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K Karen Ortiz · U.S. House 12, New York · Nov 3, 2026

Karen
Ortiz

Independent attorney and former EEOC Administrative Judge running for U.S. House in New York's 12th Congressional District in 2026

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
10
positions
9
endorsements
6
ko4congress.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)Facebook(opens in a new tab)Instagram(opens in a new tab)
Opponents Caroline Shinkle R+ 2 more Compare race →

Background

Karen Ortiz is an Independent candidate on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot for New York's 12th Congressional District. The FEC classifies the seat as open and lists her party affiliation as Independent; her campaign directs voters to look for the "Karen Ortiz Party" line on the ballot. [1, 13]

Ortiz describes herself as an attorney and former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Administrative Judge. According to her campaign, she was terminated from that role in 2025. Her career also includes positions at the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the Social Security Administration, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission/Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings, and MTA NYC Transit. She is said to have begun her legal career as an undergraduate, assisting attorney Barry Slotnick. [1, 2, 4]

Ortiz holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School. She was born in New York's 12th District, grew up primarily in Garden City on Long Island, and returned to New York City after high school. [1, 4]

This is her first attempt at elected office. She has no prior elected positions on record. 2

At a glance

Party
Karen Ortiz
Running for
U.S. House · District 12, New York
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Website
ko4congress.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Oct 8
    news
    Candidate-tracking page lists Ortiz's policy positions including Medicare for All and abolishing ICE

    A CivicAlign page marked 'AI-written' and 'verified' on October 8, 2026 summarizes Ortiz as supporting Medicare for All and replacing ICE and the Department of Homeland Security with an agency focused on humane due process for immigrants. These are the tracker's summaries and not direct quotations from Ortiz.

    New York 12th Congressional District 2026 | CivicAlign · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sep 4
    filing
    Karen Ortiz certified for November 3 ballot in NY-12 as independent candidate

    According to a voter-guide page citing the New York State Board of Elections' amended certification dated September 4, 2026, Ortiz was certified to appear on the November 3 ballot on the Karen Ortiz line. This is a secondary-source report; the underlying certification was not independently retrieved.

    10023 Sample Ballot: New York County, NY 2026 | The Ballot Brief · Sep 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Jun 30
    filing
    Karen Ortiz reports approximately $46,000 raised, $23,000 spent, $23,000 cash on hand through June 30

    ChamberLight reports Ortiz raised approximately $46,000, spent $23,000, and held $23,000 cash on hand through June 30, 2026. CivicAlign also lists $46,000 raised. These are secondary summaries of campaign finance data; the underlying FEC filing was not directly verified.

    New York's 12th Congressional District 2026: Lasher vs. Shinkle | ChamberLight · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • Track AIPAC organization
    Ortiz listed as a candidate for NY-12 on Track AIPAC's endorsements page, updated October 7, 2026. No separate endorsement date is given. trackaipac.com
  • Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption organization
    Listed as an endorsement on iVoterGuide's profile for Ortiz (updated August 31, 2026). No endorsement date is given. ivoterguide.com
  • Moath Hamzeh (Mo Hamz) other
    Palestinian-American activist; listed as an Ortiz campaign endorser on VOTE411. No endorsement date is given. onyourballot.vote411.org
  • New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN) organization
    Listed as an Ortiz campaign endorsement by VOTE411. Could not be confirmed in NYPAN's own endorsement archive; no endorsement date is given. onyourballot.vote411.org
  • Greta Berlin other
    Co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement; listed as an Ortiz campaign endorser on VOTE411. No endorsement date is given. onyourballot.vote411.org
  • Courage for Democracy PAC organization
    Ortiz listed as a 'Courage Candidate' for NY-12 on Courage for Democracy's candidate page. January 27, 2026 is the page publication date; no separate endorsement date is given. couragefordemocracy.com · Jan 27, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$46K
Spent
$23K
Cash on hand
$23K

As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6NY12297(opens in a new tab)

Sources 10

  1. [1] Karen Ortiz for Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 12, 2026
  2. [2] New York 12th Congressional District 2026 | CivicAlign(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
  3. [3] Our Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  4. [4] New York Congressional District 12 - VOTE411.org(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  5. [5] New York's 12th Congressional District 2026: Lasher vs. Shinkle | ChamberLight(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
  6. [6] 10023 Sample Ballot: New York County, NY 2026 | The Ballot Brief(opens in a new tab) Sep 23, 2026
  7. [7] Karen Ortiz(opens in a new tab) Sep 9, 2026
  8. [8] Meet Karen Ortiz, an Independent Candidate Running to Represent the UWS in Congress(opens in a new tab) Mar 12, 2026
  9. [9] Karen Ortiz – Courage Candidate(opens in a new tab) Jan 27, 2026
  10. [10] Karen Ortiz — official campaign website(opens in a new tab)
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