My Bio
Karen Ortiz is a born and bred New Yorker, anti-imperialist attorney, and former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Administrative Judge. Born in New York District 12, she grew up primarily in Garden City, Long Island but returned to New York City as soon as she graduated from high school.
Karen began her legal career while an undergraduate at Columbia University, working as assistant to famed criminal defense attorney Barry Slotnick. She then pivoted to public service upon graduating from Fordham Law School. In addition to the EEOC, Karen has worked for the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the Social Security Administration, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission, and MTA New York City Transit.
In early 2025, Karen was one of the first federal workers to speak out against the Trump 2.0 regime’s illegal Executive Orders and directives. She was terminated after her whistleblowing and refusal to follow Trump’s anti-trans Executive Orders. Despite veiled threats from the Trump administration, she continues to speak out in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and all marginalized New Yorkers.
Karen is a certified yoga instructor, former Girl Scout (Silver Award), and recently participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla as a U.S. Delegate.
My Key Issues
No one is above the law.
It is Congress' duty to impeach, convict, and remove officials who violate their oath of office — including the President. Donald Trump is unfit, he takes actions that are unconstitutional, and he deserves to be impeached. Trump and his enablers, who in 2025 alone amassed hundreds of documented violations of constitutional and international statutes, must be held accountable for their acts of tyranny and treason. If I am elected, I vow to introduce Articles of Impeachment on Day One.
Healthcare is a human right.
We need Medicare for All to ensure that everyone has access to truly affordable, quality healthcare -- which includes gender-affirming healthcare, abortion without oppressive restrictions, fertility treatments, vaccinations, and full-service dental care. Healthcare should not be tied to employment. We must also restore the sanctity of the provider-patient relationship. No politician should be standing in the way of your personal healthcare needs. It's simply none of their business.
End endless wars and genocide.
We must impose an arms embargo on and stop sending our tax dollars to Israel. Americans should not be forced to fund the genocide of Palestinians and attacks on innocent civilians in the Caribbean and across the world. The U.S. Military has a bloated budget and is also the world's biggest polluter. If we truly want a safer, sustainable world we must drastically reduce the military's global footprint. Money spent on bombs and bullets should be redirected to taking care of Americans at home.
Civil rights must be codified and enforced.
We must codify case law that protects civil rights in the workplace and all spaces. Democrats failed to fully protect the LGBTQIA+ community when it held the majority in both the House and Senate during the Obama Administration. The Trump Administration has taken advantage of this to disastrous effect. I will introduce legislation that fully protects the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, homeless people, incarcerated people, and non-citizens. Longstanding legal frameworks such as disparate treatment analysis and controlling case law, such as Bostock v. Clayton County (which ruled that firing someone for being transgender violates federal law), must be shored up through enacting legislation.
Due process for all; Abolish ICE
The United States Constitution is clear - EVERYONE shall be afforded due process. ICE has flouted the Constitution over and over again. Its agents have acted with impunity under the direction of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. People have been violently taken by masked agents who refuse to identify themselves. Over 30 people have died in ICE custody in 2025 alone. ICE has repeatedly failed to provide due process to detainees and has committed crimes against humanity. ICE cannot be rehabilitated. It simply must be dismantled and abolished. Noem must be held accountable, too.
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