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Vance Bostic
Vance Bostic (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 8th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Bostic completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Vance Bostic was born in New York, New York. Bostic's career experience includes working in hospitality management. He earned an associate degree from LaGuardia Community College in 2022, a B.S. in public accounting from Brooklyn College in 2024, and an M.B.A. from Brooklyn College in 2025.[1][2]
Elections
2026
See also: New York's 8th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House New York District 8
Incumbent Hakeem Jeffries and Vance Bostic are running in the general election for U.S. House New York District 8 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Hakeem Jeffries (D) | |
 | Vance Bostic (D)  | |
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Vance Bostic completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bostic's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I’m not a politician. I’m a servant of the people, ALL people. From NYCHA tenants, to gig workers, and artists crushed crippling standards. For too long people have not been able to relate with their representatives. We need hope.
I’ve lived every fight we’re in
o Survived NYCHA neglect, wage theft, and the hypocrisy of “progressive” Democrats who take PAC cash while Brooklyn starves.
o Went from high school dropout at 18 to MBA at 38 - only to fully see the system is designed to crush us. Now, I’m here to break it.
I’m not just a candidate – I am NYC’s repressed workforce personified. I've lived the grind. Every photo I’ve taken, every dish I’ve plated, every track I’ve made is proof I am the real deal. With no corporate cash and no apologies, I bring Brooklyn’s grit, artistry, and unyielding fight to a seat too long held by corporate puppets. Change is HERE! I will gut every single puppet of the establishment, through every single crack and craves. Enough is enough now. NO MORE!
E Pluribus Unum!- In the richest city in the world, no one should have to choose between their passion and their survival. Yet artists and gig workers are systematically locked out of the basic protections like healthcare, stable pay, and the retirement that every worker deserves.
As someone who has been paid in 'exposure' and worked at the mercy of an algorithm, I know this isn't a choice; it's exploitation. That ends now. We are launching a fight for an Artist & Gig Worker Bill of Rights.
This is about more than a paycheck; it's about our power. It's about saying that health insurance shouldn't chain you to a toxic job. That no delivery driver should fear a hospital bill more than a car accident. - No New Yorker should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table. Yet for decades, politicians have treated housing like a stock market, letting corporate landlords and Wall Street speculators evict, displace, and exploit our communities for profit. Housing is not a commodity for Wall Street to speculate on - it is a fundamental human right. No one should spend over 30% of their income on rent or live in fear of eviction and displacement. We must house Humanity with dignity, not criminalize poverty. We don’t need more empty promises. We need a Congressmember who’s lived in the cracks of a broken system and is ready to rebuild it from the ground up.
- For twenty years, I’ve survived on tips and empty promises from bosses who told me my smile would pay the bills. I’ve worked triple shifts and still struggled to afford the city I call home. So many of my family and friends have been forced to move because they can't afford the city. Too many of our Politicians don’t know that choice. They are funded by the same entities that designed this poverty we live under. Funded by the same corporations that lobby our Representatives to keep our wages low. We are the collected frustration of the workforce who are told we aren’t worth a living income. Our fight for a $30/hour minimum wage isn’t just policy. It’s a personal promise, it’s a vow: in the richest nation on Earth.
This isn’t democracy, it’s an auction. When only the rich can afford to run, we get government by the wealthy, for the wealthy. I’m fighting to tear down the paywall on public service so that the people serving tables can finally have a seat at them too.
In this moment, as we watch our nation fracture under the weight of corporate greed and rising authoritarianism, Dr. King’s example is not just inspirational, it is a necessary blueprint. He taught us that true leadership requires unwavering moral clarity and the courage to confront oppressive systems, not accommodate them.
• Authenticity- Voters are tired of polished politicians. They deserve someone genuine, who speaks plainly, boldly, and owns their entire story, the good and the bad.• Unapologetic Advocacy- Principle is useless without the courage to act on it. It means being a voice for the voiceless, without backing down when the spotlight gets hot.
• Lived Experience- Officials must know the weight of bills and the stress of debt because they’ve lived it.
• Moral Courage- The willingness to fight for what's right, not what's easy, even when it means standing alone.
• Fidelity to The People- This means refusing all corporate PAC money. My only obligation will be to the people.
• Radical Empathy- The ability to not just hear but truly feel the struggles of working-class and marginalized people because you've lived them yourself.
1- Loyalty to People, Not Donors- The sole duty is to represent constituents' needs. This requires rejecting all corporate PAC money. You cannot fight for renters while taking real estate cash or protect workers while funded by union-busters.
