| Jessica Ramos | |
| State Senate: | New York |
| District: | 13th |
| Term Start: | January 1, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | Jose Peralta |
| Birth Date: | 27 June 1985 |
| Birth Place: | Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Children: | 2 |
| Education: | Hofstra University (dropped out) |
| Website: | |
Jessica Ramos (born June 27, 1985) is an American politician from the state of New York. Ramos is a member of the Democratic Party.[1] Since 2019, she has served in the New York State Senate representing District 13, which currently includes the Queens neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights.[2] [3] [1]
Ramos was born at Elmhurst Hospital and raised in Queens, the daughter of Colombian immigrants. Exposed to civic life at an early age, Ramos participated in community activities with the Colombian immigrant community's local civic groups and later on as a Democratic district leader and community board member.[4] She graduated from the Academy of American Studies and attended Hofstra University before dropping out to work in the office of Hiram Monserrate.[5] [6]
Prior to entering the State Senate, Ramos worked in City Hall where she was initially a communications adviser and ultimately became director of Latino media from April 2016 to December 2017. In this role, Ramos was the city's top Latina spokeswoman and liaison to the Spanish-language press.[7] Before joining city government, Ramos was the communications director for Build Up NYC, an advocacy organization for construction, building, and maintenance workers. She has also done communications work with a local chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and a regional branch of the Service Employees International Union.[7]
Ramos has served on Queens Community Board 3, and she was a Queens County Democratic district leader from 2010 to 2014.[7]
In January 2018, Ramos announced her candidacy for New York State Senate, challenging Jose Peralta, a former member of the Independent Democratic Conference, in the Democratic Party primary election.[8] Ramos defeated Peralta[9] and won the general election.[10] She received a number of high-profile endorsements, including from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio,[11] the New York Times,[12] and Kirsten Gillibrand.[13]
In the Senate, Ramos is serving as the chair on the Committee on Labor.[14] In 2023, Ramos criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's proposals to ease housing construction in New York because not all local labor unions supported the proposals.[15] That same year, Ramos said she would not vote for a budget deal to ease housing construction unless it also enshrined "good cause eviction" tenant protections into law.[16]
She is opposed to building Metropolitan Park, an integrated resort next to Citi Field.[17]
Ramos was born in Elmhurst to an undocumented seamstress and a printing pressman. She was the first member of her immediate family to be born in America.[18] Ramos currently lives in Jackson Heights with her two sons.[19]
In 2019, Senator Ramos became housing co-tenants or roommates with fellow New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou while living in Albany, New York.[20]