“We work side by side with constituents so they never have to face their problems alone again.”
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER
Christopher Marte, a child of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, was born and raised on the Lower East Side. His fight for affordability and worker’s rights stems from his upbringing in LES; His dad ran a bodega that had to close because of rent hikes, while his mom worked in a garment sweatshop before becoming a home attendant.
While being involved in the community, Christopher saw that many of the issues we face come from the same source: elected officials who line their pockets with real estate money and prioritize political gain over people.
So in 2017, he decided to run for City Council. Though he lost this election by merely 200 votes, he brought 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 which ultimately led to his win in 2021; he won his bid for City Council with overwhelming community support across Lower Manhattan’s diverse neighborhoods. In 2025, he won the Democratic nomination in a landslide victory with 12,862 votes – the most votes a Democratic Primary Candidate has ever gotten for City Council District 1. As Big Real Estate and Landlords poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into attack ads and opponents’ campaigns, Chris and local communities proved that this election cannot be bought.
IN THE CITY COUNCIL
Representing City Council District 1, Christopher serves as the co-chair of the Manhattan Delegation. He sits on the Parks, Aging, Landmarks and Site Deposition, Resiliency and Waterfronts, Civil Rights, and Senior Centers and Food Insecurity Committees. He has introduced 16 bills and cosponsored 185 pieces of legislation and allocated millions of dollars to community initiatives.
PLATFORM
Housing
Unbought by Big Real Estate: Through community organizing and during his time as Council Member, Christopher has been fighting back against luxury tower developments that raises rents for residents and small businesses. To combat displacement, he has been fighting to build more 100% affordable housing and implementing community-based rather than developer driven rezoning plans.
Environment
Christopher has built two new parks, saved Elizabeth Street Garden from being destroyed, planted more than 300 trees, supported the city-wide composting program, and supported coastal resiliency projects.
Quality of Life
Lower Manhattan attracts many tourists and commuters year round. Christopher has expanded the sanitation budget and provided more frequent street cleanings across the district.
