Experience and Qualifications
Assemblymember since 2021.
Community Involvement
I've been heavily involved in the Buffalo, Hamburg and Lackawanna communities since being elected to the NYS Assembly, and have immensely enjoyed getting to meet my neighbors and do great work in the process.
Education
SUNY Buffalo State
Campaign Instagram
@riverafornysenate
1. Strengthening New York’s working families and economy --
I will fight to raise wages, protect the right to organize, and ensure strong enforcement against wage theft and misclassification. That includes expanding access to good union jobs, supporting workforce development, and ensuring that economic growth translates into real opportunity for working people.
2. Addressing affordability -- especially housing and healthcare.
New Yorkers are being squeezed by rising costs. I will prioritize expanding affordable housing, protecting tenants from displacement, and investing in public and nonprofit housing. I also support strengthening access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, including mental health services.
3. Delivering accountable, effective government -- Good policy must lead to real results. I will focus on transparency, strong oversight, and ensuring that laws are properly implemented and enforced so that government works for the people it serves.
New York must continue to lead with an equity-focused climate agenda. That includes investing in renewable energy, modernizing our grid, and accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels while creating good-paying union jobs in the process.
I support large-scale investments in energy-efficient buildings, resilient infrastructure, and climate adaptation strategies, especially in communities most vulnerable to flooding, extreme heat, and environmental hazards. Expanding public transit and reducing emissions from transportation is also critical.
Equally important is ensuring a just transition. Workers and communities that have historically relied on fossil fuel industries must have pathways into new, family-sustaining jobs, with training, wage standards, and labor protections built in. Climate policy must reduce emissions while also reducing inequality.
Promoting social and racial justice requires sustained investment and systemic reform. I will focus on raising labor standards and strengthening enforcement of workplace protections, as workers of color are disproportionately impacted by wage theft, unsafe conditions, and misclassification.
I also support expanding affordable housing, fully funding public education, and increasing access to healthcare and mental health services, investments that are essential to closing long-standing disparities.
In the criminal justice system, I support reforms that reduce unnecessary incarceration, expand alternatives to arrest and detention, and strengthen accountability and transparency in policing. Public safety and racial justice go hand in hand, and both require investing in communities, not just enforcement.
Finally, I will continue to partner with community organizations and leaders to ensure policies are shaped by those most directly impacted.
This decision underscored the ongoing national importance of protecting fair representation and preventing racial discrimination in redistricting.
New York should continue to strengthen its own redistricting processes to ensure they are transparent, independent, and compliant with the Voting Rights Act and state constitutional protections. That includes safeguarding against racial and partisan gerrymandering and ensuring that communities of interest, particularly historically underrepresented communities, have a meaningful voice in how district lines are drawn.
I support efforts to enhance public input, improve data transparency, and ensure that any future redistricting cycles are guided by fairness, equity, and legal integrity.
Experience and Qualifications
Commissioner Erie County Board of Elections, Former Chief of Staff of the Erie County Legislature.
Community Involvement
Democratic Party Chairman
Education
Graduated from Buffalo State University
Party Endorsements
Democratic Party
Campaign Instagram
zellnerforsenate
Addressing the affordability crisis in our state, protecting voting rights and access for all voters and working to bring state funding back to the 61st Senate District
We must do a better job of protecting our natural resources and working to make alterative energy sources more accessible and affordable
I am also supporting various bills in the NYS Senate that propose stricter lead contamination standards and support the PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act.
I am supporting legislation like the Earned Time Act and other bills in the NYS Senate that ensure a more fair and equal system for all.
Using redistricting tactics to disenfranchise voters is simply wrong. Securing our elections and fighting for fair district lines in New York is a major priority of mine as a former Board of Elections Commissioner, I understand the importance of fair elections.
