VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 35
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Larinda C. Hooks is the Assemblywoman for New York Assembly District 35 and a lifelong community organizer and civil rights advocate focused on public schools, affordable health care, public safety, and economic opportunity. She served as president of the Ericsson Street Block Association and later as president of the East Elmhurst-Corona Civic Association, and worked with the East Harlem Council for Community Improvement and Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, Inc., including in older adult services and economic development.
Committee Assignments: Committee on Aging · Committee on Banks · Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry · Committee on Libraries and Education Technology · Committee on Science & Technology · Committee on Transportation · Black Task Force · Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus · Legislative Women's Caucus · Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force
Larinda Hooks identifies affordable health care as a core need for Assembly District 35 and has proposed health-related legislation focused on expanding dental-provider access, protecting vulnerable adults in care settings, and improving use of flexible benefit cards for eligible health-related purchases.
Larinda Hooks emphasizes economic development and job creation for Assembly District 35, especially attracting development projects and businesses that create good union jobs for local residents. As a sitting assemblymember, her most concrete economy/jobs action was sponsoring and voting for the Flushing Meadows Corona Park alienation legislation tied to the Metropolitan Park development, which she framed as community investment and jobs for East Elmhurst and Corona.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hooks's campaign says she will work in the Assembly to bring in new businesses and development projects that create good union jobs with a path to the middle class for local residents.
SourceHer 2026 candidate profile states that she plans to require union labor for construction and permanent jobs in local development projects.
SourceQueens Daily Eagle reported Hooks introduced the state parkland alienation legislation first and quoted her calling for real community input, an enforceable Community Benefits Agreement, and redevelopment reflecting East Elmhurst and Corona needs.
SourceLarinda Hooks supports immigrant-protective policies, including state budget protections for immigrant communities, limiting disclosure of immigration status, and expanding access to licenses regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Her campaign also says she will address wage theft, which she identifies as especially harmful to immigrant communities.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hooks' campaign issues page says that in the Assembly she will fight to raise the minimum wage and address wage theft, describing wage theft as particularly devastating to immigrant communities.
SourceLarinda Hooks has taken pro-environment and energy-affordability actions as the Democratic Assembly Member for New York Assembly District 35, including sponsoring airport air-quality monitoring, utility shutoff protections for affected state employees, and Department of Environmental Conservation fishery-management authority. She also co-sponsored legislation to expand municipal-level energy efficiency and weatherization pilot projects through NYSERDA.
Larinda Hooks supports fully funded public schools, expanding the community schools model, and access to early childhood and after-school programs. As an Assemblymember, she has sponsored or co-sponsored education-related bills including library development, tutoring, school leadership staffing, and renaming New York's high school equivalency diploma.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hooks' campaign states she will fight to ensure schools are fully funded, expand the community schools model, and support resources from early childhood education to free or low-cost after-school opportunities.
SourceLarinda Hooks frames public safety around safer neighborhoods, illegal-gun reduction, violence prevention, youth opportunity, senior protection, and traffic/pedestrian safety. As a sitting Assembly member for District 35, she has also sponsored or co-sponsored public-safety-related legislation, including improved lighting at rail stations/underpasses, an Ebony Alert system for missing Black youth, and benefits for public safety dispatchers.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hooks states that she will work to get illegal guns off the streets, fund anti-violence initiatives, and support gun buyback programs as part of her public safety agenda.
SourceHooks identifies gun violence and community safety as a top issue and says keeping young people safe requires prevention, investment, and opportunity so families feel secure on their blocks.
SourceNew York State Assembly Member Directory - Larinda C. Hooks
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Larinda-C-Hooks/Fetched: votingRecord
Transparency USA - Larinda Hooks New York Candidate
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/larinda-hooksFetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA - People for Larinda 2026 New York Committee
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/committee/people-for-larinda-2026-507102Fetched: campaignFinance
New York State United Teachers
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/voter-guide/endorsementsFetched: endorsements
New York State Assembly member biography
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Larinda-C-Hooks/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly sponsored legislation page
https://assembly.ny.gov/mem/?ad=035&sh=sponsorFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation A5299
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5299Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation A5489
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5489Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly A09599 bill page
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A09599&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6781/amendment/BFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly Transcript
https://nystateassembly.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=nystateassembly_202fc04b06c57903f0e1ca3b936a9e51.pdf&view=1Fetched: issuePositions
Branch
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-35/candidates/larinda-c-hooksFetched: issuePositions
Queens Daily Eagle
https://sphere-piccolo-d7rm.squarespace.com/all/2025/4/29/cohen-casino-bill-begins-to-move-through-senateFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly
https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/?ad=035&sh=video&video=11493Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly member page
https://www.assembly.ny.gov/mem/Larinda-C-Hooks/Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A5543A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5543/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A11090
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11090Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A11168
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11168Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Open Legislation - A11556
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11556Fetched: issuePositions
NYC Votes 2026 voter guide profile
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2026-general-election-voter-guide/member-of-the-assembly/profile/?bannerTitle=Larinda+C.+Hooks&boroughCode=&candidateId=V1343&districtID=&electionCycle=2026&geoAreaAbbr=35&officeType=7&officelevel=2&partyId=D%2CWFFetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page for A09619
https://assembly.ny.gov/leg/?bn=A09619&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page for A08386
https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?Actions=Y&Summary=Y&Text=Y&bn=A8386&default_fld=Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Assembly bill page for A09162
https://assembly.ny.gov/leg/?bn=A09162&leg_video=Fetched: issuePositions