What’s at STAKE?
About Christopher
Christopher Marte was born and raised on the Lower East Side. His parents immigrated from the Dominican Republic. His dad ran a bodega, while his mom worked in a garment sweatshop factory before becoming a home attendant. Christopher attended PS20 and University Settlement’s afterschool programs, before studying abroad for college in China, Costa Rica, and England.
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. So he decided to take action. He quit his job in fnance and dove deeper into doing work in his neighborhood. It was through founding community gardens in NYCHA, coaching MS131’s basketball teams, and volunteering in his community 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. In 2021, his bid for City Council in an open field with 9 other challengers was successful. He had more votes than the second and third place competitors combined, and earned support from every part of the diverse district.
