{ "id": "ep5khmffcf", "slug": "catalina-cruz", "title": "Catalina Cruz", "updated": "2026-10-21", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.politics", "label": "Politics and government", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions", "label": "Government and public administration", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics.institutions" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders", "label": "Politicians and government officeholders (biographies)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders" }, { "id": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials", "label": "US governors and state officials", "api_url": 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"https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.northeastern-state-legislators" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.northeastern-state-legislators.alpha-c-to-e", "label": "Surnames C to E", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.northeastern-state-legislators.alpha-c-to-e" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Catalina Cruz is an American politician and attorney who has represented Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights in the New York State Assembly as a Democrat since 2019.", "snippet": "Catalina Cruz is an American politician and attorney who has represented Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights in the New York State Assembly as a Democrat since 2019.", "node": "society.politics.institutions.politicians_and_officeholders.us-governors-and-state-officials.state-legislators.northeastern-state-legislators.alpha-c-to-e", "markdown": "# Catalina Cruz\n\nCatalina Cruz is an American politician, a Democratic member of the [New York State Assembly](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-state-assembly) from the 39th district, representing Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and parts of Middle Village and Rego Park in Queens.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) She has served in the Assembly since 2019.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) Before taking office, she practiced housing law and held several positions in New York City and [State government](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-government).[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Party | Democratic[2](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Catalina-Cruz) |\n| Current office | Member, New York State Assembly, District 39[2](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Catalina-Cruz) |\n| Education | Bachelor's degree, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Juris Doctor, City University of New York School of Law[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) |\n\n## Party affiliation\n\nCruz is a Democrat.[2](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Catalina-Cruz) In September 2026, Capitol Pressroom described her as a Queens Democrat.[3](https://capitolpressroom.org/2026/09/18/assemblymember-cruz-discusses-criminal-justice-reforms/)\n\n## Early life and education\n\nCruz was born in Colombia and came to Queens at the age of 9. According to her official biography, she \"grew up as a DREAMer, living in the United States for more than 10 years as an undocumented American\". She was raised by a single mother who, as a mother of four children, worked long hours during the week as a nanny, cleaned offices at night, and sold tamales and empanadas at the soccer fields on the weekends.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) Cruz holds a bachelor's degree from the [John Jay College of Criminal Justice](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-jay-college-of-criminal-justice) and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from the [City University of New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-university-of-new-york)'s School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) She lives in Jackson Heights, Queens.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/)\n\n## Career\n\nBefore her election to the Assembly, Cruz practiced housing law and served in city and state government positions, including Chief of Staff to former Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Counsel to the City Council's Committee on [Immigration](https://www.edgepedia.org/immigration), and Director of the Governor's Exploited Workers Task Force. In those roles, she represented tenants in housing court, drafted legislation, and implemented initiatives to support women, protect workers, and champion small businesses.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/)\n\nCruz has represented District 39 in the New York State Assembly since 2019.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) Her official biography states that since taking office she has passed more than 20 new laws and helped secure funding for schools, hospitals, and libraries in her district through state budgets.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) Her district office emphasizes constituent services, helping constituents access legal services, small business support, unemployment insurance, health insurance, and pandemic assistance, and she conducts community events including back-to-school parties, community cleanups, and health and legal clinics.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) In September 2026, she discussed criminal justice reform bills on the Capitol Pressroom program.[3](https://capitolpressroom.org/2026/09/18/assemblymember-cruz-discusses-criminal-justice-reforms/)\n\n## Positions and legislative record\n\n### Tenant protections and workers' rights\n\nHer official biography describes Cruz as \"an experienced attorney and a leader for tenant protections, immigration reform and workers' rights\", and states that she has committed her career to ensuring that \"our workers, neighbors and families not only survive, but thrive\".[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) Before elected office, she represented tenants in housing court and drafted legislation as Director of the Governor's Exploited Workers Task Force and in other government positions.[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/)\n\n### Criminal justice reform\n\nIn September 2026, Cruz made the case for bills changing how to appeal evidence suppression decisions and providing flexible release plans for prisoners whose rehabilitation programs cannot be completed, according to Capitol Pressroom.[3](https://capitolpressroom.org/2026/09/18/assemblymember-cruz-discusses-criminal-justice-reforms/)\n\n### Health care, food insecurity, and aging\n\nHer official biography states that since taking office in 2019 she has passed more than 20 new laws \"to combat food insecurity, curtail the high cost of healthcare, protect aging New Yorkers and so much more\".[1](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/) In a September 2025 Q&A with PoliticsNY, when asked which piece of legislation she was most proud to have passed that legislative session, she discussed her legislative work for the district.[4](https://politicsny.com/2025/09/29/inside-government-with-politicsny-a-qa-with-assembly-member-catalina-cruz/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Catalina Cruz - Biography | New York State Assembly](https://www.nyassembly.gov/mem/Catalina-Cruz/bio/)\n2. [Catalina Cruz - Assembly District 39 | New York State Assembly](https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Catalina-Cruz)\n3. [Assemblymember Cruz discusses criminal justice reforms | Capitol Pressroom](https://capitolpressroom.org/2026/09/18/assemblymember-cruz-discusses-criminal-justice-reforms/)\n4. [Inside Government with PoliticsNY: A Q&A with Assembly Member Catalina Cruz](https://politicsny.com/2025/09/29/inside-government-with-politicsny-a-qa-with-assembly-member-catalina-cruz/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › US governors and state officials › State legislators › Northeastern state legislators › Surnames C to E*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Catalina Cruz\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Catalina Cruz](https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz](https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Catalina Cruz\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/catalina-cruz. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Catalina Cruz is an American politician and attorney who has represented Corona, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights in the New York State Assembly as a Democrat since 2019." }