Cristina Fontanelli launches independent bid for NY Assembly District 75

Award-winning singer and PBS-TV host Cristina Fontanelli is set to announce an independent run for New York State Assembly District 75 on Thursday at Sardi’s in Manhattan’s Theater District. The campaign centers on the district’s arts economy, public safety, affordability and support for local families and small businesses.

Why it matters: - District 75 includes Times Square, the Broadway theater district, Carnegie Hall, Central Park, Chelsea, Hudson Yards and parts of the Flatiron District. - Fontanelli is pitching an independent candidacy built around the Theater District’s economy, neighborhood quality of life and arts funding. - The campaign is aiming at voters who live and work in one of New York City’s most visible cultural and commercial corridors.

What happened: - Cristina Fontanelli will announce her independent candidacy for New York State Assembly District 75 on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 8 p.m. - The event is scheduled for Sardi’s at 234 West 44th Street in Manhattan’s Theater District. - Fontanelli is an award-winning singer, actor and PBS-TV host. - The campaign announcement is being made with invited guests at the Broadway restaurant. - Sardi’s is slated to close for renovations on June 24.

The details: - Fontanelli says she chose Sardi’s because of her Italian background and her support for Broadway artists. - The restaurant was founded by Vincent Sardi, an Italian immigrant who supported struggling actors through the famous “Actors Menu.” - Sardi’s has been a Broadway landmark since 1921 and is known for caricatures of theater legends on its walls. - Fontanelli says she is following the political path of her great grandfather, Rocco Maria Marasco, who served as a New York State Assemblyman representing Greenwich Village and Little Italy and was the first Italian-American presidential elector. - Fontanelli was born in Brooklyn and has spent her professional career in the neighborhoods that make up District 75. - She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and a member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. - Fontanelli has hosted PBS-TV specials including “Andrea Bocelli in Central Park.” - Her Cristina Fontanelli Foundation has worked with children, youth and music for 23 years. - Fontanelli has also advocated for seniors’ health care. - More information is available on the campaign’s website.

Between the lines: - The campaign is framing Fontanelli as a neighborhood candidate with cultural credibility rather than a traditional political insider. - Her focus on the arts economy reflects concern that rising production costs, higher ticket prices and tourism shifts are squeezing Broadway and nearby small businesses. - The independent label suggests Fontanelli is trying to appeal to voters frustrated with party politics and looking for a practical local message. - The campaign also appears to be leaning on Fontanelli’s performance background to connect with artists, theaters and other creative workers in the district.

What’s next: - Fontanelli says she will push for policies that lower barriers for producers and small arts businesses, improve affordability for audiences and keep the Theater District economically viable. - The campaign says she will pursue safety and quality-of-life proposals for families, seniors, artists and working New Yorkers. - Fontanelli also plans to support small businesses tied to the arts ecosystem, including studios, rehearsal spaces, costume shops and restaurants. - The campaign says she will advocate for stronger arts programming in schools and more public performance opportunities for young people. - Fontanelli is expected to continue building her campaign around the district’s cultural identity and everyday cost pressures.

The bottom line: - Fontanelli is trying to turn a performing-arts résumé into a political pitch for District 75, betting that Broadway-area voters want a candidate who speaks both the language of culture and local survival.