David Orkin
David Orkin earned a bachelor's degree from Vassar College in 2013 and a law degree from the CUNY School of Law in 2022. Orkin's career experience includes working as an immigrant workers' rights attorney. Orkin has been affiliated with Make the Road NY, UAW Local 2320, and Democratic Socialists of America.
Campaign site
“My mother immigrated from Tijuana, and my father’s family has deep roots in the Jewish community in the U.S. As the son of a Mexican immigrant from the border region, I spent two years organizing against the militarization of the Arizona-Mexico border and for humanitarian aid along the Mexico-Guatemala border.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection (2026)) “In recent years, I’ve worked as an immigrant workers’ rights attorney at Make the Road NY, winning hundreds of thousands of dollars in claims representing clients facing wage theft and abuse from bad bosses. Through this work, I’ve built deep ties to immigrant communities in AD-38, where many of my clients live and work.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection (2026)) “TAX THE RICH FOR AFFORDABILITY. We live in the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in history, yet working people in Queens are being squeezed by a cost-of-living crisis.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection (2026))Ruben Cruz II
Republican (Queens United)
Ruben Cruz II earned a high school diploma from Richmond Hill High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from City University of New York, Queens College, in 1999. His career experience includes being a small business owner.
Campaign site
“I am a professional business owner and the Founding Director of a firm that has provided health, wellness, and arts and culture programming across New York City since 2006.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection (2026)) “A Record of Results Over Rhetoric For 15 years, I haven't just talked about community needs; I’ve built the systems to meet them. As a professional business owner and the Founding Director of a firm providing health and wellness programming since 2006, I have the technical experience to fix what is broken in our district.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection (2026)) “Restoring Infrastructure and Economic Integrity Our "castles" and our commutes are under siege by neglect and predatory fees. As your representative, I will audit the MTA to bridge the "meteor-sized holes" in our transit desert between Woodside and Woodhaven with reliable, eco-friendly bus service.”
(Ballotpedia Candidate Connection (2026))