Menchaca takes oath of office
New councilman vows to move progressive agenda forward
Freshman Councilman Carlos Menchaca (D-Sunset Park-Red Hook) took his oath of office on Sunday, telling hundreds of supporters who attended the ceremony that the time had come to take the progressive ideals that he and other victorious candidates ran on and put them into practice in city government.
“The goals of our progressive agenda need to move away from theory,” he told a packed auditorium of cheering supporters at Sunset Park High School shortly after he was sworn into office by Judge Analisa Torres, a US district judge for the Southern District of New York.
“We need to make sure agencies listen to us,” he said, vowing to be a strong advocate for working class residents and immigrants. In addition to Sunset Park and Red Hook, the 38th Council District, Menchaca represents, includes the Towers of Bay Ridge co-ops on 65th Street as well as parts of Greenwood Heights, Borough Park, South Slope and Windsor Terrace.
Menchaca also promised transparency in government. “We’ve opened the door to our government. All of you deserve a seat at the table,” he told the audience. “We have so much at stake here.”