Amanda Farías
2022 - Present
2026
3
Amanda Farías (Democratic Party) is a member of the New York City Council, representing District 18. She assumed office on January 1, 2022. Her current term ends on January 1, 2026.
Farías (Democratic Party, Working Families Party) ran for re-election to the New York City Council to represent District 18. She won in the general election on November 7, 2023.
Biography
Farías earned a B.A. in political science and government with a minor in international studies and an M.A. in international relations and affairs with minors in political theory and public administration from Saint John's University.[1]
At the time of her 2017 run for city council, Farías was the director of special projects for New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D).[2] Her experience also includes work as a field organizer for Organizing for America, an intern for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and a volunteer for Give Kids the World and the Green Heritage Fund.[3]
In 2018, Farías was elected as the Democratic Committeewoman for the 87th Assembly District.[4]
Elections
2023
See also: City elections in New York, New York (2023)
General election
General election for New York City Council District 18
Incumbent Amanda Farías defeated Michelle Castillo in the general election for New York City Council District 18 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Amanda Farías (D / Working Families Party) | 87.8 | 6,010 | |
| Michelle Castillo (R) | 11.3 | 775 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 60 | ||
| Total votes: 6,845 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for New York City Council District 18
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Amanda Farías in round 1 .
Candidate |
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| ✔ |
|
Amanda Farías |
Republican primary election
Republican Primary for New York City Council District 18
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Michelle Castillo in round 1 .
Candidate |
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| ✔ | Michelle Castillo |
Working Families Party primary election
Working Families Primary for New York City Council District 18
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Amanda Farías in round 1 .
Candidate |
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| ✔ |
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Amanda Farías |
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Farías in this election.
2021
See also: City elections in New York, New York (2021)
General election
General election for New York City Council District 18
Amanda Farías defeated Lamont Paul in the general election for New York City Council District 18 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Amanda Farías (D) | 86.7 | 10,312 | |
| Lamont Paul (R) | 13.1 | 1,559 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 11,896 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for New York City Council District 18
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Amanda Farías in round 6 . The results of Round 6 are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
Candidate |
% |
Total Votes |
Transfer |
Round eliminated |
||
|
|
Amanda Farías |
52.3
|
6,004 | 1,464 | Advanced (6) | |
| William Rivera |
47.7
|
5,467 | 1,194 | 6 | ||
|
|
Michael Beltzer |
0.0
|
0 | -2,079 | 5 | |
|
|
Darlene Jackson |
0.0
|
0 | -1,964 | 5 | |
| Mohammed Mujumder |
0.0
|
0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Mirza Rashid |
0.0
|
0 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Eliu Lara |
0.0
|
0 | 0 | 2 | ||
|
|
William Moore |
0.0
|
0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total votes: 13,984 Total exhausted votes: 2,513 |
||||
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Lamont Paul advanced from the Republican primary for New York City Council District 18.
