Nydia M. Velazquez

Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez is currently serving as Representative for New York’s 7th Congressional District. In the 117th Congress, she is the Chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, a senior member of the Financial Services Committee and a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

She has made history several times during her tenure in Congress. In 1992, she was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In February 1998, she was named Ranking Democratic Member of the House Small Business Committee, making her the first Hispanic woman to serve as Ranking Member of a full House committee. Most recently, in 2006, she was named Chairwoman of the House Small Business Committee, making her the first Latina to chair a full Congressional committee.

Given these achievements, her roots are humble. She was born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico - a small town of sugar-cane fields - in 1953, and was one of nine children. Velázquez started school early, skipped several grades, and became the first person in her family to receive a college diploma. At the age of 16, she entered the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras. She graduated magna cum laude in 1974 with a degree in political science. After earning a master’s degree on scholarship from N.Y.U., Velázquez taught Puerto Rican studies at CUNY’s Hunter College in 1981.

But her passion for politics soon took hold. In 1983, Velázquez was appointed Special Assistant to Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn). One year later, she became the first Latina appointed to serve on the New York City Council.

By 1986, Velázquez served as the Director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States. During that time, she initiated one of the most successful Latino empowerment programs in the nation’s history - “Atrevete” (Dare to Go for It!).

In 1992, after months of running a grassroots political campaign, Velázquez was elected to the House of Representatives to represent New York’s 7th District. Her district includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Encompassing many diverse neighborhoods, it is home to a large Latino population, Jewish communities, and parts of Chinatown.

As a fighter for equal rights of the underrepresented and a proponent of economic opportunity for the working class and poor, Congresswoman Velázquez combines sensibility and compassion, as she works to encourage economic development, protect community health and the environment, combat crime and worker abuses, and secure access to affordable housing, quality education and health care for all New York City families.

As the top Democrat on the House Small Business Committee, which oversees federal programs and contracts totaling $200 billion annually, Congresswoman Velázquez has been a vocal advocate of American small business and entrepreneurship. She has established numerous small business legislative priorities, encompassing the areas of tax, regulations, access to capital, federal contracting opportunities, trade, technology, health care and pension reform, among others. Congresswoman Velázquez was named as the inaugural “Woman of the Year” by Hispanic Business Magazine in recognition of her national influence in both the political and business sectors and for her longtime support of minority enterprise.

Congresswoman Velázquez can often be found close to home, working for the residents of her district.

Velázquez on Decision to Not Seek Re-election in 2026

For more than three decades, I have had the privilege of a lifetime serving the people of New York City in the United States Congress. After much reflection, I have decided that this will be my last term in Congress. This was not an easy decision, but I believe that the time is right for me to move on and for a new generation of leaders to step forward.

I grew up in a small town of sugar cane fields in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. My family did not have much. Nine children in a wooden house. Politics in Washington felt a world away. If you had told that little girl she would one day be the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, she would never have believed it.

As a teenager, I came to New York to pursue a master’s degree, and this city changed my life forever. New York took me in, welcomed me, and presented opportunities I never thought possible. I fell in love with its energy and with the people who make this city what it is. In New York, I found my voice, discovered my purpose, and dedicated myself to the fight for justice and opportunity. There is truly no city like it in the world.

I first ran in 1993, because I believed the voices of my community, immigrants, workers, families struggling to get by, were not being heard. I made history that year as the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, representing a newly drawn district that finally reflected the people who lived in it. Back then, there were only three Latinas in the House. One of the greatest honors of my career has been helping open the doors for those who came after us.

Over 33 years, I have poured my heart into this work and am proud of all we have achieved together. I became the first Latina to chair a full committee in Congress, and as the top Democrat on the Small Business Committee, I worked to expand access to capital and open doors in the federal marketplace for women, minorities, and veterans. One of my proudest accomplishments was creating the Women-Owned Small Business contracting program, which became law in 2001 and has helped thousands of women entrepreneurs get ahead.

As Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I worked with President Obama to confirm Justice Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latina on the Supreme Court. I helped craft major reforms after the Great Recession and led efforts to support small businesses during COVID.

I have fought for a more humane immigration system that treats people with dignity. When the Muslim Ban was announced in 2017, I joined Congressman Jerry Nadler at JFK to help free two detained travelers. Moments like that remind me why I entered public service.

I have always sought to be a consistent voice for peace in Washington. I was proud of my opposition to the War in Iraq and other interventions during the Global War on Terror. In 2023, I was one of 13 House members to call for an immediate ceasefire in the horrific war in Gaza.

I have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in New York to clean up our environment, improve transportation, and support public housing residents. And throughout my career, I have championed Puerto Rico’s right to self-determination, including passage of the Puerto Rico Status Act in 2022.

There is still so much work to be done, and I feel the urgency of this moment every day. Our country faces crises on multiple fronts. Every day the Trump administration is working to undermine civil rights and our democracy. At the same time, the American Dream is slipping further away for working people as wealth inequality worsens and life becomes less affordable. But I believe in the resiliency of the American people and the ability of a new generation of leaders who are ready for these great challenges. New York’s recent mayoral election showed that Americans are hungry for change and determined to build a better future. My district is home to so many dedicated elected officials, community leaders, and activists, and I have complete confidence that NY-7 will remain in good hands.

I want to express deep gratitude to my family, my friends, and the dedicated staff who have stood with me every step of the way. None of my accomplishments over the course of my career were possible without your support. Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and pushing me to be better.

I do not yet know what the next chapter holds, but I know I will continue fighting for the city I love and for an end to Puerto Rico’s colonial status. Serving New York has been the honor of my life. I will always be grateful for the trust my constituents placed in me over all these years.