Diana Kastenbaum

Diana Kastenbaum earned a high school diploma from Alexander Central High School. Kastenbaum earned a bachelor's degree from the Catholic University of America in 1973. Her career experience includes working as a business owner.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Diana Kastenbaum. I am lucky to be able to call myself many things: a small business owner, a Trustee of a Community College, and an activist. Now I am asking to be your representative in Congress, where I plan to restore the power of ordinary citizens to participate in their democracy. With Public Citizen, I organized grassroots efforts against Citizens United, which puts special interests over the will of everyday voters. In New York, I co-founded Concerned Citizen's for NY24, organizing town halls across the district to give our neighbors a chance to voice their concerns over the issues that matter most to their families. I have been traveling the district since the spring of 2025 listened to their concerns about cuts to Medicaid, and the disruption they bring to rural hospitals and nursing homes. I heard from families worried about higher health insurance premiums and co-pays. I heard from retirees worried about their Social Security benefits, and from veterans anxious about obtaining the services they need and rightfully earned. And I have heard from migrants - our neighbors, who work hard to provide for themselves and the community; and the farmers and vintners who rely on their work to sustain our region's agricultural vitality. I want to bring these concerns to Capitol Hill, and I humbly ask for your support in doing so. We can no longer sit on the sidelines when our democratic values are at stake. The time is now!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Securing healthcare coverage is priority #1. The Affordable Care Act allowed many rural residents to obtain health coverage for the first time. Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" stripped $1 trillion from Medicaid, upending the gains made with the ACA. Facing higher premiums and co-pays, thousands of people across NY24 risk losing coverage. Medicaid is also the backbone of rural hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care services; and cutting it puts these services at risk. We can go back and forth every election cycle discussing ways to reduce costs, or we can join the ranks of the rest of the modern world and recognize that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and that universal healthcare is essential.As a trustee of SUNY Genesee Community College, and a longtime advocate for students and institutions in Albany and Washington, I view education as a public good, essential to the maintenance of strong, healthy communities. Every child has the right to a high-quality, fully supported public education, regardless of zip code or economic background. Higher education should also be affordable, with students protected from predatory lending practices. I support fully reinstating and staffing the Department of Education to provide oversight over student loan programs, reducing or eliminating student loan debt, and supporting community colleges as an affordable pathway to higher education or job growth.I am committed to a clean energy future for NY24 and the nation, and will support solar, wind, and geothermal power as viable alternatives to fossil fuels. We need renewable energy to maintain the natural beauty and environmental stability of NY24 and the nation. I also believe clean energy must go hand-in-hand with the agricultural sustainability of the region. I oppose corporate interests seeking to buy prime farmland for largescale solar development and believe they should be strategically placed to preserve our region's rich agricultural tradition. Our infrastructure needs to be modernized so we have less fails to our grid during to be able to handle outages, which are often due to severe storms we are facing from climate change.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I cared for both of my parents before their deaths, and I cared for my late husband before his passing. It was challenging to see my loved one's struggle, and I often struggled providing their care. Local services were critical for support, but often suffered backlog that strained their effectiveness, at times leaving me on my own to care for my loved ones. These times were hard, but I came to better understand the importance of care, and the necessity of accessible health services especially in rural areas where options are few. We are finding it difficult to afford many of the necessities - housing, food, college, fuel costs. It is important we look after our families and neighbors in rural areas. My passion - healthcare/affordability.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I stand on the shoulders of many of the wonderful women who came before me in elected office. The most influential was Hillary Clinton. I actively worked for her in 2008 and then eight years later decided to run for Congress in 2016. She was and is my inspiration as a woman who tirelessly served this country and still is relevant today.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity and honesty speak to their character. Believe in The Constitution and The Rule of Law and operate under those principles. Accountability and accessibility, particularly to their constituents.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be always present both in Congress and back home in the district. To hold regular Town Halls for your constituents. To make sure every person in their district has access to the office and all voices will be heard and not dismissed.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like my legacy to be that I "dared greatly" to make significant strides in doing what is truly right and good for others. That I was a problem solver and focused on making lives better. That I always had empathy and loved all. That I had a great capacity for helping and inspiring others.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

First job was volunteering as a Candy Striper in The Veterans Hospital in my hometown at the age of 16 for one summer.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Running and rescuing my family business and all that entailed.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

It is the representation of the citizens, the people. It is their voices that need to be heard through their representatives. It is the one body that represents the beautiful melting pot that is America.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Regaining our foothold in the global economy, in foreign affairs, and as a beacon of democracy. These are things that have been decimated by this Administration and we need to build them back stronger than ever.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is necessary for policymaking even though it may not always be desirable for the various parties. We can disagree civilly. Nothing is perfect. In the end, we need to compromise to be able to get things accomplished and then continue to work to improve.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Moms Demand Action - 2026 Gun Sense Candidate

Unrig Washington (End Citizens United) - 2026 Unrig Washington Candidate

Genesee County Democratic Committee

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

Assassination of President Kennedy.

The following issues were listed on Kastenbaum's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

Jobs & The Economy: As a local businesswoman who created jobs, Diana knows how to grow the economy and put people back to work. She understands that we have to stay focused on job creation, support for our small businesses, and investments in the future. Diana has made creating jobs for New York families her number one priority, and she will fight hard in Congress to ensure that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream.

Seniors: Diana is committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare for future generations. She will fight against any effort to end Medicare’s guaranteed benefits, privatize Social Security, or raise the retirement age. Diana knows that Social Security has not contributed to this nation’s deficit and we can’t look to the program to solve our budget crisis. In fact, Diana wants to ensure the future of Social Security, and give seniors a boost in benefits, by closing tax loopholes that allow the wealthiest earners to avoid paying their fair share of payroll taxes.

Education & College Affordability: Diana knows the most important investment we can make is in our children’s education. Every child – no matter what zip code they are born in – deserves a quality education. She knows that investments in schools, at all levels, will ensure we as a nation continue to have the world’s best workforce.

Energy & The Environment: Diana believes we must take steps to address climate change, which is a threat to our environment, economy, and national security. We must begin the process of weaning ourselves as a nation off of foreign oil – not just for the sake of the environment but also for our pocketbooks. Gas prices are hitting working families squarely on the chin. Instead of just watching as other countries invest in renewable energy, America should be doing everything we can to be the leader in development of alternative energy. If we seize this opportunity, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, create good jobs, and protect our environment.

Healthcare: For Diana, health care reform is about giving American families and small businesses -- not insurance companies -- control over their health care. For far too long, America’s health insurance system has made health care more costly, less accessible, and less efficient for families and small businesses. No one in America should have to declare bankruptcy because they can’t afford to pay their medical bills. Premiums should not be increasing at a rate of six times the rate of our GDP. That is why Diana is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act.

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—Diana Kastenbaum's campaign website, http://www.dianakastenbaum.com/issues/