For the first time since 2009, most of NoHo has a new representative in City government, Councilmember Chris Marte. If you are above Fourth Street and on the east side of Broadway or further east, you are represented by Councilmember Carlina Rivera, who is now in her second term in office.
To stay up-to-date with CM Marte, we recommend following him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. His official NYC Council website is still being built out, but you can check it for updates here. If you need to get in touch with his office, reach out via phone to 212-587-3159 or by emailing district1@council.nyc.gov.
Read his official biography to learn more about CM Marte, why he ran for office, and his deep history in the community:
Marte was born and raised on the Lower East Side, where his dad owned a bodega. When he wasn’t stacking cans, he attended local public schools and after-school programs.
Eventually, his dad’s store had to close because of rent hikes, and Christopher started to see the community he loved get torn apart by luxury development and corrupt politicians. He decided to take action.
Christopher co-founded two community gardens in NYCHA while the state refused to fund their repairs. He volunteered at the Bowery Mission as he saw more and more affordable apartments get converted into luxury condos. It was through doing this work that he learned so many of our problems came from the same source. We had elected officials who lined their pockets with real estate money and who prioritized political gain over people. So he decided to run for City Council in 2017.
Though he fell short by 200 votes, Christopher’s campaign united people across the district. He was able to bring together neighbors who lived only a quarter mile away from each other, but had never had a reason to work together before. His campaign created a culture of unity because he ran on a platform of change.
Professionally, Christopher started his career managing IBM’s retirement funds while paying off his student loans. As he continued to work in finance, he served on the Young Professionals Board of Defy Ventures — where he guided formerly incarcerated people through the process of starting their own small businesses. Christopher went on to work as a legal researcher at an immigration law firm, before learning about local politics and eventually running for City Council. After the election, he served as the New York State Director at Arena, using his experience running for office to train a new generation of candidates and campaign staffers.
