Today is our final profile of our favorite Progressive candidates as election season draws to a close! We highlighted a number of candidates from across the country, highlighting the fact that candidates with Progressive platforms and policies don’t all reside in urban areas or so-called “blue states.” Indeed, many of them are located in parts of the country where women’s reproductive rights are being systematically taken away from them, or where some people’s true gender identities are questioned openly and oftentimes not accepted. Some of our candidates are these people. But they all have in common a desire to serve their communities at the county, state, and federal levels, and a vision to move the country forward and make sure that all Americans, regardless or race, religion, creed, age, class, or gender identity, are equally represented in government.

This week we are profiling Jessica González-Rojas (she/her/hers). Jessica is a queer Latina and Democratic Socialist member of the New York State Assembly, running on the Working Families Party ticket. She is the former executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, an organization that advocates for access to affordable health and reproductive care for Latino and immigrant communities. Of Paraguayan and Puerto Rican descent, she is also a former professor of Latino and Latin American Studies at City College of the City University of New York. González-Rojas cares passionately about healthcare, racial justice, and immigration reform. She lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, with her partner and their son.

Where are you based?
I’m based in Jackson Heights, Queens. I represent the 34th Assembly District in Queens, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, Woodside, and will include parts of Astoria beginning in January 2023. I represent one of the most diverse districts in New York State.

What is your position/what position are you running for?
I’m a New York State Assembly member. I am running for re-election for my second term.

Why did you choose this seat?
I have spent my career advocating for communities that have historically been marginalized and many of my neighbors took note of my passion for advocacy and social justice. Members of my neighborhood approached me and asked me to run for office. Until then I hadn’t taken the prospect of running for a legislative seat seriously. I ran and was elected to the State Committee from 2002 to 2006 but after a wave of progressives won their races in 2018 my neighbors asked me to run in 2020 to better represent the Assembly District in the state legislature, so I did.

© National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice

What inspired you to run?
I was inspired to run after the elections in 2018 when several progressive candidates, particularly women of color and Latinas, unseated incumbents who had thwarted progress and did not represent the values and needs of communities like mine. People like my Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán inspired me to raise my hand and take my next step in leadership. I was also inspired by community members who asked and encouraged me to run.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district, state, and country?
I am hoping to continue to build off the progress of several social justice movements that have been organizing for years in New York State and across the nation. I want to amplify their efforts for reproductive justice, housing justice, environmental justice, health justice, workers rights and more. I believe that what happens in New York State has an impact on the rest of the nation. If we can be bold and transformative here, then we can show other states what is possible. Locally, I want to represent every community in my district, ensure they are heard, and build solidarity in our blocks for our neighbors. There are such incredible activists and leaders in the 34th Assembly district, and I want our district to be a base of support for them.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I began my term on January 1, 2021. My first term will end at the end of 2022. I’ve been in elected office for almost two years. Some of my major accomplishments have included advancing legislation in our state budget process to change the insurance law so that all abortions, regardless of how someone came to be pregnant, are seen as medically necessary. I was also successful in advocating for an increase in funding for outreach to hard-to-reach families for enrollment in SNAP. I am also proud that we passed about ten pieces of legislation, including bills on reproductive justice, maternal health, mental health, human trafficking, transgender rights and election reform, transit access, and worker protections.

In June, the Governor signed two of my bills into law–one on maternal mental health, and the other on gender inclusivity in electoral politics, adding to the bill that the Governor signed in March protecting workers who experience sexual assault or harassment. I also helped secure vital funding for the district to invest in community resources such as adult literacy programs, housing assistance for tenants and small landlords, and efforts to address food insecurity. I was appointed to the Assembly’s Health Committee and as Chair of the Subcommittee on Climate Action and Environmental Justice of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus, where I continue to advocate for equitable health care and environmental justice policies that meet the needs of our diverse communities.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Some of the most urgent issues right now include reproductive justice, immigrant rights, LGBTQIA+ liberation, environmental justice, access to mental health care, and food insecurity. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and several states’ abortion bans went into effect, I introduced and advocated for my bill that would establish a Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund. The Fund would enable the New York State Department of Health to grant money to abortion providers and non-profit organizations that help people access abortion care. It’s a priority for me to get this bill across the finish line. I also intend to prioritize advocating for funding for health care for undocumented New Yorkers, a tuition-free CUNY, climate justice initiatives, an increase in mental health staffing in schools, and free healthy school meals program for all students.

I believe in the power of grassroots organizing and advocacy. I work very closely with a number of both Queens-based organizations and city and statewide organizations that help inform my legislative work, budget advocacy, and everything I do. I make a concerted effort to center the most marginalized in our communities and work in coalition with those most affected by inequitable policies to fight for change.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
I’m grateful to represent one of the most diverse communities in the world, and I’ve seen first hand how people with extremely different lived experiences can come together to work toward the greater good. Local advocacy and community organizations in my district, in addition to my office and other elected officials’ offices, hold many community events where neighbors can learn from one another and bridge divides. I believe that local community building is a fundamental aspect of bridging any political divides in this country.

How would you foresee your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
I am proud to be the first person of color, woman of color, and Latina to represent my district, which is one of the most diverse in the world. My identity has informed my decades of community activism. I’m proud to have been appointed to serve on the Executive Committee of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, where I help give voice to our Latinx communities in New York.

What is your motto in life?
Audre Lorde said, “There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” It is one I share often because for me every issue is intersectional and impacts everyone and overlaps with other issues we need to address. We cannot have proper healthcare if we do not have housing. We cannot have labor justice without also fighting for immigrant justice. Another quote that has helped me earlier in my time in office is also by Audre Lorde. She said, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” This work can be difficult and after the insurrection of the nation’s Capital and as we confront real threats like white supremacy and the overturning of Roe you can’t help but feel nervous. But I also think back on my community, how much I love it, how it holds me and supports me and the vision that we all believe in for a world that is healthier, more dignified and just. When I do that I am reminded of why I do this work and why I will continue to fight for racial, social, and economic justice.

Where can we find out more about you?
You can find out more about me by following me on Instagram and Twitter @votejgr, on my campaign website at www.votejgr.com and on my Assembly website, https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Jessica-Gonzalez-Rojas.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2022 - Jessica González-Rojas, New York State Assembly District 34