Melissa Sklarz is the only transgender elected official in New York, representing the 30th AD in Queens. Currently, she is vice chair of the New York State Democratic Party and is the Secretary of the Queens Democratic Party. Melissa became the first trans member of the Electoral College in 2016.
Melissa served as Political Director of Equality NY and the past Government Relations Strategist for SAGE, advocating for LGBTQ seniors. In 2025, Melissa was among the LGBTQ leaders who advocated for and received a New York City budgeted grant of $13.725 million for trans equity and trans care, the largest public award for trans people in the nation.