Vickie Albrizio Paladino (; born October 28, 1954) is an American activist and politician. In 2021, Paladino was elected a member of the New York City Council from District 19 in northeast Queens, and was previously a small business owner. In 2025, Paladino was named minority whip of the City Council.
A conservative Republican, Paladino is known for her brash personality and controversial social media posts. Paladino has called for the deportation of NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani, and expulsion of Muslims from the United States. Paladino has also opposed pro-Palestinian protests during the Gaza War, squatter houses, Drag Queen Story Hour, congestion pricing, and COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Paladino vocally supports law enforcement, the state of Israel, and Donald Trump.
Political career In 2017, Paladino gained media attention after she confronted then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a public appearance. Paladino, who was on her way home from a nail salon, stopped to shout at de Blasio for having traveled to Germany to attend a protest a day after a New York City police officer had been shot to death. Paladino told de Blasio, "I want to know why you let your police officers down and our country down by going to Germany and protesting against our country."
After she spoke at a showing of Dinesh D'Souza's Death of a Nation in 2018, Paladino approached some protesters and argued with them. A Proud Boy carried her away from the protesters. Paladino has said that she was rescued by the Proud Boy and that one protester had almost hit her with a belt.
2018 State Senate election In 2018, Paladino ran for State Senate's District 11, but was defeated by Democrat John Liu 54% to 24%.
New York City Council In 2021, Paladino ran as a Republican for City Council District 19 and narrowly defeated Democratic former State Senator Tony Avella to win election to the New York City Council, 47% to 45%. Her predecessor, Democrat Paul Vallone, was term-limited. District 19 represents northeast Queens and includes College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, and parts of Flushing.
On her first day at work as a member of the City Council, Paladino declined to provide proof that she had been vaccinated against COVID-19. She said, "I don't need to show you my papers... This is not Nazi Germany". Paladino was not allowed to enter the Council chamber at that time. Her statement was widely condemned for allegedly trivializing the Holocaust; she later apologized for it. Paladino later participated in City Council proceedings online. She was eventually granted a religious exemption from the vaccine mandate and was allowed to enter the Council chamber.
In 2023, Paladino won re-election, defeating Avella in a rematch, 60% to 39%.
In February 2025, Paladino was appointed minority whip of the New York City Council.
In 2025, Paladino won re-election, defeating Democrat Ben Chou, 57% to 43%.
In 2026, Paladino called for mayor Mamdani skip the 25th memorial for the September 11 attacks.
Political positions Paladino is a conservative Republican. Paladino is known for her controversial social media presence and her brash personality. She is known for her opposition to pro-Palestinian protests during the Gaza War, squatter houses, COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and congestion pricing. She is a supporter of law enforcement, small businesses, and Donald Trump.
Paladino opposed the construction of a casino near Citi Field in Queens. Paladino supports a delay on NYC's reduction requirements for greenhouse gases. Paladino supports legislation to waive fees for gun permits.
Building Renovation and Greenhouse Gases Paladino, in 2026, (with the backing of an organization called Co-ops and Condos United and other supporters) sponsored legislation to delay the enactment of Local Law 97 by seven years. As of late August 2026, landlords can buy credits to avoid complying with the requirements imposed by Local Law 97. They can purchase 1000 credits for $35.52 a credit.
Congestion pricing and transit During her time on the New York City Council, Paladino has been a critic of bicyclists in New York City. She has called for bicyclists to carry liability insurance, register their bikes and carry license plates.
Paladino supports harsher penalties on drivers with fake temporary plates. In 2023, a car owned by Paladino's son Thomas Paladino Jr. was parked in her driveway with an allegedly fraudulent license plate.
In January 2025, Paladino – a "constant critic of congestion pricing" – posted an online "warning" that laser pointers could "permanently damage the cameras used to track drivers entering the new toll zone in Manhattan". In response to a report by a StreetsBlog NYC reporter on illegal parking on sidewalks by the New York City Police Department, Paladino posted on X that "You can just tell when a guy has never been punched in the face." A spokesperson for the New York City Council said "violent rhetoric is unacceptable" from councilmembers.
Immigration In 2022, Paladino opposed the proposed use of the Hotel de Point as a migrant shelter. In 2023, she opposed the use of the former St. Agnes Parochial School as a migrant shelter and worked toward the shelter's closure.
Deportation of Muslims On June2, 2025, Paladino called for the deportation of New York State Assemblymember and then-candidate for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She made the comment via an X post, questioning his opinion of the United States and his political views. Mamdani, a United States citizen who was naturalized in 2018, immigrated to the United States from Uganda as a child.
Following the 2025 Bondi Beach shooting during the Hanukkah celebration, Paladino wrote an Islamophobic post calling for the "expulsion of Muslims from western nations." Paladino deleted the post following condemnations from her City Council colleagues and other politicians, including then-New York City Mayor-elect Mamdani. The progressive faction also called for Paladino to be reprimanded for her anti-Muslim posts on social media.
Israel–Palestine Paladino supports Israel and called for Hamas to surrender.
Paladino opposes pro-Palestine protesters in New York City. She has asserted that "the progressives and anarchists marching through our streets, shutting down our bridges, harassing Jewish businesses, and taking over our universities FULLY support" the actions taken by Hamas in its conflict with Israel. In 2024, Paladino described American pro-Palestinian protesters as "the worst people our society has ever produced". In response to campus protests against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Paladino called college students "monsters" who must be "slayed".
LGBTQ rights In March 2023, Paladino was removed from the City Council's Mental Health Committee in response to her 2022 comments about Drag Queen Story Hour, a program in which drag performers read storybooks to children at schools and public libraries. Paladino had referred to the program as "cultural indoctrination" and "child grooming". Paladino received death threats following her 2022 remarks.
Social media presence Paladino's son, Thomas Paladino Jr., has worked as her spokesperson and helps run her campaign social media. In 2018, Thomas posted racist and white supremacist content on far‑right platform Gab.
In March 2026, the New York City Council’s Standards and Ethics Committee filed disciplinary charges against Paladino for multiple social media posts, including posts regarding Mamdani. Paladino filed suit against the City Council and various councilmembers, claiming First Amendment violations and selective enforcement based on disfavored speech. In May 2026, Paladino and the City Council settled the proceedings. Pursuant to the settlement, Paladino was required to delete three of her X posts, publicly apologize, and remove mention of her job as Councilmember from her X display name. The City Council agreed to withdraw the disciplinary proceedings against Paladino.
Squatting A 2022 video of Paladino confronting an alleged squatter house resident went viral. The video depicts Paladino telling a man that his house is "a disgrace"; an exchange of profanities follows. Paladino then adds, "You got an eviction notice... you'd better make sure you get out because we won't have these goings-on in this neighborhood." Paladino then asks the man what is in his mouth; he responds, "Weed", and proceeds to blow marijuana smoke at her.
Electoral history 2025
2023
2021
2018
Notes
References
External links District 19 page on New York City Council site