With ranchero boots, this is how councilman Carlos Menchaca wanted to show his Mexican pride on the day he announced his intention to run for mayor.
“What I know in my heart, that immigrants, Latinos, are part of that future and we need a big voice,” Menchaca said.
If he succeeds, he would be the second Latino to become mayor after almost a century and the first of Mexican origin. Menchaca has been on the city council for 8 years representing neighborhoods like Red Hook and Sunset Park in Brooklyn.
Among his achievements as a legislator is being behind the IDNYC or municipal identification.
Now this bicycle enthusiast is presented with an agenda focused on relaunching the economy after the crisis caused by the pandemic.
And with his sights set on the immigrant community, he assures that he wants to promote initiatives to grant more permits to street vendors and more resources for essential workers.
“They need the focus of the city with resources, respect and new laws to grow that economy,” added Menchaca.
In his candidacy announcement video, Menchaca highlights his personal experience growing up as the son of a single mother and an immigrant. That experience, he said, will lead him to fight for New York to remain a sanctuary city and to improve the quality of life for immigrant families.
Menchaca is against the installation of jails in the counties, he would eliminate this plan of the Blasio Administration, he said.
“It was a moment where I understood very clearly that the communities did not want those prisons and when I am mayor we are going to review those plans to do something different.”
And to get to the mayor’s office, he is aware of the importance of the Latino vote.
“There we can achieve the power to change what has happened in the administration for many years by not focusing on Latinos who live here, who work here and who are born here,” Menchaca explained.
The next mayoral election will be in November 2021. Currently among the candidates are Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and several others. As the only Latino candidate, Menchaca hopes the results will be in his favor.
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