Carlos Menchaca
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Carlos Menchaca
| office = Member of the New York City Council
from the 38th District
| term_start = January 1, 2014
| term_end = December 31, 2021
| predecessor = Sara M. Gonzalez
| successor = Alexa Avilés
| image = 2017-01-28 - Carlos Menchaca at the protest at JFK (80836).jpg
| imagesize =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|9|11|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = El Paso, Texas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| spouse =
| children =
| education = University of San Francisco (BA)
| website = [http://council.nyc.gov/d38/html/members/home.shtml Official website]
}}
Carlos Menchaca (born September 11, 1980) is an American politician who served as a member of the New York City Council for the 38th district. He is a Democrat. His district included the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood Heights, and portions of Borough Park, Dyker Heights, and Windsor Terrace. In October 2020, Menchaca declared his candidacy in the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary, but suspended his campaign in March 2021, three months before the primary.
Early life and education
Menchaca was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. The first in his family to attend college, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco, where he studied performing arts and social justice.{{Cite web|date=2016-06-01|title=Carlos Menchaca: Sunset Park's Councilman Brings A Voice To The Voiceless|url=https://populardemocracy.org/news-and-publications/carlos-menchaca-sunset-park-s-councilman-brings-voice-voiceless|access-date=2020-10-09|website=The Center for Popular Democracy}}
Career
Prior to assuming office, Menchaca worked in the Brooklyn Borough President's Office, as Marty Markowitz’s Capital Budget and Policy Coordinator from 2005 to 2011. From 2011 to 2013, Menchaca served as a liaison to the LGBT and HIV/AIDS community for the Office of the Speaker in the New York City Council.{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/menchaca-mexican-american-community-hope-article-1.1453024?pgno=1 |title=Carlos Menchaca's primary victory lifts Mexican New Yorkers' political hopes|work=New York Daily News|date=September 11, 2013 |accessdate=February 2, 2014}}
Menchaca, along with Councilman Brad Lander, was arrested in January of 2015 at a rally for carwash workers.{{cite news |last=Barkan |first=Ross |url=http://observer.com/2015/03/elected-officials-arrested-at-brooklyn-car-wash-rally/ |title=Elected Officials Arrested at Brooklyn Car Wash Rally |work=Observer |date=2015-03-04 |accessdate=2015-09-27 }}
=New York City Council=
In the 2013 election, Menchaca defeated incumbent Sara M. Gonzalez in the Democratic primary for District 38 in the New York City Council, which includes a portion of Brooklyn. He won the seat in the general election on November 5, 2013. Upon his election, Menchaca became the first Mexican-American elected to public office in New York City, and the first openly gay New York City Council member from Brooklyn.
Menchaca has been criticized for derailing redevelopment of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.{{cite news |last=Hawkins |first=Andrew |url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150107/BLOGS04/150109923/blaming-councilman-city-ditches-115m-project |title=Blaming councilman, city ditches $115M project |work=Crains NYC |date=2015-01-07 |accessdate=2015-09-27 }} In July 2020, Menchaca said he "strongly opposes" plans to rezone and redevelop Industry City. Due to City Council customs, Menchaca had the power to effectively end the project.{{Cite web|last=Rebong|first=Kevin|date=2020-07-28|title=Carlos Menchaca Opposes Industry City Rezoning|url=https://therealdeal.com/2020/07/28/industry-city-rezoning-application-is-effectively-dead/|access-date=2020-08-18|website=The Real Deal New York|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2020-08-18|title=Ending Member Privilege|url=https://www.city-journal.org/local-elections-matter-for-urban-jobs-and-housing|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819141952/https://www.city-journal.org/local-elections-matter-for-urban-jobs-and-housing |archive-date=2020-08-19 |access-date=2020-08-18|website=City Journal|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2020-07-28|title=Brooklyn councilman strikes down Industry City rezoning|url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-estate/brooklyn-councilman-strikes-down-industry-city-rezoning|access-date=2020-08-18|website=Crain's New York Business|language=en}}
