City/Town of Residence
New York
Education
B.S., Cornell University; J.D., Boston University School of Law
Experience and Qualifications
Community Board 1 member; Transportation Committee Co-Chair
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Key Endorsements
United Democratic Organization, Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, Stonewall Democrats, Abundance New York, Open New York, NYU College Democrats
Campaign Telephone Number
6467270437
Campaign Office Address
105 Duane Street
CampaignWebsite
jessfornewyork.com
Instagram
instagram.com/jesskcoleman
1. Skyrocketing housing costs
2. Streets and subways that feel chaotic and less safe
3. High storefront vacancies and neglected public spaces
Fix the housing crisis by unrigging the system. Our housing market is broken by design. The rules have been written to benefit wealthy landlords and homeowners while locking out everyone else. I’ll fight to legalize basement apartments and ADUs, eliminate exclusionary zoning, and streamline approvals for affordable and mixed-income housing. I’ll also fight to strengthen tenant protections and make it easier for everyday New Yorkers to stay in their homes.
Make our streets and subways safe and functional. I’ll push for universal daylighting, better street design, subway staffing, mental health response teams, and real enforcement against placard abuse and reckless driving.
Rebuild clean, vibrant neighborhoods. I’ll invest in sanitation, reform the outdoor dining program to support small businesses, and cut red tape so neighborhoods stay lively, walkable, and full of life—not trash bags and empty storefronts.
1. Build on the progress of City of Yes, eliminating parking mandates citywide and increasing the allowed housing density near outer-borough train stations.
2. Crack down on illegal placard parking by instituting citizen enforcement of parking violations.
3. Expand outdoor dining to include a year round options so more restaurants can participate.
The most ambitious goal I’d like to achieve is to solve New York’s housing crisis by putting people before outdated rules and entrenched interests. That means building hundreds of thousands of homes—by ending parking mandates, outlawing single-family zoning, legalizing more housing near transit, and upzoning areas that have long gotten a free pass while others shouldered the burden. It also means taking power out of the hands of greedy landlords and giving it to the people—by expanding community land trusts that let tenants own, control, and shape their futures. Housing is a right, not a luxury, and our public policy should reflect it.
The biggest obstacles are local politicians who talk progressive but vote to block progress—like the incumbent, who’s opposed housing developments across the district, voted against City of Yes, and is even trying to stop 100% affordable housing on city-owned land. Add to that the entrenched interests—landlords and gatekeepers—who benefit from a rigged, exclusionary system and will fight to keep things exactly as they are. If we want to fix the housing crisis, we need leaders willing to take them on—and actually build a city that works for everyone.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
City/Town of Residence
New York City
Current Political Office (if applicable)
Council Member for District 1
Education
Bachelor of Arts in International Economics and Politics from LIU Global
Experience and Qualifications
Current Council Member Representing District 1 Lower Manhattan
Community Involvement
Co-founded Neighbors United Below Canal and a Residential Green Committee in NYCHA LES Infill 2
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Key Endorsements
Assembly Members Lee, Fall, and Glick, Planned Parenthood, UAW Region 9A, Working Families Party, Downtown Independent Democrats, Grand St Dems, Three Bridges Democratic Club
Campaign Telephone Number
6269869848
Campaign Office Address
75 E Broadway Unit 116, New York, NY 10002
CampaignWebsite
www.votemarte.com/
Instagram
@chrismartenyc
Anti-displacement, Healthcare and Workers' Rights, and Climate Change
Anti-Displacement:
My focus is on building affordable housing that is truly affordable for our communities, such as the 100% affordable development I advocated for that is now open on Broome Street. I am committed to protecting NYCHA Section 9 residents by opposing the conversion to RAD/PACT and the Trust. I will also advocate for land use policies that prevent luxury developments from displacing our neighbors, ensure that every tenant has a secure lease and a safe home, and that laws that were put in place to protect tenants are actually enforced. My office has been extremely successful in stopping illegal evictions by ensuring that tenants know their rights, are able to find lawyers, and even have my council’s staff join them in housing court when needed. We have also supported community coalitions against luxury towers that have been forced onto neighborhoods by hosting town halls, rallies, and negotiating with developers.
Healthcare & Workers’ Rights:
Home care workers, many of whom are immigrant women, caring for our elders should not be forced to work 24-hour shifts. I am proud to be the sponsor of the No More 24 Act to end these brutal working conditions, which has grown into a citywide movement against long working hours and the corrosion of the 8-hour workday. At the same time, retirees who worked for New York City are now having their promised Medicare coverage stripped from them–as Eric Adams is trying to force them to switch to Medicare Advantage. This move can deny healthcare coverage, make people’s doctors out of network, while allowing insurance companies to make more money, so I introduced Intro 1096 to stop the transition. These two issues impact millions of New Yorkers and demonstrate how our health and workers rights are under threat.
