The past 12 months have been motivating for the left in New York City. Already the most politically progressive place in the country, New York elected its first socialist mayor. There are large numbers of progressives on the city council, and progressives are represented in the city’s delegations to the State Assembly, State Senate, and US House of Representatives.

Yuh-Line Niou (she/her), is a former New York Assemblywoman who is currently running for State Senate. This queer millennial was the first openly autistic representative in the New York State legislature. Born in Taiwan, she is an anti-poverty advocate and activist who has fought predatory lending and red-lining in New York’s neighborhoods. Yuh-Line has taken progressive stances on many issues, including Medicare for All, Taxing the Rich, the Green New Deal, and Abolishing ICE.

Where are you based?
Lower Manhattan, New York City, the community I have called home and fought for throughout my entire political career.

What position are you running for?
I am running for New York State Senate District 27. I previously served in the New York State Assembly representing the 65th District from 2017 to 2022.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
I believe that the government should work for the people, not the powerful. That means truly taxing the ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations in our state, delivering on universal healthcare and childcare for New Yorkers, and ushering in a new brand of politics in Albany that put profit over people. We need leadership that is willing to stand up to I.C.E. and Donald Trump, by supporting and protecting working class New Yorkers. We cannot afford to keep compromising in the face of injustice.

What inspired you to run?
I have spent my whole life fighting for space at a table that was not built for people like me. As a new mom, and as a neurodivergent Taiwanese American woman, I have spent the majority of my life navigating systems that were never designed with me in mind. I understand what it means when my neighbors say that our government fails the people who need it most. I ran for and served in the Assembly to take on corruption and fight for tenants and working families in Lower Manhattan and I am now running for State Senate because that fight is not over, and frankly it has never been more urgent.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and the country?
I want Lower Manhattan and the communities I represent to feel that their government is actually on their side. That means being accessible. That means being transparent. That means fighting displacement, protecting public housing, ensuring our public workforce is valued, and making sure that disabled New Yorkers, immigrant families, and working class people have a real voice in the decisions that shape their lives. More broadly I want to show that you do not have to sell out to win, and that bold, unapologetic progressive politics can deliver real results.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I served six years in the New York State Assembly, from 2017 to 2022, where I was the first Asian American to represent Chinatown. I was the prime sponsor of quite a few bills that became law, including establishing a toll-free hotline for workplace sexual harassment claims. I stood up against RAD conversions that threatened to privatize public housing. I voted to expand reproductive rights, fought gun violence, and publicly called out Governor Cuomo when others stayed silent. I also secured historic levels of funding for our AAPI community during my time in the State Assembly.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Housing affordability and displacement, because working class New Yorkers and immigrant communities are being pushed out of the city they built. A strong public workforce, because the people who deliver our services have given enough and deserve fair pay, fair benefits, and a retirement they can live on. Healthcare costs have skyrocketed and it’s almost impossible for most working families to make ends meet. Disability rights, because neurodivergent and disabled New Yorkers are still being left out of the policymaking that affects them most. And resisting the national assault on democracy and basic rights, because Democrats cannot keep compromising while our neighbors are being kidnapped and our communities are suffering from the impacts of climate change. We must pass Healthcare for all, New York for all, and the Invest in Our New York package to tax the rich. I plan to tackle all of it by building coalitions, fighting for progressive revenue, and refusing to back down.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
I think the divide is often manufactured to protect the people at the top. When working class people of all backgrounds are struggling with housing, healthcare, and wages, those are not just Republican or Democratic problems, they are working-class problems. I hope to bridge this divide by continuing to show up, listen deeply, and build policy around what people actually need rather than what is politically convenient. During my time in the State Assembly, I have had to work hard to understand different perspectives and communicate across differences and I will continue to do so in the State Senate.

How do you see your unique identity and background as an asset to you in office?
Being an autistic Taiwanese American woman who is also a survivor and someone who has had to fight for every seat at every table has given me a perspective that is genuinely rare in government. I do not see policy as abstract. I see it as people's lives. My autism means I think deeply about cause and effect, about how decisions ripple outward, and about the perspectives of people who are often left out of the room. Representation is not just symbolism. It is about the lens you bring to every single vote.

What is your motto in life?
It always seems impossible until it’s done. ~Nelson Mandela

Where can we find out more about you?
Visit my campaign website yuhlineforsenate.com and follow me on social media (Twitter and Bluesky: @yuhline, Instagram: @yuhline4senate). The movement we fight for is bigger than any one person, and I want you to be part of it.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Yuh-Line Niou, New York State Senate District 27