Juan Ardila is an American politician who is a member of the New York State Assembly for the 37th district. Elected in November 2022, he assumed office on January 1, 2023.

Juan Ardila
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 37th district
In office
January 1, 2023 – January 2025
Preceded byCatherine Nolan
Succeeded byClaire Valdez
Personal details
BornElmhurst, Queens, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationFordham University (BA)
New York University (MPA)
Signature
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and education

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Born in Elmhurst, Ardila was raised in Maspeth, Queens. After graduating from Archbishop Molloy High School, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Fordham University and a Master of Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University.[1]

Career

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From 2015 to 2017, Ardila served as the office manager and scheduler for City Councilman Brad Lander.[2] He was also a youth tutor for the International Rescue Committee. From 2017 to 2019, he served as an expansion consultant for the New York City Department of Education. In 2019, he joined the Legal Aid Society as a program coordinator.[3] Ardila was elected to the New York State Assembly in November 2022.[4]

In the 2024 New York State Assembly election, Ardila was defeated in the Democratic primary by Claire Valdez by 27 percentage points.[5]

Controversies

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In March 2023, Ardila was accused of sexual assault by two women and there were calls for Ardila to resign,[6] including from Governor Kathy Hochul.[7] According to some articles these allegations were false and then eventually settled.[8][9][10]

References

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  1. ^ Parry, Bill (2022-02-17). "Ardila announces campaign to replace Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan". qns.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  2. ^ Tomao, Pete (2022-06-30). "Juan Ardila: 'When the left organizes, we win'". City & State NY. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  3. ^ Andres, Czarinna (2022-06-29). "Progressive Candidate Juan Ardila Wins 37th Assembly Seat". Sunnyside Post. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  4. ^ "Juan Ardila". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  5. ^ Krichevsky, Sophie (2024-06-27). "Valdez wins AD 37 race by 27 points". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  6. ^ Schwach, Ryan (March 13, 2023). "Two women accuse Queens official of sexual assault at a 2015 party". Queens Daily Eagle. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  7. ^ Ferré-Sadurní, Luis (March 16, 2023). "N.Y. Lawmaker Pressured to Resign After Sexual Misconduct Allegations". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  8. ^ jmoro (2023-06-06). "Embattled Assemblyman Ardila releases private investigation findings, denies sexual misconduct allegations". LIC Post. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  9. ^ Schwach, Ryan (2023-06-06). "Ardila denies sexual assault allegations in self-funded report". Queens Daily Eagle. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  10. ^ Gartland, Michael (2023-06-05). "N.Y. Assemblyman Juan Ardila goes on the offensive to challenge sexual assault allegations, issues report". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2024-09-24.