Village Independent Democrats Endorse 'Tireless Worker' Marte

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NY — Village Independent Democrats (VID) hosted a candidate forum Thursday night for City Council in District 1, and a couple of hours later announced its endorsement of Christopher Marte.

A total of 69.6 percent of VID members voted to endorse Marte for the position. He has already been endorsed by Downtown Independent Democrats, Grand Street Democrats, and The New York City Asian American Democratic Club.

Marte is a community organizer who has also worked in finance since graduating from college. He was born and raised in the Lower East Side, where his father owned a bodega that eventually had to close because of consistent rent spikes.

Marte ran a strong campaign for the City Council 1 position in 2017, which he ended up losing by 200 votes to longtime representative Council Member Margaret Chin.

"We are exceptionally proud to endorse Christopher Marte for City Council," said David Sifert, President of Village Independent Democrats, in a news release. "Chris is everything you could want in a councilmember — smart, dedicated, open-minded and hearted, and most importantly, a tireless worker for his community. People like Chris are the reason I know that New York can survive whatever the world throws at it."

Village Independent Democrats is based in Greenwich Village and was first founded as a political club in 1957.

"I am honored and excited to have the support of Village Independent Democrats. They are as committed to policy as they are to voter outreach," Marte said in a news release. "As a club, they have been dedicated advocates for immigrant justice, tenants' rights, and the environment. I have deep respect for so many of their members, and know that together we are going to lead Lower Manhattan into a better future."

District 1 covers the majority of Lower Manhattan, including Battery Park, Chinatown, SoHo, the South Village, and Washington Square.