2017
Ruben Diaz Sr. defeated Amanda Farias, Elvin Garcia, Michael Beltzer, and William Moore in the Democratic primary for the District 18 seat on the New York City Council.[5]
| New York City Council, District 18 Democratic Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ruben Diaz Sr. |
42.12% | 4,017 |
| Amanda Farias | 20.88% | 1,991 |
| Elvin Garcia | 14.65% | 1,397 |
| Michael Beltzer | 13.44% | 1,282 |
| William Moore | 8.83% | 842 |
| Write-in votes | 0.08% | 8 |
| Total Votes | 9,537 | |
| Source: New York City Board of Elections, "2017 Primary: Certified Results," accessed September 28, 2017 | ||
Endorsements
Farías received endorsements from the following in 2017:[2][6]
- 504 Democratic Club
- Citizens Union
- DC37
- Empire State Humane Voters
- Filipino American Democratic Club of New York
- Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club
- Muslim Democratic Club of New York
- National Association of Social Workers PACE
- National Institute for Reproductive Health
- National Organization for Women NYC
- Planned Parenthood NYC Votes
- Run for Something
- Streets PAC
- Vote Pro Choice
- New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley
- New York City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Amanda Farías did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2021
Amanda Farías did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Farías participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[7] The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Our residents deserve affordable and efficient transportation options, and it is important that we allocate the necessary resources to continue improving on public transportation options, as well as other infrastructure. I believe in working with state officials on improving subway service, reducing delays, and keeping fares from going up is not only practical, but crucial to the livelihood of our communities. In District 18, we face a transportation desert and in 2018 are receiving a ferry to Manhattan. We currently do not have a system in place to support such a great opportunity for residents. I plan to work with DOT to change the current bus lines to SBS lines for speedier, more efficient service, as well as, attain citi-bike stations to give another alternative of transportation.[8] | ” |
| —Amanda Farías (August 31, 2017)[2] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| Transportation | Civil rights | ||
| Housing | Homelessness | ||
| K-12 education | Government transparency | ||
| Environment | Unemployment | ||
| Crime reduction/prevention | City services (trash, utilities, etc.) | ||
| Public pensions/retirement funds | Recreational opportunities | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| State | |
| Instituting a citywide minimum wage | |
| Participatory Budgeting is a crucial instrument to engage and aggregate ideas from the community about how we can improve the district. It is a revolutionary way to improve our district and lets the taxpayer decide how their money is spent. PB lets our whole district have their voices heard in the budget process. Many districts across the city have successfully instituted the PB Program, it is time that we have PB in District 18. | |
| Civic engagement and governmental transparency is what I would like to see a more sound investment in. Communities are kept out of the political process. Voter turnout is low and I would like to see more elected officials expanding their reach to voters by encouraging voter registration, hosting town halls to receive community feedback, and including residents in the decision making process of budgeting. | |
| Broken windows policing, in my eyes, is similar to Stop and Frisk policing in the city and they both, disproportionately target black and brown communities throughout the city. I am in full support of the Right To Know Act and its package of bills and will support them if elected. I believe as citizens we deserve to know why police are stopping us, who they are, and giving them the permission to proceed. I also am deeply concerned with what Broken Windows policing does to our immigrant population. We do not need to target people that may be at risk or deportation for small infractions. | |
| Hardworking immigrants built this country, and we need to bring new immigrant communities out of the shadows to build a stronger future and economy. If elected I would also support any legislation for The Right To Counsel and fight to protect our status as a Sanctuary City for our immigrant communities. I have also worked with Latino, Polish & Nepalese communities through CUNY Immigration NOW! Services to connect immigrants to the legal services they need and deserve, and if elected, I would continue providing those services. | |
| Throughout NYC we have neighborhoods that are have many transit options, but too many neighborhoods that are transit deserts. Transportation is critical to a better quality of life here in the city and we need to not only make sure it's efficient and affordable but accessible to all. I will advocate to expand funding towards MTA to ensure there are more wheelchair accessible transportation options throughout the city. I will advocate for Select Bus Service and Citi Bike options within transit desert communities throughout this city and support the #FairFares campaign for low income metrocards. | |
