General Election
NY Assembly · Assembly District 86
Democratic incumbent faces rivals on separate Republican and Conservative lines
Yudelka Tapia has held the seat since a November 2021 special election and won re-election in 2024 with 74.4% of the vote. Maria Diaz beat Shery A. Olivo in the June 2026 Republican primary, 57.5% to 35.8%; Olivo remains on the ballot on the Conservative Party line.
Issues
3 issues · 2 candidates · every claim sourced
Public safety
Central to the raceThe Legislature writes New York's criminal laws and the rules on selling dangerous products, and it sets how much state money goes to youth and community safety programs; a bill that passes the Assembly still needs the Senate and the governor.
Shery A. Olivo
Calls for community-based approaches to public safety: more neighborhood patrols, more investment in youth programs, and building trust between residents and law enforcement.
Shery Olivo campaign website — FAQ ↗
Yudelka Tapia
In coverageHas sponsored bills to bar the knowing sale of xylazine to people under 21 and without proof of intended institutional, veterinary or scientific use, to ban drones over school grounds and critical infrastructure, to create a lithium-ion battery safety program for powered mobility devices, and to require sexual and domestic violence awareness posters in cosmetology businesses.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Prime sponsor, in the 2025-26 session, of a bill to prohibit the sale, offer for sale or delivery of xylazine. Her earlier xylazine bill, A6506 of the 2023-24 session, was repassed by the Assembly on May 28, 2024 with her yes vote and recommitted to the Senate Consumer Protection Committee. Sponsor of A4944 on drones; it passed the Assembly Feb. 9, 2026 and was referred to the Senate Codes Committee. Sponsor of A6811 on battery safety; it passed both houses and was vetoed Dec. 13, 2024. Sponsor of A7301 on awareness posters; it passed the Assembly March 5, 2026 and the Senate May 13, 2026. Voted yes on S9155, concerning the location of retail adult-use dispensaries near schools and houses of worship; it was signed into law Feb. 11, 2026.
Prime sponsor of a 2025-26 xylazine sales bill; sponsor of A6506, A4944, A6811 and A7301, voting yes on each in the Assembly; voted yes on S9155 · 2024-03-06 to 2026-05-13 · xylazine sales bill sponsored again in the 2025-26 session; A6506 (2023-24 session) was repassed by the Assembly May 28, 2024 and recommitted to the Senate Consumer Protection Committee; A4944 passed the Assembly Feb. 9, 2026 and was referred to the Senate Codes Committee; A6811 vetoed Dec. 13, 2024; A7301 passed both houses (Senate May 13, 2026); S9155 signed into law as Chapter 2 on Feb. 11, 2026
No public position yet from Diaz
Affordable housing and tenant protections
Central to the raceState law sets tenants' rights and funds affordable-housing and home-buying programs, so how far to expand tenant protections and how much state money goes to building, repairing and financing affordable homes are decided in Albany.
Shery A. Olivo
Advocates stronger tenant protections, investment in repairs to public housing, and building more affordable units for working families.
Shery Olivo campaign website — FAQ ↗Yudelka Tapia
In coverageBacked the 2022 law raising the State of New York Mortgage Agency's bond and note limit from $1 billion to $1.5 billion, saying it would help many more low- and moderate-income families buy homes. Her sponsored bills also include letting tenants sue over unmaintained self-closing doors, an extreme weather tenant protection act and a fair share for homeless shelters act.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Listed as sponsor of A10223 ("Rules (Tapia)"), which raised the State of New York Mortgage Agency's bond and note authorization from $1 billion to $1.5 billion; the Assembly reported on Dec. 20, 2022 that Gov. Kathy Hochul had signed it. Voted yes on S8306, the 2024-25 education, labor, housing and family assistance budget bill, which was signed into law as Chapter 56 of 2024.
Listed as sponsor of A10223 ("Rules (Tapia)"); voted yes on S8306 · 2022-12-20 to 2024-04-20 · A10223 signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul (reported Dec. 20, 2022); S8306 signed into law as Chapter 56 of 2024
No public position yet from Diaz
Cost of living
Also in playCost-of-living relief is a stated campaign priority in this race, and state law and the state budget shape many of the costs district households pay.
Shery A. Olivo
Lists cost-of-living relief, alongside support for small businesses, among her campaign priorities.
The Ballot Brief — New York Assembly District 86 ↗Yudelka Tapia
In coverageSponsors a bill barring fees or surcharges for bank services tied to using state-issued electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which passed both houses in 2026, and a bill providing a host community benefit for customers in communities where data centers are built or expanded, which passed the Assembly in May 2026.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Sponsor of A3304 on electronic benefit transfer card fees; she voted yes when it passed the Assembly March 31, 2026, and it passed the Senate May 14, 2026. Sponsor of A9297 on a host community benefit for customers in communities where data centers are expanded or placed; it passed the Assembly 96-41 on May 18, 2026 with her yes vote.
Sponsor of A3304 and A9297; voted yes on both in the Assembly · 2026-03-31 to 2026-05-18 · A3304 passed the Assembly March 31, 2026 and the Senate May 14, 2026; A9297 passed the Assembly May 18, 2026
No public position yet from Diaz