Climate Change:
I am dedicated to creating more green spaces in our communities, prioritizing parks and community gardens over concrete playgrounds or toxic paved-over sites. I will advocate for planting trees in every corner of the district and investing in community composting and resilience projects that are community-driven and environmentally sustainable. In my 3.5 years in office, I have been able to achieve many of these goals, opening 2 new parks, defending Elizabeth Street Garden from destruction, and planting 500 new street trees.
My top three priorities in the first 100 days will be pushing for the Chinatown Working Group rezoning plan with the next mayoral administration, to increase funding for resiliency projects, and to pass the No More 24 Act to end the suffering of home care workers.
Even before I came into office, I have supported community-based rezoning plans that protect our neighborhoods, create truly affordable housing, and make sure that real estate developers don't have free reign to build empty skyscrapers that displace longtime tenants and small businesses. From Chinatown/the Lower East Side to the Seaport and Tribeca soon, the community has introduced rezoning plans tailored to their historic neighborhoods that I am fully supportive of passing.
Even in this re-election, we can see how real estate developers and their supporters try many different tactics to continue to build luxury housing that is not affordable to the residents of Lower Manhattan. I will continue to advocate for what my constituents need: truly affordable housing, not the luxury towers that developers want to build.
City/Town of Residence
New York, NY
Current Political Office (if applicable)
none
Education
Master of Arts in Urban Affairs, Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Experience and Qualifications
20+ years of service with MTA New York City Transit. Currently I am a Director of Expense Analysis for Service Delivery, Operations Support, Dept of Subways. Previously I was Senior Director of Transit Authority Labor Support Services, Dept of Capital Program Management, I managed all facets of track access for capital projects. I was in the USMC Reserve 1995 to 2001 (Sergeant, Ground Radio Repair).
Community Involvement
Currently I am a Community Board 1 Member, Member of Transportation and Street Activities, and Parks and Waterfront committees. From 2021 to 2024, I was Vice President and Treasurer of the Board at Southbridge Towers Cooperative Inc.
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Key Endorsements
TBD
Campaign Telephone Number
5164597086
Campaign Office Address
N/A
CampaignWebsite
ericyufornyc.com
Instagram
instagram.com/ericyufornyc
#1 - Improve utilization and resiliency of the transportation infrastructure for surface, subterranean, marine and aviation. NYC needs to focus on the movement of goods and services to improve the quality-of-life residents and facilitate economic vitality for residents and businesses.
#2 – Homeless shelter services, as well as mental and substance abuse services, are needed to “help thy neighbor”. However, transparency on demographics [what caused homelessness] of those seeking assistance, specific cost per person, previous address [NYC residents?], and % of people who transition to independence, are essential to evaluate the efficacy of these city-funded services.
#3 – Borough-based jails (BBJ) are not a substitution for Rikers Island. Rikers provides the capacity, and physical separation from NYC's residents and businesses. BBJ are a danger in case of escapes, and do not resolve the current management crisis, and transparency required at the Dept of Corrections.
#1 - Serve on the Transportation & Infra. Committee. Residents and businesses need low-cost, resilient and expedient options. Open Park Row to public use w/o restrictions. The NYCDOT must use its creativity to increase efficient, equitable, and safe movement of people and goods.
#2 - End the (15+ year) emergency declaration on homelessness, which allows any NYC Mayor to use the emergency RFP process to de facto site homeless shelters at will, and without adherence to ULURP. Propose legislation to require a 500-ft distance of any homeless shelter to a school (with students under 18 years of age): the homeless shelter for 320 Pearl St (Peck Slip School) would be illegal, and would not happen to any other school.
#3 - I would negotiate with other city councilpersons and the mayor to rescind the law to close Rikers, as well as offer changes to bring transparency of the management of Rikers; they also need to know that keeping Rikers operational will save precious funds.
Establish an Efficient and Effective City Council District 1 Staff and Office - Open the district office; hire and organize staff, in particular the Chief of Staff; initiate training and team building. Provide constituent services to navigate government agencies and ensure the constituents are being treated fairly.
Meet with Constituents and Community Groups - Keep abreast of the evolving needs of the community. Initiate or receive communication with community groups. Be aware and participate in community meetings/events, such as Community Board meetings and special events.
Establish Communication with District and Elected Officials: Open lines of communication with the mayor's office, the other city council members, including the City Council Speaker, the Borough President, Public Advocate, City Controller, and other elected officials serving district one (i.e., NYS Senate and Assembly members, and Federal offices). Seek and confirm assignment to committees of the City Council.
Besides the aforementioned three priorities facing this district, my main goal is to ensure my constituents receive the city (and MTA) services and benefits that they are entitled with an emphasis on public safety. This means monitoring and reviewing the services provided by the city agencies and MTA. If these city services are performed efficiently, effectively and routinely, then this will allow NYC residents and businesses to thrive, which will foster economic vitality - and opportunity - for all of us.
The impediments are apathy, a hyperego (among any party, including oneself), lack of attention-to-detail, personal greed, and lack of willpower. I believe all of these impediments can be overcome if people are truly committed to serving the public. Overcoming these impediments also requires voters to carefully select and scrutinize their elected representatives: if you select candidates without integrity and the aforementioned traits, then there will be no improvement.