| The South Bronx is booming and we are seeing growth here in the housing market that we have not seen in decades. We need to ensure however, that we take the necessary steps to keep housing affordable for our existing families, and affordable enough to attract new families into the neighborhood as well. We also should take steps to lower other costs and bills for our families. We need to ensure that we provide the necessary resources to our NYCHA developments to repair and restore our public housing stock to be ready for the years to come. There is no doubt that homelessness continues to negatively impact far too many Bronx families, and we need to identify additional resources and create other partnerships to help take those who are homeless off the streets. This is especially important for our homeless youth and veterans. It is simply unacceptable that in some parts of the Bronx, 1 in 10 school aged children are identified as homeless. We must do more to eliminate this severe poverty. That’s why we have to address the root of the problem, not just the symptoms. Instead of building more shelters, we must be building more low income affordable housing and providing the job training family’s need for financial stability. If elected, I would be in complete support of Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi’s Home Stability Act, which has programs that help renters and homeowners stay in their homes so they don’t end up homeless. |
Additional themes
Farías' campaign website highlighted the following issues. Click "show" on the boxes below for more information about her positions.[9]
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT |
|---|
| "JOBS The Bronx needs more living wage jobs that can uplift working families. Minimum wage and part time jobs just aren’t cutting it. We need well-paying jobs that provide stability, health benefits and upward mobility for all populations. During Amanda's time in City Council, she saw first hand the barriers that too many New Yorkers face when entering the job market - especially youth, women, and people of color. A recent report from the city comptroller's office revealed that from 2007 to 2012, the number of black-owned businesses in New York City declined by more than 30%, even as the number of new storefronts and businesses increased by 45%. We must to do more to support Women and Minority Owned Businesses. That means ensuring that they are getting at least 20% of City contracts, getting access to certification and re-certification for M/WBE status and reducing the burden of unnecessary fines on small businesses. We must invest in good jobs right here in the Bronx. The Bronx is a 'booming borough', but we need to make sure that we all have access to opportunities to benefit from new resources and development coming into our communities. In District 18 people are often enduring long commutes outside of the district to jobs that force neighbors to live paycheck-to-paycheck. When District 18 is fortunate enough to see the opening of a new store or restaurant, we need to push for these businesses to hire local and ensure that any new job opportunities offer the minimum of $15 an hour. And we need to make equal pay for equal work a reality in this City! Equal pay for women is not just a women’s issue - it about communities building a strong and more resilient economy because we all know that when we uplift women, we uplift all communities. SMALL BUSINESSES In our community, we need to better equip our small business owners to self invest not only in themselves, but in the community they serve by organizing through Merchant Associations and/or Business Improvement Districts. Merchant Associations and BIDs create an environment for local stakeholders to oversee and fund the maintenance, improvement and promotion of their commercial districts. That way, we are not only safeguarding our local businesses but also re-investing into the community that keeps our small businesses thriving. Amanda will fight to bring opportunities to ensure every small business owner understands the resources they have available to them throughout this city." |
| INFRASTRUCTURE |
|---|
| "There is a sense that our quality of life is diminishing — that streets aren’t being cleaned, roads aren’t being fixed, and that our city isn’t as responsive as it should be. Working for City Council over the last four years has given Amanda the experience needed to work with our city agencies on real issues, in real time. She's worked to improve transportation and access issues in neighborhoods that experienced transportation deserts. She's worked directly with constituents on issues like safety improvements for schools and students, and for seniors and pedestrians simply trying to commute safely in their neighborhoods. She's worked on efforts with local precincts to address crime and build better community-police relations. This is the leadership Amanda will bring to District 18.
TRANSPORTATION STREETS HOUSING HOMELESSNESS GREEN SPACE District 18 isn’t just concrete, we have large areas in Soundview, Clason Point, Harding Park and Shorehaven that are not only green but are water-front and need more maintenance. Our green spaces that have water-front need to include protections for natural lands, so we can provide a healthy habitat for humans, wildlife and plants in these urban spaces. Parks help make our city become greener, more attractive and viable." |
| EDUCATION |
|---|
| "It is incredibly important to Amanda that we make our local public schools as strong as they can be. Amanda is a proud product of Bronx schools and her mother and younger brothers are proud products of the public school system. She will actively work with principals and teachers to identify needs for additional resources in and out of the classroom. As Council Member, Amanda commits to visiting every school in the district and sitting down with principals, administrators, and PTA Presidents to make sure she can advocate for what each and every school needs.
