A Democrat, Septimo is the Assemblymember for the 84th district of the New York State Assembly, based in the South Bronx; her term began in January 2021.

[1] Septimo was born and raised in the South Bronx, before attending Vanderbilt University on a full Posse Foundation scholarship in 2008.

[3] In 2018, Septimo ran for the New York State Assembly's 84th district, challenging incumbent Carmen Arroyo from the left.

Despite receiving high-profile endorsements from 1199SEIU and former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Septimo lost in the Democratic primary, 63-37%.

[6] Although Arroyo ran in the general election on the Proven Leader Party line, Septimo defeated her easily and began her term the following January.