Luis R. Sepúlveda


Luis R. Sepúlveda is an American attorney and politician who serves as the New York State Senator from the 32nd Senate District in the Bronx, New York.

Early life and education

Sepúlveda was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the natural sciences in 1988. Sepúlveda later attended the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra on a full scholarship, obtaining his law degree in 1991.

Career

In 2010, Sepúlveda made his first run for public office, losing a bid for the New York State Assembly to incumbent Peter M. Rivera in the Democratic primary. Two years later, Rivera retired and Sepúlveda was elected as his successor. He would be re-elected twice more.
Sepúlveda has a history of endorsing populist progressive candidates. Sepúlveda was the first member of the Assembly to endorse future New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in the 2013 New York City Mayoral primary elections as well as the first Assembly member to endorse de Blasio in his 2017 reelection campaign.
However, in 2018, Sepúlveda supported incumbent state senator Martin Malave Dilan against a primary challenge from Julia Salazar, a community organizer endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, and endorsed former Independent Democratic Conference leader Jeffrey D. Klein against challenger Alessandra Biaggi.
He was one of the few New York State politicians to back Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Primary over former New York State Senator Hillary Clinton. He endorsed Sanders again for the 2020 Primary.

New York State Assembly

While in the Assembly from 2013 to 2018, Sepúlveda served on the Assembly's Committees on Aging, Agriculture, Banks, Correction, Mental Hygiene, and Housing. Sepúlveda also serves as the chair of the Subcommittee on Transitional Services, dealing with post-incarceration issues.

New York State Senate

In 2017, longtime Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. opted to run for the New York City Council, and won. A special election was announced to replace him, and Sepúlveda announced his candidacy on December 18, 2017. Sepúlveda would easily win the endorsement of the county Democratic party, and in the overwhelmingly Democratic district, easily won the special election.
Sepúlveda was elected to a full term in 2018 unopposed. In the Senate, he is serving as Chairman of the Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee. Sepulveda sponsored the New York State Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, also known as the "Green Light" bill.