State Senator - District 19
Roxanne J. Persaud
Has represented Senate District 19 since winning a November 2015 special election, after serving in the state Assembly, and chairs the Senate Social Services Committee.
Issues Roxanne is raising
Health care and medical aid in dying
Voted against the medical aid in dying act in 2025 and against a bill setting requirements for providing medication for medical aid in dying in 2026. Sponsored laws requiring insurers and Medicaid to cover biomarker testing and letting doulas be present during cesarean sections, and a bill barring hospitals and health care providers from storing credit card information without signed written consent.
Child care and public assistance
Backs a state task force to study fiscal cliffs in public assistance programs, saying no family should be penalized for working harder or earning a little more. Sponsored a law requiring social services districts to keep waiting lists of eligible families seeking child care assistance and legislation increasing a child care center tax abatement in cities of one million or more.
Housing and rents
Lists affordable housing among her legislative priorities, and voted for a 2025 law on landlords' use of algorithmic pricing that bars facilitating agreements among residential landlords not to compete, including through software or algorithms that coordinate on their behalf.
Public safety and crime victims
Highlights state laws that created a firearm violence research institute within the State University of New York, made unlawful installation of a gas meter a crime, enacted the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act and added domestic violence victim status to the state Human Rights Law.
Schools and the state budget
Lists funding for schools and libraries among her legislative priorities, and voted for the 2024-25 state budget bill covering education, labor, housing and family assistance.
Background
Based in Canarsie, Brooklyn
Born in Guyana, she worked in higher education administration before serving as a legislator and lives in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
- Chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Social Services
- Member of the Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction & Overdose Prevention, the Legislative Women's Caucus and the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus
- Won the seat in a Nov. 3, 2015 special election to replace John Sampson, defeating Republican Jeffrey Ferretti and Conservative Elias Weir with 87.6% of the vote
- Re-elected in 2018 with 89.8% against Jeffrey Ferretti, in 2022 with 99.7% and on Nov. 5, 2024 with 74,011 votes (99.6%); won the Democratic primary on June 23, 2020 against Keron Alleyne with 74.8%
- Served in the New York State Assembly before her election to the Senate
- Worked in higher education administration before serving as a legislator
- President of the 69th Precinct Community Council in Canarsie, member of Community Board 18 and commissioner on the New York City Districting Commission
- Member of the Community Action Board of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development; chaired Neighborhood Advisory Board District 18
- Graduate of the NYPD Citizens Police Academy and the New York City Office of Emergency Management Community Emergency Response Team
- Born in Guyana and immigrated to the United States with her parents and siblings
- Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Education Administration from Pace University
Support
No endorsements beyond the Democratic nomination were found as of Oct. 1, 2026.
Money
$34K
raised
Top donors: Kenneth Rozenberg, Police Benevolent Association Of Nyc, 1199 Seiu - Nys Political Action Fund