Adriano Espaillat facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Espaillat and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Quick facts for kids Adriano Espaillat


Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Nanette Barragán
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Charles Rangel
Member of the New York State Senate from the 31st district
In office January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2016
Preceded by	Eric Schneiderman
Succeeded by	Marisol Alcantara
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 72nd district
In office January 1, 1997 – December 31, 2010
Preceded by	John Brian Murtaugh
Succeeded by	Guillermo Linares

Personal details
Born	Adriano de Jesús Espaillat Rodríguez (1954-09-27) September 27, 1954 (age 70) Santiago, Dominican Republic
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Martha Madera (m. 1979)
Children	2
Relatives	Buenaventura Báez (third-great-grandfather) Marcos Antonio Cabral (second-great-grandfather) Mario Fermín Cabral y Báez (great-grandfather)
Education	Queens College (BS)
Website

Adriano de Jesús Espaillat Rodríguez (born September 27, 1954) is a politician from the Dominican Republic and the United States. He has been a U.S. Representative for New York's 13th district since 2017. He is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. Congress. He is also the first person who was once an undocumented immigrant to serve there. Before joining Congress, he served in the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly.

Espaillat is a member of the Democratic Party. He ran for Congress against Charles Rangel in 2012 and 2014. He finally won the Democratic nomination in 2016 after Rangel decided to retire. His district is one of the most Democratic areas in the country.

Early Life and Education

Adriano Espaillat was born on September 27, 1954, in Santiago, Dominican Republic. His parents were Melba (née Rodríguez) and Ulises Espaillat. His father was named after a 19th-century Dominican president.

In 1964, his family moved to the United States. They stayed longer than their tourist visa allowed. In 1965, they became lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders).

Espaillat grew up in Washington Heights, New York. He finished Bishop Dubois High School in 1974. In 1978, he earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in political science from Queens College, City University of New York.

Personal Life

Espaillat lives in Inwood, Manhattan. He is married to Martha Madera, whom he wed in 1979. They have two children, and he is a grandfather. He is a fan of the New York Yankees baseball team. Espaillat is a Catholic.

Earlier Career

Before becoming a politician, Espaillat worked in different community roles. He was the Manhattan Court Services Coordinator for the New York City Criminal Justice Agency. This group helps people who cannot afford legal services. He also worked as a mediator, helping to solve conflicts in the community.

Later, he became the director of the Washington Heights Victims Services Community Office. This organization offers support to families affected by crimes. From 1994 to 1996, he directed Project Right Start. This project aimed to prevent substance abuse by educating parents of young children.

Espaillat was also active on Manhattan Community Board 12. He was president of the 34th Precinct Community Council. He also advised Governor Mario Cuomo on Dominican-American issues from 1991 to 1993.

New York State Assembly

Espaillat served in the New York State Assembly from 1997 to 2010. He was first elected in 1996. During his time, he led the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus. He also chaired committees focused on small businesses and families.

In the Assembly, Espaillat worked hard for tenants, consumers, veterans, immigrants, and local businesses. He helped pass laws to build and protect affordable housing. He also supported laws to improve hospital translation services. He created a scholarship fund for families of victims of American Airlines Flight 587. He also supported allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses.

After many attacks on livery cab drivers in 2000, Espaillat helped pass laws to increase penalties for such crimes. These laws also helped victims' families get financial support. He also took legal action against Con Edison after a power outage in 1999. This led to the company investing more money in the area's electrical system.

New York State Senate

Espaillat became a New York State Senator in 2011 and served until 2016.

Elections for State Senate

In 2010, Espaillat ran for the State Senate. He won with over 50% of the vote. In 2012, he won reelection against Assemblyman Guillermo Linares. He was reelected again in 2014, winning against former city councilman Robert Jackson.

Key Actions in the State Senate

In 2011, Espaillat worked to protect rent regulations for over a million affordable apartments. He helped make it harder to turn affordable housing into more expensive market-rate housing. He also helped create a new Tenant Protection Unit.

Espaillat also passed laws to stop businesses from selling alcohol to minors. He wrote the Notary Public Advertising Act to prevent notaries from tricking immigrants with fake legal services. He also voted in favor of marriage equality in 2011.

U.S. House of Representatives

Adriano Espaillat has been a U.S. Representative since January 3, 2017.

Elections for U.S. House

2012 and 2014 Campaigns

In 2012, Espaillat ran for Congress in New York's 13th district. He faced Charles Rangel, who had held the seat for 42 years. The district had recently been redrawn to have more Hispanic voters. Espaillat lost by a small number of votes. He ran against Rangel again in 2014 but lost a second time.

2016 Victory

In November 2015, Espaillat announced he would run for Congress again. This time, the seat was open because Charles Rangel was retiring. Espaillat won the Democratic primary in 2016. He then easily won the general election with 89% of the vote. When he took office, he became only the third person to represent this district in 72 years.

Recent Elections

In 2018, Espaillat won his second term, getting 94.6% of the votes.
In 2020, he won his third term with 90.8% of the votes.
In 2022, he won his fourth term without any opponents.
In 2024, he won his fifth term, receiving 83.5% of the votes.

Work in Congress

Espaillat with President Joe Biden and Tom Suozzi in 2021

Espaillat is a member of several important committees in Congress. These include the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the Committee on Small Business. He is also part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). In November 2024, he was elected as the first Black chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

In August 2017, after a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Espaillat and another representative suggested a law to ban Confederate monuments on federal land.

He has spoken out against Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro. In 2019, he and other lawmakers wrote a letter expressing concern about Bolsonaro's policies affecting minority groups and activists.

In January 2023, Espaillat introduced a resolution to condemn the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This resolution also aimed to support reproductive rights and judicial reform. In February 2023, he became the top Democrat on the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. That same month, he introduced a bill to end the death penalty under federal law.

Espaillat has worked to build a group of Dominican American elected officials in his district. This group is sometimes called "The Squadriano." He is also a member of the Vote Blue Coalition, which supports Democrats in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Committee Assignments

Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Committee on the Budget

Caucus Leadership and Memberships

Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Deputy Chair
Latino-Jewish Caucus, Co-Chair
Congressional Progressive Caucus
LGBT Equality Caucus
Black Maternal Health Caucus
Medicare for All Caucus
Friends of the Dominican Republic Caucus

Political Views

Guns

In March 2021, Espaillat and Representative Brad Schneider suggested new laws to control privately made firearms. This was part of an effort to reduce gun violence.

Immigration

Espaillat visited an immigration center in Texas. He believes the U.S. needs to do better at connecting migrant children with their families. As the first former undocumented immigrant in Congress, he strongly supports the American Dream and Promise Act. This act aims to help young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

Israel

Espaillat supports Israel's right to defend itself. In 2019, he supported a law against the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement targeting Israel. However, in August 2019, he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for denying entry to two U.S. Representatives. In 2023, he voted to provide support to Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

Syria

In 2023, Espaillat was among the Democrats who voted to direct President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Espaillat was one of the 46 Democrats who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.

Images for kids

Adriano Espaillat's office on Columbus Avenue.
Adriano Espaillat in 2014.