General Election
U.S. House · New York - 12
Open NY-12 seat turns on contrasting federal policy plans
NY-12 is an open House seat with four candidates on the November 3 general-election ballot. Their campaign materials differ on federal approaches to affordability, housing, health care, immigration, public safety, oversight and Israel policy. FEC summaries through June 30 show different receipt totals, including candidate loans; this research pass identified no polls.
Issues
7 issues · 4 candidates · every claim sourced
Cost of living, taxes and wages
Central to the raceThe House Ways and Means Committee is the chamber's chief tax-writing committee, with jurisdiction over federal taxes, tariffs, trade agreements, and revenue-related Social Security and Medicare programs. A representative can vote on those laws and related credits, but household prices also reflect markets and executive implementation.
The data behind the debate
Poverty rate in New York's 12th District, New York State and the United States

Micah C. Lasher
Would repeal tax breaks for high-income households, restore social-safety-net funding, expand federal child-care investment, and raise the national minimum wage with inflation indexing.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Prime-sponsored A06629, the MEGA Corporations Act, which was referred to Ways and Means in March 2025 and again in January 2026; no enactment is shown in the Assembly record.
New York State Assemblymember and bill sponsor · 2025-03-06 · Referred to Ways and Means; no enactment is shown in the cited Assembly record.

Caroline Shinkle
Would reduce federal income taxes on W-2 wages, pursue balanced-budget amendments and zero-based budgeting, and lower living costs through increased energy production and targeted deregulation.
Caroline Shinkle for Congress — Priorities ↗
Wilneida Negron
Would target IRS enforcement at complex corporate and high-income returns, expand refundable tax credits for working families, require cost-of-living reviews for major economic bills, and crack down on junk fees and deceptive pricing.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — For All of Us agenda ↗No public position yet from Ortiz
Housing supply and affordability
Central to the raceThe House Financial Services Committee has jurisdiction over public and private housing and urban development, while House appropriators fund housing-related programs. Federal lawmakers can therefore shape housing supply, financing and rental assistance through legislation and appropriations.
The data behind the debate
Owner-occupied home values in New York's 12th District, New York State and the United States

Micah C. Lasher
Would expand federal housing tax credits and rental-assistance funding and use federal dollars to encourage pro-housing policies at the state and local levels.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Prime-sponsored A00799, a bill to create a housing-project revolving-loan program; the Assembly record shows referral to Housing in January 2025 and January 2026, with no floor votes.
New York State Assemblymember and bill sponsor · 2025-01-08 · Referred to Housing; no floor votes or enactment are shown in the cited Assembly record.

Caroline Shinkle
Would increase the supply of affordable housing by repurposing unused offices, streamlining permits, and supporting upzoning near transit; she also backs private ownership and incentives to increase supply.
Caroline Shinkle for Congress — Priorities ↗
Wilneida Negron
Would expand federal support for preserving affordable housing, convert underused commercial space into mixed-income workforce and senior housing, and tie broader rental assistance to current cost-of-living data.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — For All of Us agenda ↗No public position yet from Ortiz
Healthcare access and costs
Central to the raceHouse committees have jurisdiction over public health, research and health-care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid-related matters. A representative's leverage is through federal benefit rules, pricing legislation, appropriations and oversight of the agencies that administer them.

Micah C. Lasher
Supports Medicare for All or a comparable universal plan, stronger Affordable Care Act subsidies, more funding for community and mental-health services, and federal action to lower prescription-drug costs.
Lasher for Congress — Platform and Policies ↗
Caroline Shinkle
Would increase competition and price transparency in healthcare, pass the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act, and target fraud in health-insurance programs so public coverage reaches eligible patients.
Caroline Shinkle for Congress — Priorities ↗
Karen Ortiz
Supports Medicare for All with coverage for gender-affirming care, abortion, fertility treatment, vaccinations, and dental care; she says healthcare should be affordable, universal, and separate from employment.
Karen Ortiz for Congress — Top Policy Priorities ↗
Wilneida Negron
Would pursue all-payer rate setting and payment reform, expand Medicare drug-price negotiation and generic competition, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies with out-of-pocket caps, and build toward automatic enrollment in a public baseline plan.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — For All of Us agenda ↗Immigration and due process
Central to the raceCongress has broad constitutional authority over immigration, including rules governing whether foreign nationals may enter or remain in the United States. The House Judiciary immigration subcommittee covers immigration and naturalization, border security, refugees and non-border enforcement, so a representative can shape statutes, funding and oversight even though executive agencies carry out enforcement.
The data behind the debate
Foreign-born residents in New York's 12th District, New York State and the United States

Micah C. Lasher
Would abolish ICE and support federal legislation giving detained noncitizens due process, including access to lawyers and family members.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Cosponsored A03506B, the New York For All Act; the Assembly record shows referral to Codes followed by amendments and recommitments, with no enactment shown.
New York State Assemblymember and bill cosponsor · 2025-01-28 · Referred to Codes; amended and recommitted in 2025 and 2026; no enactment is shown in the cited Assembly record.

