Bio

A lifelong resident of Brooklyn, born at Woodhull Hospital in Bedford Stuyvesant to Dominican Immigrants. Raised in Cypress Hills / East New York attending and graduating from New York City public schools P.S. 108, I.S. 302, and Franklin K. Lane High School. Attended Queens College and graduated with a Bachelors degree in English. On September 13th, 2011, elected as the representative of the 54th NYS Assembly District, becoming the first Dominican elected into state office in Brooklyn and the youngest member of the state legislature. In 2014 sworn in to the NYC Council. In his first term fought to secure unprecedented investments of over a quarter of a billion dollars to ENY Brooklyn, to deal with historically neglected socioeconomic issues, crumbling infrastructure and affordable housing. In his midterm, fought to secure over $5 million in funding in social services to support Holocaust Survivors living in poverty. Finished his first term by creating the office of Nightlife, the position of “Night Mayor” and repealing the 91 yr old notorious cabaret law to support and foster NYC’s iconic nightlife. At the end of 2017, named a New Yorker of the Year by Time Out Magazine. On Jan 2018 sworn in to a second term and focused on socioeconomic, food policy and climate issues.