Incumbent
Karines Reyes
Member of the New York State Assembly for District 87; won the seat on Nov. 6, 2018 and re-election in 2020, 2022 and 2024, when she received 99.2% of the vote
Focus: Health care
New York Working Families Party
General Election
ELECTION WAS NOV 3
NY Assembly · Assembly District 87
Primary rival Choudhury, now on the People First line, faces Reyes again
Karines Reyes, first elected in 2018, beat Zakir Choudhury 71.6% to 28.1% in the June 23 Democratic primary; he is now on the People First line. Zenobia Merced-Bonilla, who ran for City Council in 2025, is on the Conservative line.
Candidates
Zakir Choudhury
Licensed certified public accountant; describes himself as a financial professional and community organizer
Public safety — Supports expanding community-based policing to strengthen neighborhood relationships, violence-interruption and prevention programs for at-risk youth, and investment in mental-health response teams and crisis intervention services.
No endorsements beyond the People First ballot line were found as of Sept. 30, 2026.
ZM
Zenobia Merced-Bonilla
Bronx native
No endorsements beyond the Conservative Party ballot line were found as of Sept. 30, 2026.
▸ Your ballot — State Assembly Member - District 87
Fill in one oval. Change it anytime.
Issues
Health care costs, coverage and medical decisions
The Medical Aid in Dying Act became state law in February 2026. At issue is what else the state does to lower health care and prescription drug costs and widen access to care.
Supports lowering prescription drug costs and expanding access to child care and maternal health care.
Zakir Choudhury campaign website — AboutPolicing and public safety
Policing rules and criminal law are set by state law, and a bill that passes both houses can still be vetoed by the governor, as a 2025 bill on police radio was. At issue is how much the state invests in prevention and community-based programs and how open it makes police operations to the public.
Supports expanding community-based policing to strengthen neighborhood relationships, violence-interruption and prevention programs for at-risk youth, and investment in mental-health response teams and crisis intervention services.
Zakir Choudhury campaign website — AboutWages and workplace protections
State law sets workplace rules, such as the 2024 requirement that retail employers have programs to prevent workplace violence. At issue is how far the state goes in adding worker protections and pay rules.
Supports enforcing equal pay and workplace protections, and backs union jobs and fair wages.
Zakir Choudhury campaign website — AboutThe money
Cycle-to-date · NYS Board of Elections — figures change as new reports are filed.
Reyes$202K
Choudhury$47K
Researched & verified Sep 30, 2026. Compiled from verified public sources; claims that failed verification are excluded.
How to read our research & coverage