Adriano Espaillat

Adriano Espaillat
Name	Adriano Espaillat
Caption	Official portrait, 2017
State	New York
District	NY, 13, 13th district
Term start	January 3, 2017
Predecessor	Charles Rangel
Party	Democratic
Birth date	27 September 1954
Birth place	Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic
Alma mater	Queens College (BA), Binghamton University (MPA)
Spouse	Martha

Adriano Espaillat is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 13th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in 2016, succeeding the long-serving Charles Rangel. Espaillat is the first Dominican-American and the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in the United States Congress.

Early life and education

Adriano Espaillat was born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, and immigrated to the United States with his family as a child, settling in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights. He attended local public schools before earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Queens College. He later received a Master of Public Administration from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Early political career

Espaillat began his political career as a community organizer in Upper Manhattan. He was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1996, representing the 72nd district, which included parts of Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill. In the New York State Legislature, he served as Chairman of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. In 2010, he was elected to represent the 31st district in the New York State Senate, where he focused on issues such as tenant rights, immigration reform, and education funding.

U.S. House of Representatives

Espaillat was elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 2016 election, winning the seat vacated by the retiring Charles Rangel. He was sworn into the 115th United States Congress on January 3, 2017. He serves on the influential House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on the Judiciary. He is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Political positions and legislation

Espaillat is a progressive Democrat whose legislative priorities include comprehensive immigration reform, affordable housing, and voting rights. He has introduced legislation such as the New York City.

Electoral history

Espaillat first ran for the United States House of Representatives in New York's 13th congressional district in 2012, challenging the incumbent Charles Rangel in the Democratic primary; he lost by a narrow margin. He ran again in 2014, losing another close primary to Rangel. In the 2016 election for the open seat, he won the Democratic primary and defeated his Republican opponent, Tony Evans, in the general election. He has been re-elected in 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Personal life

Espaillat is married to Martha and has two adult children. He resides in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. He is a member of the Roman Catholic Church and maintains strong ties to the Dominican community in New York City and abroad.

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Category:Dominican-American politicians Category:New York (state) Democrats