Abundance New York 2026 State Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
Jessica González-Rojas
State Senate, District 13
Background
Please briefly describe your background and why you are running for this office.
My name is Jessica González-Rojas. I am a mother, a daughter of an immigrant, a child of a union household, a legislator in the NYS Assembly, a democratic socialist and a long time organizer and leader. I am running for State Senate because the district that makes up the country’s most diverse communities—Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and parts of Rego Park and Forest Hills—deserve leadership that listens, delivers, and never stops fighting for us.
We are living in one of the most expensive cities in the world—and working families are being squeezed from every angle. Rents are out of control. Child care costs more than take-home salaries. Grocery bills keep rising while paychecks stay stagnant. And I see it every day in Albany: too many conversations stuck in delay, distraction, and political posturing—while families in our district struggle to stay afloat. We need more urgency, more courage, and more leaders who are grounded in our communities, and willing to partner at all levels of government - city, state, and federal- to deliver for our neighbors. That’s who I am.
I’m unwavering in my core values—of equity, dignity, and justice. These aren’t just words; they guide every decision I make. I know that real change doesn’t come from standing on principle alone—it comes from bringing people together to turn our values into action. It takes a leader who is willing to collaborate and build coalitions. That’s how we win lasting progress.
This district deserves a Senator who will show up, build bridges, and get results. One who is an asset, not a liability. One who collaborates, not isolates. That’s what I’ve always done—and that’s exactly what I’ll continue to do in the State Senate.
How are you differentiated from your opponent(s)? What does your path to victory look like in your district?
Our win number is 10,178. We started field operations in early February, and have been meeting with community leaders, faith leaders, civic associations and tenant associations across the district since July 2025. My record of consistency, authentic coalition building, and active presence in the district has made me stand out as a diligent community representative. My strategy to win is fairly simple. A demonstrated service leadership approach - collaborative, always offering a listening ear, translating our community needs for legislative action - it is not just about what we have accomplished, but how we can uplift and build, together. This sets me apart from the other candidates in the race. I am the only candidate that has the breadth of community-based endorsements, including nearly every overlapping elected official, from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Councilmember Shanel Thomas-Henry. It is understood I am a very present representative, and I look forward to serving my community every day. I believe these qualities resonate with the people of this district and I aim to make this approach the forefront of my campaign so they know exactly how I will be as representative.
Government Delivery Reform
SEQRA reform: New York should reform the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to reduce the time and scope of environmental review for housing, transit, renewable energy, and resilience projects.
Agree
Civil Service Reform: New York should make it easier for the government to hire the staff they need by making exams more job-relevant, allowing work experience to count instead of degrees, and enabling temporary appointments.
Agree
Capital Project Procurement Reform: New York State should give NYC more procurement flexibility (such as expanded challenge-based procurement and "other transaction authority" style contracting) in order to speed up the delivery of capital projects.
Agree
Additional context
(No response)
Housing
Expanding Housing: Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires increasing production of all kinds of housing, including market-rate units.
See below
Homelessness/Expedited permanent supportive housing: Addressing the homelessness crisis requires a housing-first solution such as expedited permanent supportive housing for those in need, because shelters are not a permanent solution.
Agree
Transit Oriented Development: New York should allow for more housing to be built near existing transit stations including near commuter rail stations, even if that requires changing zoning.
Agree
Build Code Reform: New York, at the city and state level, should embrace building code and licensing reforms (e.g., smaller elevator size requirements, modular construction, mass timber) that make it cheaper to build housing while maintaining safety.
Agree
Additional context
For me, this is a 'yes, and' all around for building housing where working class tenants can stay and thrive. My housing platform calls for Affordable Housing Expansion and Tenant Protections, which includes the Social Housing Authority, full funding for the Housing Access Voucher program, and safely converting basement and cellar apartments to meet fire code to allow for rental.
Transit
Transit Cost Containment: New York should act in a coordinated fashion to reduce the cost of building new transit projects, including reducing the size of stations and allowing the temporary disruption of street traffic to more quickly complete projects.
