José Rafael Peralta was an American politician who served in the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, he last represented District 13 in the State Senate, which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside. He previously represented District 39 in the New York State Assembly, which is located in Queens, New York and includes Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.
He was elected in a landslide to the New York State Senate on March 16, 2010. Peralta was a member of the Independent Democratic Conference , a group of Democratic senators who allied themselves with Senate Republicans.Peralta died at the age of 47 on November 21, 2018, shortly after his defeat by a Democratic primary rival, of septic shock.
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10. November 1971 – 22. November 2018