General Election
Incumbent ousted in primary; workers' rights attorney faces small business owner
Democrat David Orkin, an immigrant workers' rights attorney, defeated Assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar in the June 23 primary with 58.8% of the vote. Republican Ruben D. Cruz II, a small business owner who ran for Assembly District 24 in 2024, advanced after his party's primary was canceled.
Immigrant workers' rights attorney; previously worked at Make the Road New York
Taxes — Supports expanding taxes on the richest New Yorkers to fund public services, and wants to pass the Universal Child Care Act and a New Deal for CUNY to restore tuition-free public higher education.
Bernie Sanders +57
Small business owner
Transit — Supports a rigorous audit of the MTA to make sure taxpayer funding goes to closing gaps in transit service.
Queens United
▸ Your ballot — State Assembly Member - District 38
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Housing costs, tenants and homeowners
State law and the state budget shape rents, tenant protections, public housing funding and the legal protections homeowners have; the open questions are how the state should protect tenants and homeowners and whether it should build and finance housing itself.
Wants a Social Housing Development Authority to build permanently affordable, union-built housing, full funding for NYCHA and an expanded Housing Access Voucher Program. Also backs stronger Good Cause Eviction protections statewide, a right to counsel for tenants in housing court and tenants' first right to buy their buildings.
David Orkin campaign website — platformTransit service and MTA spending
The open questions are where state transit money for this part of Queens should go, such as lower fares, free buses and new or restored rail links, and how closely the MTA's spending of taxpayer money should be audited.
Supports a rigorous audit of the MTA to make sure taxpayer funding goes to closing gaps in transit service.
Ballotpedia — Ruben Cruz II, 2026 Candidate Connection surveyCycle-to-date · NYS Board of Elections — figures change as new reports are filed.
Researched & verified Sep 30, 2026. Compiled from verified public sources; claims that failed verification are excluded.
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