Gustavo Rivera (politician)
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CUNY Graduate Center (MA, PhD)
Gustavo Rivera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New York State Senate from the 33rd district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Pedro Espada, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 19, 1975 |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (BA) CUNY Graduate Center (MA, PhD) |
| Website | State Senate website |
Gustavo Rivera (born November 19, 1975)[1] is an American politician. A Democrat, he has represented New York's 33rd State Senate district in the New York State Senate since first being elected in 2010.[2][3]
Rivera was born and raised in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico.[4] He received a B.A. in political science from the University of Puerto Rico in May 1998.[5] Following graduation, Rivera moved to New York to begin a doctoral program in political science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.[2] He taught courses at Hunter College until 2002, and served as an assistant professor of Political Science at Pace University until his first election in 2010.[2]
Rivera started in electorial politics by serving as campaign manager for politicians such as Phil Reed and his future colleagues Jose M. Serrano and Andrea Stewart-Cousins.[6]
In September 2010, he was named one of City Hall's "40 under 40" for being a young influential member of New York City politics.[7]
New York Senate
After serving as Director of Outreach under United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,[8] Rivera decided to run for the New York State Senate in 2010. The incumbent, Senator Pedro Espada Jr., had long been a staple in Bronx politics.[9] Espada was considered the favorite throughout the election.[10] After a hard-fought campaign, Rivera ultimately defeated Espada in the Democratic primary.[11] Espada would later be convicted of embezzlement.[12]
In the Senate, Rivera is known as a leading progressive voice.[13] After Democrats retook the Senate majority following the 2018 elections, Rivera was named chair of the Senate Health Committee. As of 2026, he also served as co-chair of the Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction & Overdose Prevention.[2] Rivera has advocated for the New York Health Act.[14]
Rivera won reelection in 2020, defeating Republican Dustin Martinez and Conservative Party candidate Steven M. Stern.[15] In 2022, after redistricting made the 33rd district more competitive, he defeated Miguelina Camilo by 506 votes in the Democratic primary and won reelection in the general election.[16][17] He was reelected again in 2024, defeating Republican Dion J. Powell.[18]