All students – regardless of their race, religion or zip code – deserve the tools needed to succeed. While working for City Council, Amanda recognized that schools and education are crucial to the development of our students. With the ever-changing world we live in- it is important that we provide students the right resources to progress for their educational development. Focusing on priorities for students and families like after-school opportunities and programs, cultural programming - like art and music, improved technology in classrooms, expanded free meal programs to students in need in multiple grade levels and expanded transportation programs for students. Working at City Hall, Amanda has been able to work on things like auditorium seat upgrades, getting AC’s in schools, and working with local Community Based Organizations to give students STEM opportunities like Girls Who Code and C4Q. As an older sibling, Amanda knows that a student’s success not only relies on the student and teachers, but also that it depends on the involvement and support of their parents and siblings. We have great public schools with great students and we need to ensure that we maintain and increase parental involvement in our children’s education. No one can do it alone – not parents, not teachers nor solely administrators - and they shouldn't have to. We must come together as a community to invest in our public schools, our students, and our families to ensure a better, well equipped educational environment. High School students need to be college and career ready. As a Council Member, Amanda wants to bring resources that will prepare our students for their futures. We need more science and computer classes in our curriculum to prepare young people for the high paying tech jobs of today and tomorrow. She also want to focus on bringing college preparatory programs back and re-introduce a focus on career trades. Living in New York, we know that trades, union jobs & workers are the heart of our city. And with the current educational debt rising for young people, we want to provide them with as many career options as possible." |
| PUBLIC SAFETY |
|---|
| "District 18 faces some challenges when it comes to crime and violence in our area of the Bronx. We need to do all that we can in creating safer streets and spaces for our community. Amanda wants better community police relations and increased transparency regarding complaints reported. Without our officers in blue, we would not be able to live as safely as we do, but we must make sure we are working together as one 'unit'.
That's why we need to modernize training practices in the NYPD and have defined guidelines on use of force. Amanda supports the expansion of police worn body camera programs across the city to ensure transparency and restore public trust. It is very important that we improve the relationships between the community and the police, and that our officers to be engaged in the community it serves. But in addition to preventative measures ensuring members of our community don’t become justice-involved if they don’t need to, we must focus on ensuring people currently involved with the justice system are also treated with respect, are offered due process, and have rights that are protected. With the City’s 10 year plan to close Rikers, we risk our attention turning away and forgetting about those who are still experiencing Rikers Island now and in the coming decade. Amanda will fight to ensure these individuals have access to appropriate and humane living accommodations, and that severe measures such as punitive segregation are used judiciously and only when absolutely necessary. Oftentimes, incarcerated individuals on Rikers Island struggle to access healthcare because of capacity issues around the ability for officers to escort inmates to clinics. When specialty services are required, the process is even more cumbersome and the result is often that the severity of an individual’s condition will worsen because of the quality of care on the Island. We must change that - people should not be doomed to becoming sicker as a result of involvement with the justice system. Amanda will fight for investments in correctional health services to promote the wellness of everyone." |
| HEALTH CARE |
|---|
| "The Bronx can no longer afford to be the least-healthy county in New York State. High infant mortality rates, incidences of asthma, and other disparities are unacceptable - we must expand access to quality care for low-income and working families in our community, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.
