Campaign Insiders is PoliticsNY’s latest Q&A series featuring candidates running for office in the 2026 New York primary election. This edition of Campaign Insiders features Yuh-Line Niou who is running to represent New York’s 27th Senate District. The 27th District covers neighborhoods across lower Manhattan from the Battery to 14th Street, including Battery Park City, Tribeca, Financial District, Chinatown, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, SoHo, NoHo, Greenwich Village, South Village, Two Bridges and the East Village.
What are the top three issues for your campaign?
- Affordability: Childcare & Housing: We need to address displacement in Lower Manhattan, and the status quo isn’t working.
- Standing up to Trump and ICE: We must protect our neighbors by passing NY for All.
- Taxing the ultra-wealthy: The income inequality gap in NYC has grown astronomically, and it is time for the ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations to pay their fair share.
Why did you decide to run for office?
As a lifelong anti-poverty advocate and community organizer, I’ve spent 17 years fighting for working families in state government. I’ve strengthened consumer protections, expanded affordable housing, protected immigrant communities and small businesses, and passed bold criminal justice reforms. I’m running to build on the historic 2019 tenant protections, address the affordability crisis, and deliver the funding our schools and housing deserve. New York needs unbought, unbossed leaders unafraid to put people over profit.
What do you believe is the top issue facing voters and how do you plan to address it if elected?
Affordability and displacement are serious issues for our residents that I plan to fight head-on. To prevent our residents from being priced out, I will support the creation of a Social Housing Development Authority, increase funding for NYCHA, and fight for truly affordable housing for SD27. In the State Senate, I will deliver on our Mayor’s promise of universal childcare by taxing the ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations in our state.
How does your background qualify you to hold office?
I have nearly two decades of state legislative experience. I served in the NYS Assembly as a staffer, and then as the representative for the state assemblymember for the 65th District for six years. In this role, I passed the 2019 tenant protections package, secured historic AAPI funding for our communities, in addition to taking on Donald Trump during his first term and Andrew Cuomo’s austerity budgets.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
The status quo isn’t working for New Yorkers. Establishment politicians aren’t fighting for us, all while many of us struggle to make ends meet and live in fear as our neighbors are kidnapped by ICE. We need representatives who fight for us, not Wall Street. Our list of endorsers includes the Working Families Party, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Brad Lander and more. We hope you join them in sending your fighter back to Albany.
From now until early voting, Campaign Insiders will be featuring candidates from select democratic primary races across the City & State. Be sure to check back to hear from a wide range of candidates from assembly, senate, and congressional races as well as the NYS comptroller race!
Early voting in NYC is June 13th-21st and Election Day is June 23rd. Check out the PoliticsNY Election Primer to see who will be on your ballot and don’t forget to vote this June!
