Nydia Velázquez

Nydia Margarita Velázquez was born on March 28, 1953. She is an American politician and has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 7th congressional district since 2013. Before that, she represented New York's 12th congressional district from 1993 to 2013. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Velázquez made history as the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress. She also chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus from 2009 to 2011, working to support Hispanic communities in the United States.

On November 20, 2025, Velázquez announced that she would not run for re-election in 2026. Her long career in Congress has focused on representing her constituents and advocating for important issues.

Early life, education and career

Nydia Velázquez was born on March 28, 1953, in a small town called Limones in Puerto Rico. She grew up in a little house with eight brothers and sisters. Her dad worked hard in the sugarcane fields and later became an activist who helped start a local political group.

Velázquez was very smart in school and skipped three grades. She was the first in her family to finish high school. At just 16 years old, she started college at the University of Puerto Rico. She graduated with honors and became a teacher. Later, she earned another degree from New York University and taught political science at different colleges.

Political career

Nydia Velázquez began her career in 1983 as a special assistant to Representative Edolphus Towns. In 1984, she became the first Hispanic woman to serve on the New York City Council. Though she lost an election in 1986, she continued her work in public service.

Velázquez started a program called Atrévete Con Tu Voto to help Latino communities by encouraging people to vote. This program grew from New York to other cities like Hartford, New Jersey, Chicago, and Boston.

She also worked hard to protect the rights of Puerto Rican people. She led efforts to stop the United States military from using the island of Vieques for testing bombs. After many efforts, including peaceful protests, the military stopped using Vieques for this purpose in 2003.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1992

Nydia Velázquez ran for Congress in the 1992 election in New York's newly drawn 12th congressional district. She won the Democratic primary, defeating an incumbent who was affected by the House banking scandal.

2010

Velázquez's 2010 campaign raised $759,359 but ended with about $7,736 in debt. Her top supporters included Goldman Sachs, the American Bankers Association, the National Roofing Contractors Association, and the National Telephone Cooperative Association.

2012

After redistricting, Velázquez ran in the 7th congressional district and won the Democratic nomination. Her top supporters included Goldman Sachs, the American Bankers Association, and the Independent Community Bankers of America.

Tenure

Velázquez voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 in 2008 and was elected to lead the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She was considered for the United States Senate after Senator Hillary Clinton left to become secretary of state.

Velázquez has achieved several "firsts," including being the first Hispanic woman on the New York City Council, the first Puerto Rican woman in Congress, and the first woman to chair the United States House Committee on Small Business. She voted with President Joe Biden 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.

In September 2024, Velázquez introduced a bill called the "Mel Law" to give degrees to students who pass away before finishing their studies. In April 2024, she and nearly 20 other congresspeople voted against military aid to Israel.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
  • Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity
• Committee on Small Business (Ranking Member)
• Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis

Caucus memberships

• Black Maternal Health Caucus
• Congressional Equality Caucus
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Women's Issues Caucus
• Urban Caucus
• House Baltic Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus
• Medicare for All Caucus
• Blue Collar Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus
• United States–China Working Group

Velázquez was formerly a member of the Congressional Out of Iraq Caucus.

Electoral history

Main article: Electoral history of Nydia Velázquez

Nydia Velázquez has been elected to represent parts of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives many times. She started representing the 12th district in 1993 and moved to the 7th district in 2013 after the districts were redrawn. She has been active in helping people and working with groups that support Hispanic communities.

Personal life

Nydia Velázquez married Paul Bader, a printer from Brooklyn, in 2000. This was her second marriage. In 2002, Bader was hired for a job by a city official, which caused some discussion. By 2010, Velázquez and Bader were getting divorced.

During her first campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, some of Velázquez’s private health information was shared without her permission. She spoke openly about facing tough times and how she got help to feel better. She asked officials to look into why her information was shared.

Velázquez follows the Catholic tradition.