Christopher Marte
Christopher Marte is an American politician and community activist. Marte currently serves as the State Committee Member for the 65th Assembly District in Lower Manhattan. [1] After winning the Democratic primary in 2018 by a margin of 64.5% to 34.8%, [2] he was endorsed by the New York Progressive Action Network [3], the Grand Street Democrats [4], and the Downtown Independent Democrats[5].
Marte was born on the Lower East Side, where his parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic.[6] As of December 2019, he is a candidate for City Council in the 2021 Democratic primary in District 1. Before running for office, Marte worked for IBM's retirement fund as an investment analyst and trader.[7] He also served on the young professional board of Defy Ventures, where he helped previously incarcerated individuals create businesses and encouraged them to become positive influencers in their communities.[7] In addition, Marte coached and mentored the “Twin Dragons,” the M.S. 131 co-ed basketball team located in Chinatown.[7] He received a B.A. in International Politics from Long Island University Global College while studying in China, Japan, England, and Costa Rica.[7]
In 2019, Marte co-founded Neighbors United Below Canal,[8] a local advocacy group against the mega jail on White Street and led over a thousand demonstrators as they marched through Chinatown’s narrow streets demanding that the City Council reject the de Blasio administration’s plan for replacing Rikers Island jails with a new jail tower in each of the boroughs except Staten Island.[9] Marte also helped build two community gardens on NYCHA property[7] and is a member of the Downtown Independent Democrats, Save Our Seaport[10], LES United, among other organizations[7].
Marte supports, in its entirety, the Chinatown Working Group Plan.[11] Zoning like the Chinatown working group plan accounts for the rich cultures of Lower Manhattan, and will put in place further protections against tenant harassment that can displace hundreds of residents, many of which are artists.[12]
In 1997, Marte was fortunate to be part of the First Fringe Festival Performance “Camino Real”, where he played a dead child in the dream sequence.[12]
References
- ↑ "State Committee Members | Manhattan Democratic Party".
- ↑ "Wendy Li, Christopher Marte Victorious in Primary Election". The Lo-Down : News from the Lower East Side. September 14, 2018.
- ↑ "Candidates – 2018 Primary Election". New York Progressive Action Network.
- ↑ "Endorsements Archives".
- ↑ "DID Endorsements for the 2018 September 13th Primary". DID.
- ↑ "Marte's journey comes full circle in City Council race". The Villager. May 18, 2017.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 "District Leaders & State Committee". DID.
- ↑ Marte, Coss; Marte, Christopher (September 27, 2019). "Opinion: NYC Should Learn from LA Before Building New Jails". City Limits.
- ↑ "1,000 Demonstrators in Chinatown March Against City's Mega-Jail Plan | Tribeca Trib Online". tribecatrib.com.
- ↑ "'Poison parking lot' protest". www.nypress.com.
- ↑ "Today, the Hottest Star in the Downtown Art Scene Is a 28-Year-Old Candidate for New York City Council". artnet News. November 6, 2017.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Meet the League's Endorsed Candidate: Christopher Marte". League of Independent Theater.
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