VoterLens
New York State Senate District 34
Hofstra University—BA in Public Relations
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Nathalia Fernandez is the Democratic New York State Senator for District 34, representing parts of the Bronx and Westchester. Before joining the Senate, she served as a Community Director and Chief of Staff in the New York State Assembly and as the Governor’s Bronx representative, then was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2018. In the Senate, she chairs the Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders Committee and focuses on issues including the opioid crisis, education, mental health, social justice, women’s rights, working families, seniors, and marginalized communities.
Committee Assignments: Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction & Overdose Prevention — Co-Chair · Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders — Chair · Agriculture — Member · Cannabis — Member · Insurance — Member · Labor — Member · Mental Health — Member · Rules — Member · Select Majority Task Force on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises — Member · State-Native American Relations — Member · Transportation — Member
Nathalia Fernandez, Democratic New York State Senator for District 34, emphasizes expanding access to care, prevention, reproductive health services, patient privacy, public health protections, and addiction/mental health funding. Her record includes sponsoring healthcare-related legislation and voting yes on bills addressing lead exposure, medication-assisted treatment, sensitive health information, and reproductive healthcare access.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Fernandez urged state leaders to provide 60 days of emergency funding to protect prevention, recovery, harm-reduction, addiction, mental health, and public health services after a federal funding freeze threatened provider reimbursements.
SourceNathalia Fernandez emphasizes support for working families, small businesses, MWBEs, and job growth, including state contracting access and financing/tax tools for small firms. As Senator for New York State Senate District 34, she has backed measures on prompt payment for small businesses, small-business savings accounts, MWBE contracting, workplace protections, and consumer/small-business protections.
Nathalia Fernandez, Democratic New York State Senator for District 34, has supported immigrant legal protections and services, including legal counsel in immigration proceedings, services for unaccompanied minors without lawful status, and immigration-status assistance for military families. Her record shows a pro-immigrant-services approach focused on legal representation, access to benefits, and reducing barriers tied to immigration status.
Nathalia Fernandez, Democratic New York State Senator for District 34, has supported climate and energy policies focused on clean-energy transition, fossil-fuel accountability, air-pollution controls, environmental justice, and energy affordability. Her record includes sponsoring bills on energy affordability and toxic air contaminants, co-sponsoring climate-liability and zero-emissions-grid legislation, and voting for the NY HEAT Act in committee.
Nathalia Fernandez supports expanding inclusive and student-supportive education policies, including culturally responsive curriculum, fair school discipline, school holidays for Muslim students, and protecting immigrant students in school settings. As the Democratic New York State Senator for District 34, she has sponsored, co-sponsored, and voted for education-related legislation in the 2025-2026 session.
Nathalia Fernandez's public-safety record emphasizes both community safety enforcement and police/criminal-justice accountability: she has proposed giving Parkchester public-safety officers limited peace-officer status while also proposing restrictions on unmarked traffic enforcement. She has also co-sponsored measures to expand law-enforcement authority for NYC sheriffs and to add a firearm waiting period intended to improve public safety.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Fernandez publicly supported prison-system accountability reforms, saying violence and misconduct have no place in state care and that reforms are needed to ensure safety and dignity for New Yorkers.
SourceNYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/nathalia-fernandez/aboutFetched: biography, committees
Citizens Union Candidate Questionnaire
https://citizensunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CU-Candidate-Questionnaire-Senate-34-Nathalia-Fernandez.pdfFetched: age, education
New York State Senate Member Directory
https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/6-23-26-member-directory.pdfFetched: location
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/nathalia-fernandezFetched: campaignFinance
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/NY/candidate_Nathalia_Fernandez/296575Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/press-item/nylcv-gives-green-announces-2026-endorsements-for-state-legislative-races/Fetched: endorsements
New York League of Conservation Voters 2025 State Environmental Scorecard
https://www.nylcv.org/wp-content/uploads/NYS-Scorecard-2025.pdfFetched: endorsements
NYSenate.gov - Senator Nathalia Fernandez About
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/nathalia-fernandez/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S1816
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1816Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S2625
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2625Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S1633A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1633/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S5981
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5981Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Fernandez press release on addiction, mental health, and public health funding
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/nathalia-fernandez/senator-nathalia-fernandez-raises-alarm-over-suddenFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - About Nathalia Fernandez
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/nathalia-fernandez/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Small Business and MWBE Package Press Release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/nathalia-fernandez/senator-fernandez-and-majority-pass-legislationFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S2284
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2284/amendment/originalFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S9520
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9520Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S3412
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3412Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S105
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S105Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - About Nathalia Fernandez
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/nathalia-fernandez/aboutFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S9756
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9756Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S4419
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S4419Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S7789
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7789Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S8119
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S8119Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S9096 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9096Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S4030A bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4030/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S4799 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4799Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S1536 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1536Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov S4158 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4158Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - S7805 Eid school holidays
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7805Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - S2547 culturally responsive education
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2547Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - S134 school discipline reform
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S134Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - S4735 Protect Our Schools Act
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4735/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - S2046 mental health educational opportunity programs
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S2046Fetched: issuePositions
Branch.vote candidate profile
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-primary-election-ny-state-state-senator-ny-state-senate-34-d/candidates/nathalia-fernandezFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate S9663
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9663Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate S1639
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1639Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate S1184
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1184Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate S362
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S362Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate Prison Safety is Public Safety release
https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/admin/structure/media/manage/filefile/a/2025-02/release012725psips.pdfFetched: issuePositions