets agree: it’s time to extend the G!

labor

I’ll fight to grow the labor movement and stand side-by-side with workers.

    • I’ll fight for a $30/hr New York State minimum wage to ensure that those who make New York function are compensated fairly, and can afford to stay.

    • I’ll support Empire Worker Protection bills, like A6664 which will end the “Independent Contractor” scam that allows bosses to misclassify workers and deny them benefits, extend protections to app-based and freelance workers, and push the Department of Labor to crack down on wage theft.

    • All workers should have access to the state’s Paid Family Leave program. I will fight to expand PFL to currently excluded workers, and to extend the program from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. I will support these bills: 

      • A9071: Would expand the PFL program to adjuncts and other teachers and professionals in non-profit or religious settings

      • A1399: Would extend the PFL program from 12 to 26 weeks and increase the pay cap from 67% of weekly pay (or 67% of the state’s average weekly pay) to 100% of weekly pay (or 80% of the state’s average weekly pay) 

ENDORSEMENTS

STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
CLAIRE VALDEZ

NEW YORK CITY
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA

HOTEL AND GAMING
TRADES COUNCIL

CHURCHES UNITED FOR
FAIR HOUSING ACTION

DRUM BEATS

MAKE THE ROAD ACTION
NEW YORK

NEW YORK
WORKING FAMILIES PARTY

STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
PHARA SOUFFRANT FORREST

CITY COUNCILMEMBER
TIFFANY CABAN

CITY COUNCILMEMBER
ALEXA AVILES

TENANTS PAC

SEIU, LOCAL 32BJ

METROPOLITAN COUNCIL
ON HOUSING ACTION

TREEAGE

MAYOR
ZOHRAN MAMDANI

SENATOR
BERNIE SANDERS

CITY COUNCILMEMBER
CHI OSSE

STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
DIANA MORENO

STATE SENATOR
KRISTEN GONZALEZ

STATE SENATOR
MIKE GIANARIS

STATE SENATOR
JABARI BRISPORT

STATE SENATOR
JULIA SALAZAR

STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
EMILY GALLAGHER

UAW REGION 9A

JEWISH VOICES FOR
PEACE ACTION

NEW YORK STATE UNITED TEACHERS

NEW YORK STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION

NYC DISTRICT COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS

DISTRICT COUNCIL 37

NEW YORK PROGRESSIVE ACTION NETWORK

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