Cristina Fontanelli is an American opera singer, actress, and television host known for her work in the performing arts and community philanthropy. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and attended the Juilliard School, building a career that has spanned more than four decades.

Cristina Fontanelli is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and attended the Juilliard School.

Cristina Fontanelli is a lifelong New Yorker and an award-winning opera singer, actress, and television host with a decades-long international career. Following in her Great-Grandfather Rocco Maria Marasco's footsteps as a past Assemblyman, she is running for Assembly District 75 to give back to her community and bring her experience in leadership, service, and advocacy to public office.

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In addition to her artistic career, Fontanelli founded The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing performance opportunities for young artists and supporting charitable causes through music programs.

Cristina Fontanelli works as an opera singer, actress, and television host. She founded The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation, a nonprofit that provides performance opportunities for young artists and supports charitable causes through music programs.

Cristina works as an opera singer, actress, and television host. She founded The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation, a nonprofit that provides performance opportunities for young artists and supports charitable causes through music programs. 

2026 New York General Election

Championing the Theater District and the Arts Economy: The Theater District faces real and urgent pressures. Soaring production costs are shrinking the pipeline of new shows, rising ticket prices risk pushing out the audiences that sustain the art form, and shifts in tourism have created new financial strains. Fontanelli will fight for policies that lower barriers for producers and small arts businesses, expand access and affordability for audiences, and ensure the Theater District remains a thriving, working creative economy for the artists and businesses who depend on it.

Award-winning singer Cristina Fontanelli announces independent candidacy for NYS Assembly District 75 at Sardi's NYC

COST OF LIVING

New York has become too expensive for too many families. I will fight to reduce taxes, cut unnecessary regulations, and support small businesses so that hardworking New Yorkers can keep more of what they earn and afford to live and work in our state.

Plans to lower barriers for Theater District producers and small arts businesses and improve audience access and affordability.

Plans to reduce taxes and regulations and support small businesses.

- Plans to lower barriers for Theater District producers and small arts businesses and improve audience access and affordability.
- Plans to reduce taxes and regulations and support small businesses.

Economy

As of September 9, 2026, Cristina Fontanelli’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

HEALTHCARE

Healthcare should be accessible and affordable for all New Yorkers. I support policies that increase competition, access to care, and reduce costs while ensuring patients and doctors, not government bureaucrats, are making healthcare decisions.

Supports policies to increase competition and access to care, reduce costs, and leave healthcare decisions to patients and doctors.

- Supports policies to increase competition and access to care, reduce costs, and leave healthcare decisions to patients and doctors.

Healthcare

Voting & Elections

PUBLIC SAFETY

Public safety is the foundation of a strong community. I will support policies that restore law and order, hold repeat offenders accountable, and ensure our neighborhoods, subways, and streets are safe for families, workers, and visitors.

Supports policies intended to hold repeat offenders accountable and improve safety in neighborhoods, subways, and streets.

- Supports policies intended to hold repeat offenders accountable and improve safety in neighborhoods, subways, and streets.

Public Safety

EDUCATION

Every child deserves access to a quality education, regardless of their zip code. I will support policies that expand educational opportunities, empower parents, and ensure every student has access to strong schools and the resources they need to succeed.

ARTS & CULTURE

The arts are an essential part of New York’s identity and economy. I will support efforts that expand access to arts education, promote cultural programs, and ensure that communities across our state can experience and benefit from the richness of the arts.

Investing in Future Generations: Cristina believes arts education and performance opportunities are essential to developing creative, critical thinkers. She will advocate for robust arts programming in schools and create public performances and initiatives that give the next generation of New Yorkers the tools to succeed.

Supports expanding educational opportunities, empowering parents, and providing students with strong schools and needed resources.

Supports expanding arts education access and cultural programs statewide.

- Supports expanding educational opportunities, empowering parents, and providing students with strong schools and needed resources.
- Supports expanding arts education access and cultural programs statewide.

Education

HOUSING

New Yorkers deserve safe and affordable places to live. I will work to reduce burdensome regulations, encourage responsible development, and promote solutions that expand housing supply.

Plans to reduce regulations, encourage responsible development, and expand housing supply.

- Plans to reduce regulations, encourage responsible development, and expand housing supply.

Housing & Urban Development

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Cristina Fontanelli

- Plans to reduce taxes and regulations and support small businesses.

Mauricio Mendez

Buket Urgen

Tony Simone

- Your assembly member is involved in the legislative process at the state level as part of the New York State Assembly, which consists of 150 members and serves as the lower house of the New York State Legislature.  
- Assembly members are responsible for representing your interests and assisting you with navigating state services while bringing resources back to your district.  
- Assembly members draft laws, approve budgets, oversee the state executive branch, and engage in debates and votes on proposed legislation.  
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your assembly member can serve on committees, where many bills may be delayed before reaching a vote.  
- Assembly members are elected for a two-year term with no term limits.  
- Their annual salary is $142,000.  

Your representative and state lawmaker in the New York State Assembly.