Menchaca chaired the immigration committee in the city council and serves on the following committees: Recovery & Resiliency, Small Business, Standards & Ethics, General Welfare, and Transportation.{{cite web|url=http://politicker.com/2014/01/the-list-city-council-chairs-named/|title=The List: City Council Chairs Named|publisher=Politicker|date=January 22, 2014 |accessdate=February 2, 2014}} He formerly served as the chairman of the Brooklyn Council delegation.{{cite news |last=Hurowitz |first=Noah |url=http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/38/7/all-delegation-menchaca-out-2015-02-13-bk_38_7.html |title=Brooklyn pols: Red Hook councilman unfit to lead |work=Brooklyn Paper |date=2015-02-06 |accessdate=2015-09-27 }}
2021 mayoral campaign
{{main|2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary}}
On October 9, 2020, Menchaca registered a campaign with the New York City Campaign Finance Board and released a statement on social media about a potential run for mayor in the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. On October 22, he posted a video on his Twitter account officially announcing his candidacy for mayor.{{Cite web|last=Gartland|first=Michael|title=Brooklyn Councilman who blocked Industry City deal sets stage for NYC mayoral run|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-nyc-mayoral-race-carlos-menchaca-20201009-jfhdvltmyfby3po7imulwidehi-story.html|access-date=2020-10-09|website=nydailynews.com|date=9 October 2020 }}{{Cite web|last=Schindler|first=Paul|date=2020-10-09|title=Is Carlos Menchaca Running for Mayor?|url=https://www.gaycitynews.com/is-carlos-menchaca-running-for-mayor/|access-date=2020-10-09|website=Gay City News|language=en-US}} As of mid-January 2021, Menchaca had raised approximately $62,000 from donors, spent $48,000 on his campaign, and had about $14,500 left.{{Cite web|url=https://citylimits.org/2021/01/18/major-financial-disparities-among-citys-large-mayoral-field/|title=Major Financial Disparities in City's Large Mayoral Field|date=January 18, 2021|website=City Limits}} Menchaca ended his campaign on March 24, 2021 and later endorsed Andrew Yang for mayor.{{Cite web |url=https://gothamist.com/news/carlos-menchaca-calls-it-quits-crowded-race-nyc-mayor |title=Carlos Menchaca Calls It Quits in Crowded Race for NYC Mayor - Gothamist |access-date=2021-03-24 |archive-date=2021-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324133741/https://gothamist.com/news/carlos-menchaca-calls-it-quits-crowded-race-nyc-mayor |url-status=dead }}
Election results
| class="wikitable collapsible" |
| valign=bottom
! colspan=4 | Election history |
| valign=bottom
! Location ! Year ! Election ! Results |
| NYC Council District 38 | 2013 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic primary | √ Carlos Menchaca 58.80% |
|---|
| NYC Council District 38 | 2013 | {{party shading/hold}}|General | √ Carlos Menchaca 90.20% |
| NYC Council District 38 | 2017 | {{party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic primary | √ Carlos Menchaca 48.47% |
| NYC Council District 38 | 2017 | {{party shading/hold}}|General | √ Carlos Menchaca 82.27% |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://council.nyc.gov/d38/html/members/home.shtml Carlos Menchaca - New York City Council]
- [https://twitter.com/cmenchaca/ Carlos Menchaca on Twitter]
- [https://instagram.com/menchaca Carlos Menchaca on Instagram]
- [https://archive.today/20130918164341/http://www.victoryfund.org/endorsed_candidates/profile/candidate:1050 Endorsement] by the Victory Fund
{{S-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Sara M. Gonzalez}}
{{s-ttl|title=New York City Council, 38th district|years=2014–21}}
{{s-aft|after=Alexa Avilés}}
{{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menchaca, Carlos}}
Category:American gay politicians
Category:American LGBTQ city council members
Category:Politicians from El Paso, Texas
Category:American politicians of Mexican descent
Category:LGBTQ people from New York (state)
Category:New York City Council members
Category:LGBTQ Hispanic and Latino American people
Category:LGBTQ people from Texas
Category:New York (state) Democrats