Adriano Espaillat
DemocratU.S. Representative, NY-13| Age | 71 (b. 1954-09-27) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2017-01-03 (~9 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Dominican-American; identifies as Afro-Latino |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Bishop Dubois High School (1974); B.S. in Political Science, Queens College, City University of New York (1978) |
| Prior occupation | Nonprofit/community-services administrator; Manhattan Court Services Coordinator for the NYC Criminal Justice Agency (1980-1988); Director, Washington Heights Victims Services Community Office (1992-1994); Director, Project Right Start (1994-1996) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic (foreign-born) |
| Languages | Spanish, English |
| Marital status | Married — Martha Madera |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Inwood, Manhattan, New York |
| Notable relatives | Descendant of Dominican political figures: great-grandfather Ulises Francisco Espaillat (former President of the Dominican Republic); great-great-great-grandfather Buenaventura Baez (19th-century Dominican President); Mario Fermin Cabral y Baez (Dominican Senate President). Reportedly related to former Dominican officials Antonio Guzman Fernandez and Danilo Medina. |
Pending research: openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2016 (U.S. House); first elected to public office 1996 (NY State Assembly) |
| Previous offices | New York State Assembly, District 72 (1997-2010) · New York State Senate, District 31 (2011-2016) |
| Committees | House Committee on Appropriations · Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch (Ranking Member) · Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies · House Committee on the Budget |
| Caucuses | Congressional Hispanic Caucus (Chair, 119th Congress) · Congressional Progressive Caucus · Latino-Jewish Caucus (Co-Chair) · Medicare for All Caucus · LGBT Equality Caucus · Congressional Ukraine Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Labor Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (since January 2025; first Black chair of the CHC) · Co-Chair, Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus · Ranking Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch (since 2023) |
| Ideology | Generally a progressive Democrat; member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Represents NY-13, one of the most Democratic districts in the country (Cook PVI roughly D+32). |
| Signature legislation | Advocacy and legislation expanding tenant protections and affordable housing (NY State legislature) · H.R.1124 (118th Congress) to abolish the federal death penalty · Sponsor of legislation honoring Roberto Clemente with a commemorative coin · Co-sponsor of Congressional Gold Medal legislation for the Harlem Hellfighters (enacted) |
Financial
Net worth: estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: SEIU Committee on Political Education (SEIU COPE) ($20,000 (Dec 2019-Nov 2024))
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC MUR 6956 — Campaign Contribution Limit Violation
The FEC opened Matter Under Review 6956 against Espaillat for Congress and its treasurer Rafael Lantigua for violating 52 U.S.C. § 30116(f), concerning federal campaign contribution limits. The matter was resolved through pre-probable cause conciliation: the FEC voted 5-1 to accept a conciliation agreement dated December 16, 2015, with each respondent paying a $5,000 civil penalty.
resolved — 2017 arrest (disorderly conduct) at Trump Tower DACA protest
On September 19, 2017, Espaillat was among several elected officials and activists arrested outside Trump Tower in Manhattan during a protest demanding renewal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He participated in a planned act of civil disobedience, sitting in the street and blocking traffic, and was charged with disorderly conduct (a violation, not a crime, under New York law). Reports indicate he received a desk appearance ticket and was released. Fellow members of Congress Luis Gutierrez and Raul Grijalva and NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito were also arrested. Included for completeness as a formal arrest/charge; it was a minor, planned act of political protest.
ongoing — Manhattan Democratic Party Internal Ethics Finding — Vote Manipulation in 2023 Party Election
The Manhattan Democratic Party's internal ethics committee found that Espaillat and three Assembly District 72 district leaders violated New York County Democratic Party rules through vote manipulation, improper check-in procedures, intimidation tactics, improper filling of vacancies, and obstruction of accountability mechanisms during an October 5, 2023 internal party election for the second-highest party position (Espaillat's faction failed to report 23 votes for the winning candidate Nico Minerva). The ethics panel approved its report in February 2025; party chair Keith Wright scheduled a committee vote on discipline options including a permanent ban, 10-year suspension, or seat dilution. Espaillat and three allies filed a petition in New York Supreme Court in March 2025 to block the vote. The final outcome of the disciplinary proceeding had not been publicly confirmed as of mid-2026.