Ron Kim

Assemblymember Ron Kim represents New York’s 40th Assembly District in Queens, which includes Flushing, Whitestone, College Point, and Murray Hill. Ron’s first election in 2012 was groundbreaking, as he became the first Korean American ever elected to the New York State Legislature.

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Raised in Flushing, Assemblymember Kim is a lifelong public servant who is focused on protecting and growing the middle class. Whether it is improving our community’s health and safety, supporting our first responders, serving as a resource for our community’s seniors, or securing millions of dollars in funding for our local schools, parks, libraries, senior centers, police and fire stations, Assemblymember Kim has always put people before politics.

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Assemblymember Kim has taken a lead in the fight for housing affordability so middle-class New Yorkers aren’t priced out of their communities. He knows that it is critical that we develop sufficient middle-class housing, while keeping development in line with the character of our neighborhoods.

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Assemblymember Kim has also been a leading voice on fighting hate crimes targeting Jewish and Asian New Yorkers, and has put forth policy proposals including enhancing police patrols in transit centers, increasing funding for mental health services, and improving enforcement and prosecution of scammers who target the elderly.

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Currently serving his sixth term in office, Ron is now the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging where he has taken the leading role in the state regarding nursing home reform to ensure that all nursing home residents receive the care they deserve.

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Further, Assemblymember Kim is leading the Assembly’s efforts to protect and uplift New York’s older adults, which propelled him into the national spotlight when he blew the whistle on the COVID-19 nursing home scandal which jeopardized the health and safety of thousands of nursing home patients.

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By holding the state accountable, Assemblymember Kim is credited with restoring the rights of thousands of nursing home patients and helping victims’ families seek recourse in the courts. An independent review is slated for the current legislative session thanks to Assemblymember Kim’s tireless efforts. 

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Assemblymember Kim is an outspoken advocate whose legislative efforts have been widely covered in national media outlets for improving our health care system, aiding small businesses, standing up for immigrant workers, and even tackling a purse-snatcher just outside his district office, where he serves thousands of constituents per year on a range of issues just as diverse as the Borough of Queens.

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And to ensure a more economically fair New York, Assemblymember Kim has consistently called for an end to large subsidies for multinational corporations while advocating for long-term solutions to empower vulnerable workers.

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Assemblymember Kim has taught at Cornell University on regulating financial technologies, as well as at the New School on reforming the government’s use of public capital. He lives in Flushing with his wife, and their three daughters.