Council Member Carlos Menchaca Launches Bid For NYC Mayor

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Brooklyn Council Member Carlos Menchaca has launched a bid for New York City mayor, offering a progressive option in the crowded race to replace Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2021.

Menchaca — whose represents Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood Heights and parts of Borough Park, Dyker Heights and Windsor Terrace — would be the first Latino and first openly-gay mayor to represent New York City should he be elected.

The council member, who is term-limited, laid out his progressive vision for the city with a campaign video in both English and Spanish on Thursday.

"These are undoubtedly challenging times but we must rise to that challenge with a bold progressive plan and not retreat to the status quo that has failed us," Menchaca said. "We need a mayor to stand up to the wealthy and powerful and put our communities first."

Menchaca, who chairs the City Council's Committee on Immigration, has most recently made headlines for his fight against the Industry City rezoning proposal in Sunset Park, which developers pulled citing the political pushback.

He alluded to the rezoning in his campaign video, saying New Yorkers are losing their homes to "this recession, this pandemic and wealthy developers who rezone our neighborhoods so they can add another zero to their net worth."

In City Council, Menchaca authored the City's IDNYC program, the country's largest municipal identification program and was among the council members this year who voted against the 2021 budget amid a fight to defund and re-invest $1 billion from the NYPD.

“I have served on the city council for seven years fighting against economic inequality, heartbreaking deportations and systemic racism," Menchaca said Thursday. "I have seen first hand what works in City government and what must be improved. This fight is personal for me.”

Menchaca joins City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and former de Blasio aid Maya Wiley in the race for mayor. He so far is the only City Council member to launch a bid for the citywide office. Council Speaker Corey Johnson dropped out of the mayoral race last month.