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Marjorie Velázquez

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Marjorie Velázquez
Member of the New York City Council
from the 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byMark Gjonaj
Personal details
Born (1981-08-11) August 11, 1981 (age 43)[1]
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Throggs Neck, Bronx
EducationNYU Stern School of Business (BA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Marjorie Velázquez (born August 11, 1981) is an American politician from New York City. A Democrat, Velázquez is currently a member of the New York City Council representing the 13th district, which covers parts of the eastern Bronx.

Early life

Velázquez was born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents who had moved to New York City in the 1970s. She graduated from St. Catharine Academy and received her B.A. in finance and accounting from the New York University Stern School of Business.[2]

Political career

Pre-Council career

After working for several years in the world of accounting and corporate finance, Velázquez was seriously injured in a 2012 car accident, which she has said inspired her involvement in political activism. Velázquez soon joined Bronx Community Board 10 and was elected as a Democratic district leader for the 82nd Assembly district, a position she still holds.[3]

2017 City Council campaign

In 2017, Velázquez ran to succeed term-limited Democrat James Vacca in the 13th district of the New York City Council.[4] With support from Vacca and The New York Times, among others, Velázquez was seen as one of the race's frontrunners.[5]

Velázquez's main opponent in the Democratic primary was Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, who ran to Velázquez's right and spent over $700,000, a record for a City Council campaign.[6] Outgunned by Gjonaj's heavy spending and name recognition from his time in the Assembly, Velázquez lost the primary by a 38-34% margin, with three other candidates taking the remainder.[7] Soon after losing, Velázquez indicated she would be back, saying, "Would I ever run again? Most definitely."[8]

2021 City Council campaign

Velázquez announced in 2020 that she would seek a 2021 rematch with Gjonaj, citing the repeated scandals Gjonaj found himself combating during his first term.[9][10][11] In February 2021, however, Gjonaj announced he would not seek re-election, saying that the political climate was "not favorable to a centrist ideology that my constituency, community and I embrace."[12]

Now running for an open seat, Velázquez was able to amass much of the support she had lacked four years earlier, including that of the Bronx Democratic Party and of nearly every local elected official.[13] Velázquez won the five-way Democratic primary in June 2021, won the subsequent November 2021 general election with a near-identical 56.3% of the vote, and took office in January 2022.[14][15][16]

In 2022, Velázquez protested against turning an unused building on Jacobi Medical Center’s campus into housing for ex-convicts with complex medical needs (such as Stage 4 cancer or congestive heart failure).[17]

Personal life

Velázquez lives in Throggs Neck with her husband, Jeff, and their three cats.[2]

References

  1. ^ @mvelaznyc (August 11, 2020). "It's my birthday! Let's make it a great one as I run for the City Council to give our families a voice and a fighting chance. Any amount helps, support us today!". Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "About Marjorie". Marjorie Velázquez City Council 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "Group trains women to run for office and lead". FOX 5 New York. January 17, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  4. ^ Gloria Pazmino (November 18, 2016). "Bronx district leader in the running to replace Vacca in Council". Politico New York. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  5. ^ The New York Times Editorial Board (September 1, 2017). "Primary Choices for the New York City Council". The New York Times. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Zack Fink (September 8, 2017). "Five-way Bronx race easily most expensive City Council battle this year". Spectrum News NY1. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Wendy Joan Biddlecombe, David Cruz, and Reggie Francois (September 13, 2017). "Gjonaj and Cabrera Secure Primary Wins". Norwood News. Retrieved July 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Grace Dixon (October 23, 2017). "Looking Back, and Ahead, with Women Who Lost City Council Races". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  9. ^ Shant Shahrigian (August 9, 2020). "Marjorie Velazquez looks to unseat 'ethically challenged' Bronx Councilman Mark Gjonaj". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  10. ^ Ese Olumhense (January 7, 2020). "Advisor to City Council's Mark Gjonaj Quits as City Island Feud Festers". The City. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  11. ^ Amanda Luz Henning Santiago (March 10, 2020). "Councilman Mark Gjonaj's many unflattering headlines". City & State. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  12. ^ Jeff Coltin (February 17, 2021). "Mark Gjonaj will not run for reelection to New York City Council". City & State. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  13. ^ Jeanmarie Evelly (April 27, 2021). "Five Candidates Face Off for Newly-Open Council Seat in East Bronx's District 13". City Limits. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  14. ^ Jason Cohen (July 13, 2021). "Marjorie Velázquez declares victory in historic City Council primary race". Bronx Times. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  15. ^ @mvelaznyc (June 23, 2021). "When they go low, we WIN! Thank you to the incredible #VelaSquad, unions, community groups, every single person who helped us be one of the few races called last night. Let's take this decisive victory and continue to deliver in November and next year on the City Council". Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "General Election 2021 - Member of the City Council, 13th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  17. ^ "NYC is desperate to house the homeless. A bitter fight in the Bronx over housing people leaving Rikers shows why that's so hard". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
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