Agree
Busway Expansion: New York City should: 1) expand the number of busways (routes where private cars are banned); and 2) eventually pursue bus rapid transit lines to increase bus speeds throughout the city.
Agree
Automated Camera Expansion: New York should allow New York City to expand automated camera enforcement, including red light cameras, bus lane cameras, and bike lane cameras, to make streets safer.
Agree
Parking: New York City should charge more for parking and reduce or eliminate free street parking.
Agree
Additional context
(No response)
Clean Energy
Solar Energy: New York State should preempt local regulations that effectively ban solar projects by establishing a ceiling on restrictions and should streamline solar permitting by adopting automated systems in order to enable more solar energy.
Agree
Nuclear Energy Development: New York should expand its nuclear energy capacity by building new reactors and extending the life of existing plants in order to hit the goal of 100% zero-emission electricity generation by 2040.
see below
Additional context
While Nuclear Energy is a renewable energy form, there are concerns about expanding nuclear energy capacity including high construction costs, long development timelines, and management of hazardous nuclear waste. We should prioritize other forms of renewables such as offshore wind, solar, and hydropower.
Candidate Statement
Abundance Examples from Your Work: Please describe a specific example from your record (legislative, professional, or community work) where you championed a project or policy that is aligned with our agenda. What obstacles did you overcome, and what was the outcome?
I am most proud of passing Universal School Meals in the FY2025-26 budget. As of this September, every single child regardless of income, immigration status or zip code, now receives a free healthy breakfast and free healthy lunch in school. I built a strong and diverse coalition over the past three years to advance this bill, working alongside unions, food justice organizations, educational justice organizations, anti-poverty organizations, and some unlikely partners, like several Republicans, to ultimately succeed in its passage and funding. This is the first universal program that has passed in decades, and is rooted in the radical activism of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords. As a Puerto Rican woman and a mom of a public school child, this has a profound impactful on me. I truly feel like my ancestors‘ wildest dreams.
Legislative Priorities: If elected (or re-elected) to the State Assembly/Senate, what are your top three legislative priorities? Please be specific about the policies you would advance and what you hope to achieve.
Affordability as a priority issue - addressing food insecurity, ensuring access to quality healthcare, adequate and affordable housing, dignified wages and alleviating some of the burden our society places on working families has been a key issue for me during my time in office. Our needs are multi-faceted and deeply interconnected. As Audre Lorde says, ‘There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issue lives.’ I believe we have more tools in our toolbelt to address affordability, given the mandate from my district and New York City at large, that is an issue we can drive to the benefit of the entire State. I have 5 issues that I am championing as part of my Senate campaign - but I also remain diligent and ready to push forward on climate, gender justice, affordability, and human dignity issues that are building traction, that we can realize to meet the urgency of the demands of our communities.
The 5 issues are:
-Universal Childcare, which includes access to free, quality childcare and after-school care, a living wage and robust benefits for care workers, support for all modalities of care (center-based, home based, etc and nontraditional work hours), and guaranteed childcare seats for established programs in NYC.
-Health Care Access, which includes the New York Health Act, my bill guaranteeing Coverage for All, bringing a community health center to East Elmhurst in the Senate district, and fighting the Trump agenda on healthcare cuts.
-Food Security, which includes legislation to provide SNAP for all, regardless of immigration status; increasing the minimum benefit of SNAP recipients from $23 to $100, upgrading the SNAP card to prevent skimming and provide relief for victims of SNAP theft, and promoting a healthy grocery store pilot in the district.
-Protect Immigrant New Yorkers, which includes New York for All, the MELT Act, Protect New York Students (my bill), Access to Representation Act, and Dignity Not Detention.
-Affordable Housing Expansion and Tenant Protections, which includes the Social Housing Authority, full funding for the Housing Access Voucher program, and safely converting basement and cellar apartments to meet fire code to allow for rental.