Cathy Rojas
Cathy Rojas (born October 1991) is a Colombian-American educator and political activist who was the Party for Socialism and Liberation's candidate for mayor of New York City in the 2021 election. A public school teacher by trade, Rojas received around 2.5% of the vote in the mayoral election, placing third.
Early life
[edit]Rojas was born in the early 1990s to two Colombian immigrants in Queens, New York. She speaks English and Spanish. Her father was an auto body painter, and her mother a housekeeper. She experienced racism from a young age, and in public school was made aware of the fact that students were expelled or arrested instead of being offered the mental health services. Rojas became a socialist after reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X in high school. She worked as a hostess, a waitress, a bartender, and a cook before becoming a teacher.[1][2]
Mayoral campaign
[edit]Rojas launched her mayoral campaign on June 28, 2021, in front of the First Spanish United Methodist Church in East Harlem, a church known for its occupation by the Young Lords in 1969. She ran on a hard leftist and socialist platform.[3]
Rojas did not qualify for the mayoral debates due to her poor fundraising numbers, and led a protest where the debate was held.[1][4]
Rojas was endorsed by Julia Salazar, a New York state senator, former City Council candidates Moumita Ahmed and Carolyn Tran,[5] and Kristin Richardson Jordan, an activist and council member.
Rojas received 27,982 votes, or 2.49% in the election, which was easily won by Democrat Eric Adams.[6]
Electoral record
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eric Adams | 753,801 | 66.99% | +0.82% | |
| Republican | Curtis Sliwa | 302,680 | 26.90% | +2.95% | |
| Independent | Curtis Sliwa | 9,705 | 0.86% | N/A | |
| Total | Curtis Sliwa | 312,385 | 27.76% | +0.17% | |
| Socialism and Liberation | Cathy Rojas | 27,982 | 2.49% | N/A | |
| Conservative | Bill Pepitone | 12,575 | 1.12% | −2.13% | |
| Empowerment | Quanda S. Francis | 3,792 | 0.34% | N/A | |
| Libertarian | Stacey Prussman | 3,189 | 0.28% | +0.04% | |
| Humanity United | Raja Flores | 2,387 | 0.21% | N/A | |
| Save Our City | Fernando Mateo | 1,870 | 0.17% | N/A | |
| Out Lawbreaker | Skiboky Stora | 264 | 0.02% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 7,013 | 0.62% | |||
| Total votes | 1,125,258 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Nichols, John (November 2021). "Meet the Socialist Candidate for NYC Mayor". The Nation.
- ^ "Cathy Rojas Offers Working-Class New Yorkers an Alternative".
- ^ "Socialist Cathy Rojas announces run for New York City mayor". Liberation News.
- ^ "Socialist barred from NYC major debate". Liberation News.
- ^ "Endorsement Watch".
- ^ "Results of the General Election". Spectrum News.
- ^ "General Election 2021 Contest List" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Statement and Return Report | for Certification | General Election 2021 - 11/02/2021 | Crossover - All Parties and Independent Bodies" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. November 29, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.