Jennifer Gutiérrez (politician)

Jennifer Gutiérrez (born September 14, 1986) is an American politician and community organizer currently serving as the council member for the 34th district in the New York City Council. The district includes portions of Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Ridgewood, Queens.[1]

Jennifer Gutiérrez
Member of the New York City Council
from the 34th district
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byAntonio Reynoso
Personal details
Born (1986-09-14) September 14, 1986 (age 38)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationState University of New York, Albany (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

A Queens-born daughter of immigrants from Colombia, Gutiérrez is the first Colombian-American member of the New York City Council.[2] She resides in Bushwick.[3]

Early life and education

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Gutiérrez was born and raised in Queens. Her parents emigrated from Colombia in the 1980s.[4] She grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Queens with her mother, father and sister.[5] She attended Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, and later attended and graduated from SUNY Albany with a B.A. in political science.

Career

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In 2012, Gutiérrez became involved in politics with the Arizona Democratic Party as a field organizer. In 2013, she became a field organizer for the New York City Council Office of Diana Reyna.

Campaigns

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In 2013, Gutiérrez was the campaign manager for Antonio Reynoso's successful campaign for New York City Council.[6] In 2016, she managed Nydia Velazquez's successful re-election bid for Congress.

New York City Council

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Gutiérrez served as the chief of staff to City Council Member Antonio Reynoso from 2014 until 2021, and led eight cycles of Participatory Budgeting, which resulted in over $5 million in investments in public spaces such as schools, streets, parks, and NYCHA.[7] Gutiérrez played a leading role in passing the Right to Know Act, which brought transparency to police stops, as well as the Waste Equity Bill, which reduced the amount of trash trucks and the associated pollution in North Brooklyn.[8][9]

Elected office

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Gutiérrez won a primary election in June 2021 by a wide margin in a rank choice voting election[10][11] and was elected to represent Council District 34 in November 2021.[8] Gutiérrez is the first Colombian-American member of the New York City Council.[12] She has been appointed chairperson of the Committee on Technology.

Personal life

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Gutiérrez and her husband have one child, born in November 2021. She lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn with her family.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "District 34". Jennifer Gutiérrez. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  2. ^ Daley, David; Litman, Amanda (July 9, 2021). "Sorry, haters: Ranked-choice voting produced the most diverse city council in NYC history". Salon. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  3. ^ Duggan, Kevin (February 1, 2021). "2021 Elections: Who's running for City Council in the 34th District • Brooklyn Paper". www.brooklynpaper.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  4. ^ "Ready for Office". New York City News Service. 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  5. ^ a b Sandoval, Tasha (2021-10-29). "Prepping for City Council: A Q&A With Jennifer Gutiérrez". Bushwick Daily. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  6. ^ Schroeder, Jackson (2021-10-20). "Who's Running for City Council In Bushwick? Meet The Candidates in Your District". Bushwick Daily. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  7. ^ Vintro, Carmen (2021-06-04). "Close Ally Has Inside Track in Race to Replace North Brooklyn City Council Member". Gotham Gazette. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  8. ^ a b Lewis, M. E. (2021-11-03). "Meet Jennifer Gutiérrez, the New 34th District Representative". Bushwick Daily. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  9. ^ Johnson, Stephon (2019-10-24). "Treated like trash: report shows how commercial waste lands in poor, Black and Brown hoods". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  10. ^ Vintro, Carmen (2021-08-02). "Public Safety Focus Could Look Different with Majority-Women City Council". Gotham Gazette. Archived from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  11. ^ Brachfeld, Ben; Verde, Ben; McGoldrick, Meaghan (2021-06-24). "Here Are the Brooklyn City Council Election Results So Far". Brownstoner. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  12. ^ Litman, Amanda; Daley, David (2021-07-09). "Sorry, haters: Ranked-choice voting produced the most diverse city council in NYC history". Salon. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
Political offices
Preceded by Member of the New York City Council
from the 34th district

2022–present
Incumbent