Council District 38 includes the neighborhoods of Red Hook, Sunset Park, and Greenwood Heights and parts of Windsor Terrace, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park. The current Council Member is Carlos Menchaca, who is term-limited (and running for Mayor). It has the largest Asian-American population of any Brooklyn Council district, as well as a large community of Spanish speakers. This is a waterfront district, coping with loss of industry and many environmental injustices.
ALEXA AVILES
About the candidate: A resident of the district for nearly two decades and a Democratic Socialist, Alexa’s platform is rooted in the community she hopes to serve. She wants to shift control over real estate development to the community with alternative models for land use and significant local-hire and living wage provisions. She also plans to strengthen protections for and expand municipal voting rights to undocumented immigrants.
What stands out about her platform: Alexa wants to strengthen healthcare-related community-based organizations that work directly with district residents, and advocate for a Community Health Advisory Table to plan and implement new community health policies.
Where you can learn more:
RODRIGO CAMARENA
About the candidate: Rodrigo is an immigrant New Yorker and proud parent with 15 years of experience as an immigrant advocate, community organizer, and civic leader. He is a longtime member of NKD. Rodrigo recognizes that NYC is unjust by design due to politicians having let private interests dictate decisions around land use, education, healthcare, and criminal justice, at the expense of communities of color and working families. His goals include guaranteeing housing, abolishing the police state, expanding immigrant rights, and fighting for environmental justice.
What stands out about their platform: Rodrigo believes radical structural change is possible and necessary to improve the lives of district residents.
Where you can learn more:
YU LIN
About the candidate: Yu is an adult day care operator in Sunset Park and has lived in the district for the past 20 years.
What stands out about their platform: If elected, he hopes to develop land around the 8th Avenue subway station.
Where you can learn more:
JACQUI PAINTER
About the candidate: Jacqui is a Red Hook native and the founder of Red Hook Relief, a mutual aid group formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her platform focuses on housing as a basic human right for all New Yorkers, and she seeks to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
What stands out about their platform: Jacqui supports rent stabilization and rent control for small businesses, including special recognition and aid for immigrant-owned businesses.
Where you can learn more:
CESAR ZUNIGA
About the candidate: Cesar is the son of Mexican immigrants who has been in the education field throughout his professional career as a teacher, education commissioner, and early child development director. He is the chair of Community Board 7, where he organized extensive research, presentations, and testimony so that the community would be well-informed about the proposed Industry City rezoning. His campaign is focused on housing, education, and job support, with many details specific to the district and how it is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
What stands out about his platform: He wants to create a program that allows residents to use Section 8 vouchers to make mortgage payments and retain ownership.
Where you can learn more:
Several other candidates filed but have limited information about their campaigns available online and may no longer be in the race, including: Ronald Ferdinand, Erik Frankel, Samuel Sierra, and Victor Swinton.