Amanda commits to advocating for better resources to deal with the health issues that disproportionately affect us as Bronxites – including respiratory diseases, obesity and diabetes. She's had the pleasure of working with organizations like Planned Parenthood that offer care to all who walk through their doors. We need to make sure that our City is doing its part to support services like these that are a lifeline for so many - especially women - without insurance. We need to continue ensuring organizations and services like this are available in our district for our women and families to access. But beyond access to reproductive care, Amanda will fight for investments in public and voluntary clinics providing critical primary care services that keep Bronxites out of the emergency room and away from more serious illnesses. She’ll also advocate for investments in specialty care and for the creation of centers of excellence in the clinical spaces existing in our district. The primary voluntary hospital in the Bronx, Montefiore, is the care provider that many low income Bronxites rely on for their care. Amanda will push to ensure funding for continued successful partnerships with providers, such as the school-based health center program. She’ll also work to make sure the Council continues to fund key community-based care investments in new clinic space, as it has by helping fund Health Action Centers throughout the city. Within our community, specifically our people of color, we also need to have a better focus on mental health and challenges with addiction. These conversations are often taboo, but we need to fight for additional resources for behavioral health issues. Our communities cannot continue to suffer. We need to take a proactive hand in providing resources to help those suffering and provide support for their families." |
| COMMUNITY ADVOCACY |
|---|
| "IMMIGRATION Hardworking immigrants have played an important role in building and strengthening our communities. We need to bring new immigrant communities out of the shadows to build a stronger future and economy. Amanda has worked with Latino, Polish & Nepalese communities through CUNY Immigration NOW! Services to connect immigrants to the legal services they need and deserve. She's also worked in the City Council to promote access to the new municipal IDs - which are offered regardless of immigration status. With these IDs, all New Yorkers can now better access city services, housing opportunities, and even open a bank account. We need to ensure as a city that we focus on providing more city resources available in more languages for our immigrant communities, to ensure more participation and inclusion. WOMEN LGBTQ Persons With Disabilities Amanda’s grandfather primarily depended on access-a-ride as a means of transportation since she was too young to drive and he no longer could. AAR was never reliable nor were they accountable for his missed appointments, days they never showed up or hours spent waiting for them to come back. In District 18, people with disabilities do not have many other options for transportation to go out, shop, or attend appointments due to our community’s lack of transportation access. Amanda wants to make sure not another person gets forgotten. She wants to work with organizations like the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Disability Rights New York, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, and Independent Living Centers, among others to hear the many perspectives of those within the disability to community, and create legislation that is as thoughtful, and holistic as possible. When at City Hall, Amanda not only worked on Participatory Budgeting NYC but was a voting member on the Steering Committee and worked on creating more access for residents. Her district was the pilot for voting both remotely and online to test its successes with residents, and on the steering committee she worked hard on creating a larger ballot with larger font, working within the guidelines and processes of the city for access, and creating ADA accessible voting locations. This was a priority for her to ensure PBNYC was inclusive. That’s what Amanda plans to do as our next City Council Member, advocate and work on issues to provide equality; more access, inclusivity and progress to all residents. PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED We need to be able to offer a range of programs to help youth and adults newly-released from jail or prison to successfully navigate the challenges of reentry, access opportunities to improve their lives, and avoid recidivism. As your City Council Member, Amanda commits herself to community-based programs providing education and employment services for youth and young adults recently released from jail or prison, working with CBOs like CASES and ATI programming, providing funding for mental and behavioral treatments, being proactive on oversight of ongoing case-management for men and women pre- and post-release from Rikers Island Correctional Facility; and promoting educational advancement, employment-readiness, job placement, and positive engagement in the community. We need to help those returning home to break the cycle and establish stable, productive lives, avoid recidivism and access practical pathways to a better future in the community." |
| GOOD GOVERNMENT |
|---|
| "TRANSPARENCY We need a government that is open, accessible, inclusive and transparent to the communities they serve. And the best way for communities to receive resources and know where their tax paying dollars are going is to participate in the process. As Council Member, Amanda wants to hear from the community on what they need, so she knows how to best allocate and use her budget, not only appropriately but fairly. Communities also deserve to know how proactive is their leadership. Working in City Hall, Amanda was able to not only draft legislative priorities, but have them voted on and signed into law. District 18 deserves to know how proactive their leadership is and how often are they working on their behalf. Amanda commits to always have legislative priorities that directly reflect what my community and this city need and deserve. We need people that are going to fight for our families, people that will walk the talk. PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING ENCOURAGING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT |
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Officeholder New York City Council District 18 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Amanda Farias," accessed August 14, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Amanda Farías's Responses," August 31, 2017
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlinkedin - ↑ Board of Elections in the City of New York, "Statement and Return Report for Certification - Primary Election 2018 - 09/13/2018," accessed April 30, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the New York City Board of Elections," July 14, 2017
- ↑ Amanda Farias, "Endorsements," accessed August 11, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Amanda Farias, "Issues," accessed August 14, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ruben Diaz (D) |
New York City Council District 18 2022-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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