Karen Ortiz
Supports due process for everyone and would abolish ICE, arguing that the agency has repeatedly violated constitutional protections for people in immigration custody.
Karen Ortiz for Congress — Top Policy Priorities ↗
Wilneida Negron
Would expand legal pathways, increase immigration-court capacity and legal support, narrow ICE activity to serious threats, reduce detention, protect due process and counsel, and preserve sanctuary-city principles.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — For All of Us agenda ↗No public position yet from Shinkle
Public safety and civil liberties
Central to the raceThe House Judiciary crime subcommittee covers the federal criminal code, federal prosecutors, drug enforcement, sentencing, internal and homeland security, federal-law-enforcement surveillance and prisons. Congress can set federal rules and fund national programs, while most everyday policing remains outside a House member's direct control.

Micah C. Lasher
Would require universal background checks, restore the federal assault-weapons ban, support a national red-flag law, increase mental-health investment, oppose unwanted National Guard deployments, and support a federal Clean Slate Act.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Prime-sponsored A00825, which would require police agencies to give prosecutors access to electronic records for discovery; the Assembly record shows referral to Codes and no passage in the cited record.
New York State Assemblymember and bill sponsor · 2025-01-08 · Referred to Codes; no passage or enactment is shown in the cited Assembly record.

Caroline Shinkle
Would prioritize law enforcement and first responders, provide federal prosecutors resources to address retail theft, drug trafficking and subway assaults, expand mental-health programs, and use federal incentives to address homelessness.
Caroline Shinkle for Congress — Priorities ↗
Karen Ortiz
Would codify and enforce federal civil-rights protections for LGBTQIA+ people, homeless people, incarcerated people, and noncitizens, and says due process must apply to everyone.
Karen Ortiz for Congress — Top Policy Priorities ↗
Wilneida Negron
Would fund clinicians alongside or instead of police for mental-health crises, expand community violence intervention, improve transit safety without over-policing, and condition federal safety funds on use-of-force and racial-disparity reporting.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — First 100 Days Agenda ↗Congressional oversight and accountability
Central to the raceHouse committees consider legislation and oversee agencies, programs and activities within their jurisdictions, and the Oversight Committee describes its primary responsibility as oversight of virtually everything government does. The outcome affects investigations, transparency requirements and the use of appropriations and committee oversight to check executive action.

Karen Ortiz
Says Congress must impeach officials who violate their oaths of office, and vows to introduce Articles of Impeachment on her first day if elected.
Karen Ortiz for Congress — Top Policy Priorities ↗
Micah C. Lasher
Would use House oversight hearings to investigate ICE abuses, tariff costs, corruption, vaccine policy, and Justice Department conduct, and supports tighter dark-money regulation and aggressive oversight of pay-to-play and conflicts of interest.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Prime-sponsored A09092, establishing civil liability for constitutional-rights deprivations by federal officials; the Assembly record shows referral to Judiciary in September 2025 and January 2026, with no floor votes.
New York State Assemblymember and bill sponsor · 2025-09-12 · Referred to Judiciary; no floor votes or enactment are shown in the cited Assembly record.

Wilneida Negron
Would create a House accountability package using targeted investigations, subpoena power and appropriations restrictions; she also supports protecting inspectors general and whistleblowers, election-money transparency, and federal-contractor oversight.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — For All of Us agenda ↗No public position yet from Shinkle
Israel and U.S. foreign policy
Central to the raceCongress shapes U.S. assistance to Israel through authorizing and appropriations laws, and federal law includes congressional notification rules for proposed arms sales. A House member can vote on aid, arms and war-powers measures and conduct oversight, but cannot unilaterally set U.S. foreign policy.

Karen Ortiz
Would impose an arms embargo on Israel, end U.S. taxpayer funding for Israel, and reduce the military's global footprint while redirecting resources toward domestic needs.
Karen Ortiz for Congress — Top Policy Priorities ↗
Micah C. Lasher
Would strengthen U.S. alliances, require congressional authorization for military action, prioritize diplomacy and de-escalation, and treat force as a last resort with clear objectives and accountability.
Lasher for Congress — Platform and Policies ↗
Caroline Shinkle
Supports Israel and says the United States should stand with its allies; she favors a peace-through-strength approach, strategic economic diplomacy, and domestic innovation to counter adversaries.
Caroline Shinkle for Congress — Priorities ↗
Wilneida Negron
Would apply the Leahy Law to U.S. assistance to allies and adversaries, require individual votes on arms transfers with public end-use monitoring, and require Congress to authorize wars before they begin.
Wilneida Negrón for Congress — For All of Us agenda ↗