Veronica Gonzalez Runs for Manhattan Assembly Seat on Republican Line

It’s been over two decades since a Republican won a state legislative seat in Manhattan, and Veronica Gonzalez, who has lived in her Manhattan neighborhood for over 20 years, seeks to change that.

The community advocate and business owner is running for the 74th Assembly District seat, currently held by Democrat Keith Powers, who is running for reelection as the Democratic nominee. She has secured the Republican and Conservative Party lines, meaning she does not face a primary fight on June 23rd.

Gonzales is running on a platform centered around relief for small businesses and homeowners burdened by taxes and regulations, and heightened public safety measures. She has also called for repealing congestion pricing, passing e-bike safety legislation, and protecting public housing residents from privatization.

Gonzalez acknowledged that she is running uphill. Democrats have dominated the state legislature for decades, and when asked whether a Republican can realistically win a district so blue, Gonzalez said “I want to break that cycle and open doors for future Republican candidates.”

Her pitch to Democrat constituents is to “look past the party labels,” and focus on individual candidates.

“I want people to weigh the situation—what makes the difference between me and Keith Powers?” she said.

Gonzalez is running for the first time, and said the persistent and unsolved issues in her own neighborhood are what finally pushed her to step forward after years of politically advocating behind the scenes.

“I’ve seen the frustrations from people,” she said. “I wanted to put the action behind it.”

Gonzalez told Our Town about concerns regarding affordability from constituents and neighbors who feel say they feel unheard by those intended to represent them. She described a district where residents in public housing wait years for basic repairs, where drug addiction goes untreated on the streets, and where small businesses struggle under the weight of rising costs and indifferent leadership.

“The cost of living is expensive and nothing has been done about it— no initiatives from the Democratic Party to get it corrected,” she said.

If elected, Gonzalez said her first priority would be increased public safety measures, including a more expansive police presence, increased surveillance, and tougher consequences for repeat offenders. Gonzalez is passionate about tackling cashless bail, arguing that repeat criminals face too few consequences under the current system.

Beyond policy, Gonzalez told Our Town that this race is about proving that a community who’s felt overlooked for decades finally has a candidate willing to fight for them, regardless of party affiliation.

“Even though I’m a Republican, we are just like everybody else,” she said. “We want action, and we want things taken care of at the right time.”