New York State Assembly Member Claire Valdez, a former artist and union organizer, is running for New York’s 7th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. Valdez, who studied painting and art history at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, moved to New York in 2015 to pursue an art career before becoming a program assistant at Columbia University, where she joined UAW Local 2110. She won her State Assembly seat in 2024 and now seeks to represent the progressive "Commie Corridor" neighborhoods of Queens and North Brooklyn, including Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick, Long Island City, and Ridgewood. Her platform includes abolishing ICE, taxing the rich, Medicare for all, unions for all, universal rent control, and a free Palestine. She faces Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in the Democratic primary on June 23, with recent polls giving her a slim two-point lead.
This story matters because it highlights the growing political engagement of artists and art workers, who are increasingly running for office on progressive platforms. Valdez’s candidacy represents a direct link between the art world and electoral politics, drawing on her experience as a painter and union organizer to advocate for policies that would make art careers more viable—such as living wages, healthcare, and affordable space. Her campaign also reflects broader shifts in New York’s political landscape, where progressive candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America are gaining traction in artist-heavy districts. The outcome of this primary could signal whether the art community’s political influence is translating into electoral power.