2- Courageous Legislation- The job is to fight for transformative bills that solve root problems like Medicare for All, federal rent control, and a $30hr living wage, not just cast safe votes.
3- Radical Transparency- Hold town halls in communities, not closed doors. Publish meetings. Explain votes in plain language. If you meet with lobbyists, you must also meet with those they exploit.
4- Constituent Service as Crisis Response- The district office must be a first responder, actively helping people secure VA benefits, Social Security, and disaster relief, the unglamorous, essential work of governance.
My legacy would be a world where the needs of the many are no longer held hostage by the greed of a few billionaires. It would be a future where we are one step closer to uniting the human race as a singular species on this rock we call Earth, a species that cares for its people and its planet with equal passion.
That day is etched in my memory not just for the tragedy, but for what followed, a city and a community coming together with profound resilience and solidarity. We saw the best of humanity in the first responders and neighbors helping neighbors.
But we also saw how that unity was exploited to justify endless wars, surveillance, and the erosion of our civil liberties. That early lesson, that moment of collective trauma can be used to either unite us for the common good or divide us for political gain. It shaped my understanding of power.
That experience, the blisters, the cold nights, the conversations with families spending their last dollars for a moment of joy, shaped who I am today. It taught me that dignity isn’t found in a title or a bank account, but in showing up, serving others, and fighting for a world where everyone gets a fair shot. While other politicians learn politics from lobbyists and donors, I learned mine from the midway, and the service industry and I’m bringing that fight to Congress.
The book teaches that the universe conspires to help those pursuing their destiny, but only if they have the courage to start. The quote, 'I've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve,' has always resonated with me. It speaks to the transformative power of stepping far outside your comfort zone to chase what seems unattainable.
On the surface, she was just a girl who wanted a normal life, to go to school, hang out with her friends, and not have the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she was called to be something more, a protector. She embodied a unique strength that was both powerful and deeply compassionate.
I see my own story in hers. I 'm a normal guy, who just wanted to build a happy creative life. But, like Buffy, I looked around and saw the real monsters threatening our community, the corporate vampires sucking our economy dry, the political demons sacrificing the many for the few, and the systemic evils that prey on the vulnerable.
Buffy taught me that true courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the determination to do what’s right despite it. She sacrificed everything, not for power or glory, but for the greater good. That is the spirit I want to bring to Congress. We don’t need another career politician, we need a Slayer, someone with the strength to fight for working families, the heart to protect the marginalized, and the unwavering resolve to stand up to the forces of greed and corruption.
That struggle is why I fight so fiercely today. I know the sound of silence when you have no one to call for help. I know the weight of rent when there’s no safety net. I channel that experience into my work because no one in our community should ever have to face their darkest moments alone. It’s why I believe so passionately in building a society with stronger social safety net, where healthcare, housing, and dignity are guaranteed rights, not luxuries. My pain forged my purpose, to ensure that everyone has the support I lacked from the system, and that no one is left to navigate life’s hardest blows on their own.
Yet today, that uniqueness has been corrupted. The House should be the people’s house, but too often, it serves as a stock exchange for corporate donors and political favors. I’m running to return it to its purpose: a place where working people like waiters, artists, and caregivers have a voice, not just Wall Street and war lobbies. Real power belongs to the people. It’s time we take it back.
Career politicians have created a system that works for them and their donors, but fails the rest of us. They are experts in navigating the corridors of power, but have forgotten how to navigate the struggles of a single parent choosing between rent and groceries, or a server relying on tips to make ends meet.
My experience isn't from a political internship or a lobbyist's office. It's from a lifetime of service, serving meals, working concession stands, and working three jobs to survive. I’ve navigated the same broken systems my neighbors face every day. That lived experience is not a disadvantage; it is the essential qualification that is missing in Congress.
First, the collapse of economic dignity. We are becoming a nation of servants and masters. Wages can't keep up with rent, medical bills, or groceries. This is by design. Until we abolish poverty wages, tax extreme wealth, and guarantee housing and healthcare as human rights, the American Dream will remain a myth.
Second, the rise of fascism. The project to overturn democracy did not end with Trump's election; it accelerated. We are witnessing a coordinated attack on voting rights, bodily autonomy, and free speech, all fueled by a well-funded movement that must be defeated at the ballot box and in the streets.
I’ve seen this corrupting influence firsthand. In the service industry, you learn to spot who a person is really working for. In Congress, the two-year term means politicians are constantly chasing cash from corporate PACs and lobbyists just to survive the next election. This system isn't designed for public service; it's designed for perpetual campaigning on a donor-funded treadmill.
