VoterLens
New York State Assembly District 37
Boston University—BA; The University of Texas at Austin—MA
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Samantha Kattan is a nonprofit professional with the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, where she has developed expertise in housing affordability. She has lived in New York City since 2014 and has worked in the housing justice movement as a tenant organizer and housing researcher. She is running for New York State Assembly District 37 as a Democratic Socialist on a platform centered on housing justice, universal child care, and expanded social services.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Samantha Kattan supports universal healthcare and frames access to single-payer healthcare as part of the high-quality social services New York should fund by increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Kattan's campaign website says she will fight for universal healthcare as Assembly Member for New York State Assembly District 37.
SourceKattan states that taxing corporations and the wealthiest New Yorkers can fund high-quality social services including single-payer healthcare.
SourceBranch's candidate profile for Samantha Kattan in New York State Assembly District 37 lists her healthcare position as advocating for universal healthcare.
SourceSamantha Kattan’s Economy & Jobs platform emphasizes raising wages, expanding worker protections and paid leave, and taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers and corporations to fund services that reduce working families’ cost of living, including universal childcare. Her campaign also frames free transit and housing affordability as economic supports for workers in Assembly District 37.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Kattan states that she will fight for a $30 per hour New York State minimum wage so workers can afford to remain in New York.
SourceKattan supports Empire Worker Protection legislation including a bill empowering the labor commissioner to issue stop-work orders against employers that misclassify employees as independent contractors.
SourceKattan says she will back the Universal Child Care Act and advocate for implementation that supports both families with demanding work schedules and underpaid care workers.
SourceKattan supports legislation to increase the amount of family leave time available in New York from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
SourceAt a District 37 candidate forum, Kattan stressed that the wealthiest New Yorkers should be taxed to fund social services, and she also connected such taxes to funding programs like universal childcare.
SourceSamantha Kattan supports an immigrant-justice platform for New York State Assembly District 37 focused on limiting cooperation with ICE, expanding legal representation for people facing deportation, ending immigration detention in New York, and increasing accountability for federal immigration enforcement actions.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Kattan supports New York for All legislation to prohibit local and state law enforcement from coordinating or sharing immigration-enforcement information with ICE.
SourceKattan supports Dignity Not Detention legislation to prohibit ownership or operation of immigrant detention facilities and require termination of existing immigration-detention contracts.
SourceKattan supports the MELT Act to bar ICE and other federal enforcement agents from wearing face coverings or acting in plainclothes during civilian immigration enforcement actions in New York.
SourceKattan supports Access to Representation legislation to provide legal counsel to people facing deportation proceedings.
SourceKattan says she will fight to cut New York State funding to counties and towns that have entered formal agreements with ICE to deputize local law enforcement for immigration enforcement.
SourceSamantha Kattan supports defending New York’s climate law framework and fully implementing the Build Public Renewables Act to expand publicly owned renewable energy. Her climate platform also emphasizes Local Law 97 compliance assistance, greener Queens neighborhoods, expanded tree funding, renewable energy in public schools, and support for local environmental protection groups.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Kattan says she will fight to defend the CLCPA and fully implement the Build Public Renewables Act so New York can move toward publicly owned renewable energy.
SourceKattan supports state funding for an expanded tree initiative to beautify communities, combat urban heat sinks, alleviate flooding, and advance renewable energy in public schools through the Go Green Schools Act.
SourceSamantha Kattan says she supports investing in public—not private—education, including fully funded K-12 public schools, expanded Foundation Aid for high-need students, a "New Deal for CUNY," and stronger charter-school transparency and accountability. She also links education policy to universal childcare and smaller class sizes.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Kattan supports legislation to restore free CUNY tuition, improve faculty and mental-health counselor staffing ratios, and fund CUNY/SUNY capital needs.
SourceKattan supports updating the Regional Cost Index to better reflect New York City education costs in the Foundation Aid formula.
SourceKattan supports adding Foundation Aid weight for students in foster care or experiencing homelessness and increasing weights for high-need English Language Learners and students with disabilities.
SourceKattan supports the Charter School Transparency and Accountability Act and says public dollars should serve transparent public schools that meet vulnerable students' needs.
SourceKattan says she will back universal childcare legislation and advocate for implementation that includes underpaid care workers, families with demanding schedules, and care for babies as young as six weeks.
SourceSamantha Kattan’s public-safety positions emphasize limiting law-enforcement collaboration with ICE, increasing accountability for police misconduct, and improving street safety. Her campaign platform also supports pedestrian/cyclist safety measures and legislation to hold dangerous drivers accountable.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Kattan supports New York for All, which would bar coordination between ICE and local or state law enforcement and codify statewide sanctuary protections.
SourceKattan supports the MELT Act to prohibit ICE and other federal enforcement agents from using face coverings or plainclothes during civilian immigration actions in New York State.
SourceKattan supports Access to Representation legislation establishing legal representation for people facing deportation.
SourceIn her Citizens Union questionnaire, Kattan said she supports giving the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board access to certain sealed and confidential records in potential police discipline matters.
SourceKattan says she will advocate for street-safety infrastructure and legislative initiatives such as the Super Speeders bill to slow traffic and hold bad drivers accountable.
SourceCitizens Union
https://citizensunion.org/voters-guide/2026-primary-election/assembly-district-37/Fetched: biography, education, professional background
Queens Ledger
https://queensledger.com/2026/02/18/new-mom-veteran-organizer-kattan-seeks-queens-assembly-seat/Fetched: biography, hometown, professional background, current residence
Samantha for Queens
https://www.samanthaforqueens.com/Fetched: biography, professional background, office context
Democratic Left
https://democraticleft.dsausa.org/2026/06/11/samantha-kattan-organizes-queens-for-victory/Fetched: biography, professional background
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/samantha-kattanFetched: campaignFinance
Public Campaign Finance Board
https://pcfb.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/06/commissioner-report-for-the-approval-to-disburse-public-matching-funds-06.09.2026-002.pdfFetched: campaignFinance
District Council 37
https://www.dc37.net/take-action/media-center/news-release/2026/district-council-37-delegates-endorse-state-senate-and-assembly-candidates-for-2026-primary-election/Fetched: endorsements
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Votes PAC
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-greater-new-york-votes-pac/endorsements/nycFetched: endorsements
Blue Voter Guide
https://bluevoterguide.org/NY/candidate_Samantha_Kattan/759411?electionId=564Fetched: endorsements
Branch
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-representative-ny-state-house-37/candidates/samantha-kattanFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Assembly Bill A6664
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6664Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Assembly Bill A5899
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5899Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Assembly Bill A1399
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1399Fetched: issuePositions
Documented NY
https://documentedny.com/2026/06/18/children-immigrant-new-york-primary-immigration-reform-chevalier-park-kattan/Fetched: issuePositions
NY State Senate Legislation PDF
https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2025/A6884Fetched: issuePositions
Citizens Union
https://citizensunion.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Samantha-Kattan-Assembly.pdfFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A2299/amendment/BFetched: issuePositions