Mandi Drake is a lifelong Mohawk Valley resident, an art educator, and the product of a working-class family whose experiences strongly influence her perspective on the economic pressures facing New Yorkers. Her background in education and creative work reflects a career grounded in the day-to-day realities of working families, particularly those affected by the affordability challenges shaping life in the region.

She sees herself as part of a new generation of Democrats emerging across the country. It's a movement driven by young leaders with lived experience rather than political pedigree. Democratic women, in particular, have recently demonstrated extraordinary performance in competitive races, from flipping seats in deep-red Florida to winning judicial contests in parts of upstate New York long held by Republicans.

Mandi will stand up for workers, address the affordability concerns that shaped her upbringing, and challenge the political extremism that has harmed communities like the one she has called home her entire life. She views her background not as a deviation from the traditional pathway to political leadership, but as the very thing that qualifies her to serve.