Julia Salazar: Policy Positions
Julia Salazar identifies as a democratic socialist and has articulated a broad policy agenda centered on housing affordability, criminal justice reform, workers' rights, climate action, and reproductive autonomy. She has described democratic socialists as those who recognize capitalism as an inherently exploitative system and who work to replace it with a socialist economic model, distinguishing this orientation from progressivism, which she characterizes as offering reforms within the existing capitalist framework 1.
Housing represents Salazar's most prominent policy priority. She has championed tenant protections since her first campaign, calling for universal rent control in New York City and stronger statewide regulations on rent increases and evictions 1. Her signature legislative achievement in this area is the Good Cause Eviction law, which she sponsored beginning in 2019 and which was enacted in April 2024 . The law prohibits eviction without a legitimate reason, guarantees lease renewals, and allows tenants to challenge rent increases that exceed a threshold tied to the consumer price index . Salazar has advocated for the law to apply universally across New York State rather than being limited to New York City with an opt-in mechanism for other municipalities . She also played a central role in the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, a sweeping overhaul of New York's rent regulations 5. In 2022, she sponsored legislation to expand federal funding for the New York City Housing Authority and strengthen public housing governance 5.
On criminal justice, Salazar supports ending mass incarceration, reforming sentencing laws, and expanding alternatives to imprisonment . She has been a leading advocate for restricting the use of solitary confinement, sponsoring the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which limits segregated confinement in New York prisons and jails to 15 days and prohibits it entirely for vulnerable populations including youth, seniors, pregnant individuals, and those with disabilities . She has called for parole justice, including support for the Fair and Timely Parole Act and the Elder Parole Act, and has advocated for sentencing reform to create expanded pathways for release . She supported the 2019 reforms to pretrial discovery and bail and co-sponsored the New York State Dream Act . In 2025, she led the passage of the Prison Reform Omnibus Bill, which mandated surveillance cameras in correctional facilities, strengthened oversight of the state corrections system, and expanded the State Commission of Correction .
Salazar was the first state legislative candidate in New York to make the decriminalization of sex work a central campaign platform . She introduced the Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act, the first bill in New York history proposing full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work . Her platform on this issue includes ending police raids on massage parlors, repealing the exemption for sex workers under New York's rape shield law, working with district attorneys to stop prosecuting sex workers, and creating optional social services addressing housing, childcare, and job training . She has framed decriminalization as an issue at the intersection of criminal justice, labor rights, immigration, and LGBTQ advocacy .
On climate and energy policy, Salazar supports a rapid transition to publicly owned renewable energy. She co-sponsored the Build Public Renewables Act, enacted in 2023, which directs the New York Power Authority to assess the state's progress toward its climate targets and build enough publicly owned renewable energy to close any gaps 14. She has called for NYPA to build at least 15 gigawatts of new clean energy by 2030 and has criticized Governor Hochul's implementation of the law as insufficiently ambitious . Salazar has also supported the campaign against the North Brooklyn Pipeline and advocated for fossil fuel infrastructure phase-outs in her district 5.
In healthcare, Salazar supports Medicare for All and has advanced reproductive rights legislation. Her first bill to pass into law was the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act, requiring health insurers to cover all FDA-approved contraception without copays 5. She also co-chaired the 2019 Joint Legislative Hearings on Sexual Harassment, which led to reforms of the New York State Human Rights Law .
Salazar supports the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has co-sponsored the Green Light law, which grants access to New York State driver's licenses regardless of immigration status . She backs the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement regarding Israel, a position that has drawn both support and criticism 1. She has participated in protests calling for a ceasefire during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October 2023 16.
Overview
Julia Salazar identifies as a democratic socialist and has articulated a broad policy agenda centered on housing affordability, criminal justice reform, workers' rights, climate action, and reproductive autonomy. She has described democratic socialists as those who recognize capitalism as an inherently exploitative system and who work to replace it with a socialist economic model, distinguishing this orientation from progressivism, which she characterizes as offering reforms within the existing capitalist framework 1.
Housing represents Salazar's most prominent policy priority. She has championed tenant protections since her first campaign, calling for universal rent control in New York City and stronger statewide regulations on rent increases and evictions 1. Her signature legislative achievement in this area is the Good Cause Eviction law, which she sponsored beginning in 2019 and which was enacted in April 2024 . The law prohibits eviction without a legitimate reason, guarantees lease renewals, and allows tenants to challenge rent increases that exceed a threshold tied to the consumer price index . Salazar has advocated for the law to apply universally across New York State rather than being limited to New York City with an opt-in mechanism for other municipalities . She also played a central role in the passage of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, a sweeping overhaul of New York's rent regulations 5. In 2022, she sponsored legislation to expand federal funding for the New York City Housing Authority and strengthen public housing governance 5.
On criminal justice, Salazar supports ending mass incarceration, reforming sentencing laws, and expanding alternatives to imprisonment . She has been a leading advocate for restricting the use of solitary confinement, sponsoring the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which limits segregated confinement in New York prisons and jails to 15 days and prohibits it entirely for vulnerable populations including youth, seniors, pregnant individuals, and those with disabilities . She has called for parole justice, including support for the Fair and Timely Parole Act and the Elder Parole Act, and has advocated for sentencing reform to create expanded pathways for release . She supported the 2019 reforms to pretrial discovery and bail and co-sponsored the New York State Dream Act . In 2025, she led the passage of the Prison Reform Omnibus Bill, which mandated surveillance cameras in correctional facilities, strengthened oversight of the state corrections system, and expanded the State Commission of Correction .
Salazar was the first state legislative candidate in New York to make the decriminalization of sex work a central campaign platform . She introduced the Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act, the first bill in New York history proposing full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work . Her platform on this issue includes ending police raids on massage parlors, repealing the exemption for sex workers under New York's rape shield law, working with district attorneys to stop prosecuting sex workers, and creating optional social services addressing housing, childcare, and job training . She has framed decriminalization as an issue at the intersection of criminal justice, labor rights, immigration, and LGBTQ advocacy .
On climate and energy policy, Salazar supports a rapid transition to publicly owned renewable energy. She co-sponsored the Build Public Renewables Act, enacted in 2023, which directs the New York Power Authority to assess the state's progress toward its climate targets and build enough publicly owned renewable energy to close any gaps 14. She has called for NYPA to build at least 15 gigawatts of new clean energy by 2030 and has criticized Governor Hochul's implementation of the law as insufficiently ambitious . Salazar has also supported the campaign against the North Brooklyn Pipeline and advocated for fossil fuel infrastructure phase-outs in her district 5.
In healthcare, Salazar supports Medicare for All and has advanced reproductive rights legislation. Her first bill to pass into law was the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act, requiring health insurers to cover all FDA-approved contraception without copays 5. She also co-chaired the 2019 Joint Legislative Hearings on Sexual Harassment, which led to reforms of the New York State Human Rights Law .
Salazar supports the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has co-sponsored the Green Light law, which grants access to New York State driver's licenses regardless of immigration status . She backs the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement regarding Israel, a position that has drawn both support and criticism 1. She has participated in protests calling for a ceasefire during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October 2023 16.