Election Q&A: Meet NY-12 Candidate Wilneida Negron

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Independent candidate Wilneida Negron is running for Congress in District 12, which includes the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, Chelsea, NoMad, Flatiron and Union Square, in New York City's general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

In November, Negron will face off against Micah Lasher, the Democratic nominee, Caroline Shinkle, the Republican nominee, as well as Karen Ortiz, another independent candidate.

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Early voting runs Oct. 24–Nov. 1, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Ahead of the election, Patch posed several questions to Negron about her platform, priorities, experience, and district. See her replies below.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Patch has contacted the other candidates with the same questions and will post replies as they are received. None of what Negron said during this interview has been fact-checked.

PATCH: What neighborhood are you from?

NEGRON: Upper West Side. Mid-80s.

PATCH: What languages do you speak?

NEGRON: English, Spanish, Mandarin, and some Hebrew.

PATCH: What's your professional and educational background?

NEGRON: I'm a policy leader, researcher, and coalition builder with nearly two decades of experience working across government, technology, investment, and community advocacy. My work focuses on labor, AI, consumer protection, and public safety, helping turn research and people's experiences into policies that improve everyday life.

I lead two national working groups: one on public safety, defense, and AI, and another on work, labor markets, and technology. These bring together policymakers, researchers, unions, community leaders, advocates, and investigative journalists. I also founded the Future of Workers Initiative, co-founded the Startups & Society Initiative, and have advised founders, investors, and government leaders on responsible innovation. I'm the author of The Human Interface.

I hold a PhD in Comparative Politics, a Master of Public Administration, and an MPhil in International and Global Affairs. My academic research focused on emerging technologies in East Asia and Latin America.

PATCH: Renter or owner?

NEGRON: Renter.

PATCH: The cost of living in NYC is going up. What's your plan to make New York City more affordable?

NEGRON: Congress can't set rents, but it does control the biggest levers on what we pay. So, I would fight to:

• Build more homes. This means expanding the housing tax credit that both parties have backed for decades, and reward cities that allow more homes near transit.
• Fund vouchers for everyone who qualifies. Not all eligible families can access it, because its not paid for.
• I would explore ways to help renters build wealth. There are a few proven models already that let renters build savings while they pay rent. I would want to see how we can scale them or pilot them in NYC.
• Lastly, I would fight to help reduce other big costs that people are facing. That means looking at household expenses like child care, prescriptions, and health care. From the policy moves we've seen in the past year, Congress can bring those prices down.

PATCH: List two ways you plan to make New York City safer.

NEGRON: I started my career in jails and detention centers. I saw what happens when we only show up after the crisis. Real safety means getting there first.

To make the city safer, I would stop illegal guns at the source. Most guns used in crimes here are bought in other states and trafficked in. In 2022, Congress made gun trafficking a federal crime with votes from both parties. I'll make sure that law is enforced and funded. Second, I would fund what's proven to prevent violence. This might be surprising for people, but this includes things like summer jobs for young people (which has been found to cut violent-crime arrests by 43% in a Chicago study.) Better lighting in NYCHA developments cut nighttime crime by about a third. These solutions are cheap and they work. I'll fight to bring the money home to do these.

PATCH: What changes would you support to ICE's authority and funding, and how would those priorities guide your votes in Congress?

NEGRON: It's helpful to remember that Congress built today's ICE, and Congress can end it. In 2025, Congress handed ICE a $75 billion blank check, with $45 billion for new detention centers, including for families with children. People are dying in custody. That's not law enforcement. It's an agency no one is holding accountable.

I'd end ICE as it exists today, and I'd do it in three steps. First, I would stop the blank check. This means not one more dollar without real oversight, and bring the money Congress already gave back under its control. Second, I would split it up. I would fight to keep the work that fights human trafficking and child exploitation but separate it from a deportation machine that's terrorizing our communities. Finally, and probably most fundamental is that I would fight to rebuild it under the Constitution. This means judicial warrants, no masks, body cameras, and no raids at schools, hospitals, or houses of worship.

This shouldn't be partisan. Due process, limits on government power, and not wasting taxpayer money are values I think all Americans share.

PATCH: What type of relationship will you have with the Trump administration?

NEGRON: The same relationship any member of Congress owes any president: I'll be a check, not a rubber stamp.

When this administration attacks the courts, a free press, or the due process rights of our neighbors, I'll oppose it. I'll do that alongside House Democrats and any Republican willing to stand up for the Constitution. I'll use every oversight tool Congress has.

At the same time, opposition isn't a governing plan. Therefore, if there's a real chance to lower drug prices, rein in Big Tech monopolies, or protect kids online, I'll hold debates in the district to get consensus on how we can make and take the deal and at the same time, make sure constituents know clearly why.

PATCH: What sets you apart from the other candidate(s)?

NEGRON: I'm a policy innovator, not a career politician. I build policy from the ground up: I investigate what's happening to people, gather the evidence, and design solutions that work. I've done that on artificial intelligence, consumer protection, economic development, education, and public safety. I've advised federal agencies across two administrations.

Also, AI is reshaping our jobs, our prices, and our kids' futures. Congress needs people who already understand it and I have over 10 years of experience building the evidence-based research and policy frameworks.

FDR called for "bold, persistent experimentation." That's how I work. I'll follow the evidence, tell you honestly when something isn't working, and fix it.

Finally, I'm running as an independent, without corporate or SuperPAC money. I answer only to the people of this district.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.