Rachel Bruce is a young professional, public servant, community activist, and Democratic strategist born and raised in the Hudson Valley. She currently serves as Chair of the Labor Caucus for New York State Young Democrats.
The daughter of two union members, Rachel developed an early passion for public service and improving her community. She currently works in state government and previously served as Policy Advisor for Economic Development and Housing under the Executive Chamber where she oversaw and carried out major economic development initiatives under the Governor’s Office, authored State of the State policy, and helped draft the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection act of 2019. Within NYSYD, Rachel also serves as Vice Chair of the Women’s Caucus and at home serves as Policy Chair of the Young Democrats of Orange County, which she co-founded and helped recharter in 2021.
Rachel has served on various local, state, and federal campaigns including as a volunteer regional organizer for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign as well as Social Media Director and Internship Coordinator for Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick’s 2020 campaign. She has also served as a longtime intern and volunteer for Senator James Skoufis. She is a member of the Orange County Democratic Party’s Executive Committee as well as her town’s Democratic committee. She is heavily involved causes surrounding environmental protection, transportation access, land preservation, the arts, and sustainability, serving as Co-Chair of her Village’s Land Preservation Committee.
Rachel is a 2018 graduate of Bryn Mawr College where she majored in the Growth and Structure of Cities and was elected to the highest level of her college’s Self-Government Association. She is currently pursuing her Master of City Planning at the University of Pennsylvania where she is concentrating in Community and Economic Development. In her free time, she enjoys playing and performing music, cooking, drawing, and biking with friends and family.