Endorsements: Ronnie Cho & Vanessa Aronson for NYC City Council
We’re so proud to endorse Ronnie Cho for NYC City Council, District 2, and Vanessa Aronson, District 4, ahead of the September 12th city-wide elections.
Ronnie Cho is the son of immigrants and a lifelong public servant devoted to progressive causes impacting New Yorkers. Ronnie was one of the first organizers on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign beginning in Iowa and followed President Obama to the White House where he served as associate director in the Office of Public Engagement. When Ronnie left DC he moved back to the East Village and took on the role of vice president and head of public affairs at MTV where he lead the company’s social impact campaigns and spends his free time mentoring school children through Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, served on the Creative Council of Emily’s List, and as a board member of the Alliance for Youth Organizing.
We highlighted Ronnie earlier this summer as part of our Why We Run series:
Vanessa Aronson has dedicated her life to public service. She served the United States as a diplomat in the Foreign Service in Indonesia, Vietnam, and to the UN, and then returned to New York City to become a public school teacher. Having overcome mobility issues as a child, Vanessa is a passionate advocate for accessibility in New York. A leader in the fight for high-quality, culturally responsive public education, Vanessa also works to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers. Vanessa has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard and wrote a policy memo analyzing policy solutions specifically for District 4, “18 Solutions for 2018,” available on her website: www.vanessataronson.com/18_solutions.
Ross Morales Rocketto, co-founder, says it best:
“We are excited to add Ronnie and Vanessa to our slate of New York City Council candidates. Both of these individuals represent public service — not just in words, but also in action. We’re so proud to stand with them in their upcoming elections on September 12th.”
Run for Something has previously endorsed more than 70 candidates across 19 states — find the full list at www.runforsomething.net/candidates.
Our New York City slate also includes:
Amanda Farias — New York City Council, District 18
Bronx, New York
https://www.amandafarias.nyc/
Amanda Farias is a lifelong Democrat and Bronxite of District 18 and is running for New York City Council to bring fresh, new leadership to her community. She believes in building an inclusive economy that will uplift middle-class families, women, youth, seniors, and communities of color out of poverty. With her extensive experience in the New York City Council, Amanda understands how City government operates and knows exactly how to make sure the Bronx gets the support and resources it deserves.
Christopher Marte — New York City Council, District 1
New York, New York
www.martenyc.com
Christopher was born in the Lower East Side, where his parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic. His work in finance and experience in the community inspired him to help previously incarcerated people start their own small businesses. Christopher is running for City Council to combat the history of corruption in Lower Manhattan politics, to prove that a seat can be won without the influence of special interests, and to improve the quality of life for the generations of immigrants who call District 1 their home.
Marjorie Velazquez — New York City Council, District 13
Bronx, New York
http://www.marjorievelazquez.com/
Marjorie Velázquez was born and raised in the Bronx to parents who migrated from Puerto Rico in the 1970s. After going to school in the Bronx, and attending NYU for accounting and finance, Marjorie spent about a decade in a career as an accountant at DirectTV Latin America, managing the books for 16 different countries. Unfortunately, Marjorie’s time there was cut short when she suffered from two major accidents that led to seven surgeries and many years of physical therapy. After having to deal with the healthcare bureaucracy, Marjorie became heavily involved in her community, becoming Treasurer of Community Board 10, being elected the first woman of color to be District Leader in AD82, and started groups like Bronx Women United to keep women civically active. Now, Marjorie is fighting to put families first in her community and represent District 13 with the support of the current City Council Member for the district, James Vacca.
