Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Marjorie Velazquez

Marjorie Velazquez

  • City Council Examines Bills to Address Maternal Health, Racial Disparities in Reproductive Care

    City Council hearing on maternal health (photo: Emil Cohen/NYC Council)


    At a hearing this past week, New York City Council Members discussed a package of legislation related to maternal health, mortality, and morbidity and seeking to address healthcare inequities as well as the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade constitutional abortion protections. The joint hearing held by the Council’s Committee on Health and Committee on Hospitals dealt with...

  • Latino Vote '21 Podcast: Marjorie Velázquez Pursues a City Council Seat in the Bronx

    marj v latina

    Marjorie Velázquez (photo: @mvelaznyc)


    Marjorie Velázquez, a City Council candidate in the Bronx, joined host Eli Valentin on the Latino Vote '21 pop-up podcast to discuss her candidacy and Latino voters in the 13th City Council District and beyond.

    Listen through the audio below or find this and other episodes under the "Max Politics" podcast stream wherever you get podcasts:

  • Looking Back, and Ahead, with Women Who Lost City Council Races

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    Pia Raymond at the West Indian Day Parade (photo: @piaraymondnyc)


    This fall, in races around the city, several qualified female candidates ran in hotly-contested Democratic primaries for open seats being left by term-limited City Council members, while others attempted to unseat incumbents seeking reelection. The September votes -- largely determinative in an overwhelmingly Democratic city -- took place against the backdrop of new and intense attention on the gender imbalance in the City Council, where men greatly outnumber women.

    Elections results signal that the January

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  • Former Hillary Clinton Email Director Tells Young Democrats to ‘Run For Something’

    amanda litman voted twitter

    Amanda Litman (via @amandalitman)


    Gripping two drinks, Amanda Litman, co-founder of a political action committee dedicated to helping young people run for office, arrived at a New York University classroom with a kick in her step. The 27-year-old political campaign veteran-turned-author walked in holding an iced coffee with soy milk and three Splendas in one hand and a tiny bottle of San Pellegrino water in the other.

    “The quickest way to age is to work on a political campaign,” said Litman, former email director for

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  • The Early Money Race in ‘Open’ City Council Seats

    City Council chambers

    City Council chambers (photo: Sofie Hecht/Gotham Gazette)


    With seven sitting New York City Council members facing term limits and one having left the Council to join the state Assembly, this year’s municipal elections will feature a number of competitive open races and will bring fresh blood into the city’s legislative body.

    While the vast majority of those in the Council’s 51 seats can run for another term this year, and most are, the open seats will see the bulk of the electoral competition for the City Council.

    Come January, the Council will

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