NYC Census Chief Considering UES City Council Run: Report

Upper East Side NY

11 November, 2020

10:52 AM

Description

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Fresh off a successful effort leading New York's response to the 2020 Census, the city's outgoing census chief is reportedly considering a run for the Upper East Side's open City Council seat. Julie Menin, who resigned Monday as Mayor Bill de Blasio's Census Director, lives on the Upper East Side and plans to announce her candidacy for the District 5 seat being vacated by Ben Kallos sometime after Thanksgiving, according to the Daily News. Menin has been credited with helping the city record an unexpectedly high 62 percent response rate, overcoming fears that New Yorkers who fled during the pandemic would fail to fill it out, causing the city to lose out on millions in federal funding. She would be joining a crowded race for the District 5 seat, with six candidates already declared. Those candidates are: Billy Freeland, an attorney and Community Board 8 secretaryJoshua Kravitz, a Lenox Hill Democratic club memberRebecca Lamorte, a labor activist and Community Board 8 secretaryKim Moscaritolo, an activist, Democratic District Leader and former journalistTricia Shimamura, a Community Board 8 vice-chair and former Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Rep. Carolyn MaloneyChristopher Sosa, a former State Senate aide and journalist An attorney and a Democrat, Menin has held several other roles in city government, including leading the Consumer Affairs and Media & Entertainment departments under de Blasio, and serving as Redistricting Commissioner under Michael Bloomberg. Earlier this year, Menin was reportedly considering a run for Manhattan District Attorney, where another crowded field of nine candidates are trying to unseat incumbent Cy Vance. In her most recent foray into electoral politics, Menin ran for Manhattan Borough President in 2013, winning 17 percent of the Democratic primary vote and finishing in fourth place. Following the race, she reached a $201,000 settlement with the city's Campaign Finance Board over various alleged fundraising violations. Formerly a resident of Downtown Manhattan, she was a longtime chair of Community Board 1 and helped lead the neighborhood's recovery efforts following the Sept. 11 attacks. Menin declined to comment on her future plans when reached on Wednesday. For continuing coverage of next year's City Council District 5, subscribe to Upper East Side Patch's daily email newsletter.