We need term lengths that allow representatives to actually do the job they were elected to do, build long-term policy, hold real oversight hearings, and be bold without fear of immediately offending deep-pocketed special interests. A four-year term, aligned with the presidential cycle, would create more stability and let lawmakers focus on solving problems, not just dialing for dollars.
However, longer terms must be paired with strict term limits to prevent the creation of a permanent political class. True accountability shouldn't come every two years through a money-saturated election, but through a system where public service is a temporary duty, not a career. We need citizen legislators, like waiters, artists, and teachers, who serve their term and then return to their communities, not career politicians who sell out to stay in power.
My support for term limits isn't abstract, I’ve seen the damage. I’ve watched our needs be ignored while our representative climbed the leadership ladder by pleasing donors, not constituents. I support a maximum of 12 years of total service in the U.S. Congress (6 terms in the House, 2 terms in the Senate). This is enough time to make a real impact without becoming addicted to power and disconnected from the everyday struggles of working-class families.
Like him, I believe elected office should be a tool for class struggle, not career advancement. Mamdani didn’t water down his ideals to fit into the political establishment, he forced the establishment to confront the needs of working people. From fighting for universal healthcare and tenant protections to challenging corporate power, he has shown that it’s possible to govern with conviction, not compromise.
My background is different, I’m a Coney Island NYCHA kid, a service worker, and an artist who scraped by on tips and gigs, but our mission is the same - to build a New York where no one has to choose between rent and groceries, where no tenant fears eviction, and where no politician funds genocide abroad while ignoring suffering at home.
That’s why Zohran Mamdani’s win resonated so deeply with a lot of us. It wasn’t just a policy shift, it was the return of a feeling many thought was lost, hope. It proved that when people see a reflection of their own struggles in a candidate, they engage. They believe their vote matters because they finally matter to their representative.
I will never compromise on the fundamental rights of the people. The right to a living wage, the right to healthcare, the right to housing, and the right to live free from genocide abroad or police brutality at home. We have compromised on these issues for decades, and the result is a system where billionaires and lobbyists win while working-class families lose.
Medicare for All
Federal rent control & NYCHA repairs
A $30hr minimum wage
1- Subpoena Power for the People- We will launch immediate investigations into the price-gouging landlords and private equity firms draining NYCHA dry, forcing them to testify under oath.
2- End Corporate Impunity- I will push to form a committee to investigate the war profiteers and weapons manufacturers fueling genocide in Gaza, and subpoena the CEOs of pharmaceutical companies for their role in opioid deaths and insulin price-fixing.
3- Hold the Judiciary Accountable- The House must investigate the corruption and overt politicking of a Supreme Court captured by billionaire donors.
Her story isn’t an outlier, it’s the rule. It’s a pain I know intimately, having grown up in those same projects and worked service jobs my whole life. I’ve felt that same powerlessness.
That degree wasn’t just a personal victory, it was a weapon. It armed me with the tools to decode the economic violence inflicted on our class, from tipped wage exploitation, to corporate landlord greed, to scientifically studied marketing manipulation meant to exploit us. Now, I’m using that knowledge to fight for a world where no one has to choose between rent and food, where servers keep their tips and earn a living wage, and where families aren’t evicted so billionaires can buy another brownstone.
The federal government must act as a strict regulator and democratic guardian. This means:
Banning AI in lethal autonomous weapons and for mass surveillance.
Passing strong federal laws to prevent the algorithmic exploitation of workers, biased policing, and housing discrimination.
Protecting consumers and workers by ensuring AI automation does not come at the cost of mass layoffs without a just transition.
Investing in public-interest AI for healthcare, climate science, and education, ensuring these tools are a public utility, not a private commodity.
1- Mandate National Automatic Voter Registration for every citizen at age 18, through state and federal agencies.
2- Make Election Day a National Holiday and require all states to offer at least two weeks of early voting, including weekends, to ensure every working person can cast a ballot.
3- Ban Gerrymandering by creating independent, non-partisan citizen redistricting commissions in all 50 states to draw fair congressional districts.
4- Restore the Voting Rights Act by reinstating federal preclearance for states with a history of discriminatory voting laws, preventing new forms of suppression before they happen.
5- Secure Our Elections from Corruption by banning state legislators from overturning certified election results and providing federal funding to upgrade voting infrastructure against cyber threats.
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Campaign finance summary
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See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 5, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Vance Bostic," accessed September 5, 2025
