Alessandra Biaggi

Alessandra Rose Biaggi (born May 20, 1986) is an American politician from the state of New York. A progressive Democrat, Biaggi served as a member of the New York State Senate from 2019 to 2022, where she represented New York's 34th State Senate district.

Biaggi was first elected to the State Senate in 2018 after she upset longtime Senator Jeffrey D. Klein in a Democratic primary. She chaired the New York State Senate Committee on Ethics and Internal Governance. Biaggi is notable for her advocacy for survivors of sexual misconduct.

In 2022, Biaggi ran for Congress in New York's 17th congressional district. She was defeated by incumbent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in the Democratic primary. Biaggi is the granddaughter of former U.S. Congressman Mario Biaggi.

Early life and education Biaggi was born in Mount Vernon, New York, and is Italian-American. Her great-grandparents had immigrated to the United States from Italy, and she is the fourth generation of her family to live in her district. Biaggi's grandfather, Mario Biaggi, served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York from 1969 to 1988. When she was a child, she was sexually abused for over a year.

Biaggi graduated from Pelham Memorial High School ('04), where she was a cheerleader. In 2008, she graduated from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. Biaggi then attended St. John's University School of Law.

Career Early years Biaggi interned in the office of U.S. Congressman Joseph Crowley after college, and while in law school with the Brooklyn District Attorney Rackets Bureau and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York Public Corruption and Appellate Bureaus. She then worked from 2014 to 2015 at her first job as a lawyer, as Assistant General Counsel for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office of Storm Recovery.

For a seven-month period in 2017, Biaggi worked in the executive chamber under Governor Andrew Cuomo.

New York State Senate (2019–2022) Campaigns

A progressive Democrat, Klein outspent Biaggi by a rate of 9-to-1, spending $2.7 million to her $333,000. Biaggi said: "The more people told me I couldn’t win, the more obsessed I became." She remarked: "It was a tough fight. And, I should also say, we should thank [Senator Klein] for his service. But his time is up." Biaggi's victory was attributed by some to anger with the former members of the Independent Democratic Conference.

As New York's electoral fusion laws allow candidates to appear on multiple ballot lines in an election, Klein still appeared in the November 6, 2018, general election on the third-party Independence Party of New York ballot line. On November 6, 2018, Biaggi defeated Klein and Republican Richard Ribustello and was elected to the New York State Senate. At 32 years of age, she became one of the youngest women ever elected to the New York State Senate.

In 2020, Biaggi was re-elected to the Senate with 74% of the vote.

Tenure Biaggi served as chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Internal Governance. She led the first public hearings in the New York State Senate on workplace sexual harassment in 27 years, and fought for tougher sexual harassment laws. Among other things, the bills reduced employers' ability to avoid liability for their employees' behavior, provided for attorney fees and punitive damages, and lengthened the time frame within which to file complaints.

In February 2021, Biaggi wrote on Twitter: "@NYGovCuomo, you are a monster, and it is time for you to go. Now." At the time, her call for his resignation was what The New York Times described as: "something of an outlier in the Democrat-controlled Legislature."

In May 2021 journalist Matthew Kassel opined: "Biaggi ... has gained a reputation, on her own merits, as an upstate force — an influential lawmaker with a growing list of legislative accomplishments who has carved out a space for herself as an outspoken and independent voice in Albany’s cutthroat political sphere."

On September 24, 2021, Biaggi co-wrote a letter to US Senator Maria Cantwell with eight other New York State Senators, requesting that the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation engage in oversight of the United States Center for SafeSport, and step in to ensure that SafeSport is adequately conducting investigations. They referred to what they called SafeSport's failure to carry out impartial and thorough investigations, and ensure the safety of athletes it is charged with protecting.

In 2022, Biaggi received criticism over her treatment of her staff.

2022 congressional campaign

In February 2022, Biaggi announced her candidacy for New York's 3rd congressional district after incumbent Democratic Rep. Thomas Suozzi announced his candidacy for governor of New York. After court-ordered redistricting removed Westchester County and the Bronx from the 3rd congressional district, Biaggi ended her candidacy there.

On June 7, 2022, Biaggi announced that she would be running for New York's 17th congressional district in a primary challenge against DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney. Upon her announcement, she was endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On August 23, 2022, Biaggi lost to Maloney in the primary election.

Recognition In 2019, Crain's New York Business named Biaggi to its annual "40 Under 40" list.

In June 2021, she was named to the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center annual 40 Under 40: The Rising Stars in NYC Food Policy. She was noted for working "to transform and improve the food system." In November 2021, Biaggi was named to the City & State New York "Women 100", as one of the prominent women wielding power in New York State. She was noted especially for having long pushed for legislation addressing sexual assault and sexual abuse.

In 2025, Biaggi obtained a master of religion and public life degree at Harvard Divinity School.