NYC Council Elections 2021: Carmen De La Rosa Seeks Uptown Seat

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — Voters in Manhattan's 10th city council district, which includes Washington Heights and Inwood, will see eight names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those will be Carmen De La Rosa, a local Assembly Member and former Chief of Staff to Ydanis Rodriguez, who is among the Democrats seeking to replace her former term-limited boss.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. De La Rosa's responses are below.

Carmen De La Rosa

Age (as of Election Day)

35

Position Sought

City Council District 10

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)

Inwood

Family

My daughter Mia is 7 years old.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Fordham University

Occupation

NYS Assembly Member 2017-Present

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

NYS Assembly Member

Campaign website

carmenfornyc.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

New York City will have a completely new government after these elections. With our city devastated by the pandemic, the stakes are too high to sit this election out. I have fought hard in Albany for our community and I believe I have the leadership skills required to make sure our community will not be further excluded from the recovery and will instead continue to flourish. I draw inspiration from the plight of our community-- a community that has been resilient in the face of historic exclusion from government. We have an opportunity to transform city government in 2022 and create a government that is reflective of the values of equity and progress.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Housing. We must prioritize an affordable housing preservation plan to ensure that we can halt mass displacement and preserve our existing affordable housing stock. As a NYC Council Member we must also ensure that Mayoral appointees to the Rent Guidelines Board are committed to a vision of affordability that includes keeping rents affordable in our city. Proposed rezonings must include truly affordable housing without unrealistic income requirements that exclude the poorest members of our community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am the only candidate in this race that has earned the trust of this community as an elected official. When I first ran for the NYS Assembly, I primaried a longtime incumbent whom I felt was no longer meeting the needs of the community. Since then, I have supported some of the most progressive policies Albany has ever passed including the NYS Dream Act, landmark tenant protections, and a $2.1 Billion Fund for Excluded Workers. I have what it takes to build citywide coalitions and deliver the results our community desperately needs.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

NA

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

As a NYS Assembly Member, my staff and I worked tirelessly to make sure our community got the help it needed. We assisted with hundreds of unemployment applications, donated PPE and groceries to families, and distributed school supplies to assist students with remote learning. I sounded the alarm upon discovery of a vaccine desert north of 135th Street and new sites were quickly added Uptown including the Armory. For many months, our office was the only government office Uptown offering in-person constituent services. I also secured passage of a $2.1 Billion Fund for Excluded Workers, providing aid to workers previously ineligible for government benefits. We need to ensure an inclusive, equitable recovery from the pandemic. As we recover, we must push for rent relief to avoid an eviction crisis and continued support for the small businesses that make our community so vibrant.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My campaign is centered around equity and our community getting the respect it deserves from City Hall. We need to make sure our schools are fully funded and our students have access to the resources they need whether it is multilingual learners programs, access to arts education, or sports facilities. We need to support the workers who have kept our city running throughout the pandemic including bolstering labor unions and access to fair wages and healthcare. There is so much work to be done in this City and I will always be a champion for my Uptown community and neighbors.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a NYS Assembly Member, I have championed some of the most progressive legislation Albany has passed. I was the main sponsor of the NYS DREAM ACT which opened the doors for thousands of undocumented students to attend college. I have also championed criminal justice reform. I routinely conduct unannounced trips to correctional facilities to ensure humane treatment of incarcerated people and have co-sponsored legislation to reform our parole system. Most recently, I sponsored a first-in-the-nation $2.1 Billion Excluded Workers Fund to provide unemployment benefits to those previously ineligible. Finally, my dedicated staff serves thousands of neighbors each year and our office has served as a hub for our community even during the pandemic.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice shared with me is to lead with my heart and compassion. To always make an effort to listen to my community and deliver based on their needs.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have lived in Inwood my entire life and I am proud to also raise my daughter in this community. In 2016, the community I love placed its trust in me to represent it in the NYS Assembly and it has been the honor of my life. I hope the community renews its faith in my leadership and allows me to fight for its progress in City Hall.