Mercedes Narcisse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mercedes Narcisse
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| Member of the New York City Council from the 46th district |
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| Assumed office January 1, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Maisel |
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| Born | April 26, 1965 Saint-Marc, Haiti |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | St. Joseph's University Grand Canyon University (BS) |
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Mercedes Narcisse (born April 26, 1965) is a nurse and a politician from the Democratic Party. She was born in Haiti and now lives in New York City. She currently serves as a member of the New York City Council. This means she helps make decisions for a part of Brooklyn called the 46th City Council District. This area includes neighborhoods like Canarsie, Flatlands, and Marine Park.
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Early Life and Education
Mercedes Narcisse was born in Saint-Marc, Haiti. Her grandmother raised her. When she was 17, she moved to Brooklyn, New York, to live with her father. She went to Samuel J. Tilden High School even though she didn't know English at first. After high school, she studied at the New York City College of Technology. There, she became a certified registered nurse.
A Career in Healthcare
Mercedes Narcisse has worked as a registered nurse for more than 30 years. In 2001, she started her own medical practice. This means she opened her own clinic to help people with their health.
Running for Office
Mercedes Narcisse has run for public office several times. She wanted to represent her community and help make changes.
First Attempts to Join the City Council
In 2008, Mercedes Narcisse announced she wanted to join the New York City Council. This is a group of people who make laws for New York City. She wanted to represent the 46th district. However, the rules about how long someone could serve in office changed. This allowed the person already in the seat to run again. So, Mercedes Narcisse decided to stop her campaign that year.
She tried again in 2012 and 2013. The person holding the seat was leaving, so it was an open spot. She ran against another politician, Alan Maisel. Even though many people in the district were Black, like Narcisse, she lost the election. Maisel was more well-known and had stronger connections.
Running for State Senate
In 2016, Mercedes Narcisse tried for a different political job. She ran for the New York State Senate. This is a group that makes laws for the entire state of New York. She ran for the 19th district. She had some support from other politicians. However, she lost this election to the person already holding the seat, Roxanne Persaud.
Winning a City Council Seat in 2021
In 2021, Mercedes Narcisse ran for the City Council again. This time, her former opponent, Alan Maisel, could not run because of term limits. Term limits are rules that say how many times a person can be elected to the same office.
Mercedes Narcisse ran without the support of some of the big political groups in Brooklyn. But she did get support from many large unions. Unions are groups that represent workers. She also got support from Jumaane Williams, who is the New York City Public Advocate. The Public Advocate speaks up for the people of New York City. Many people saw her as a top candidate.
On election night, June 22, 2021, Mercedes Narcisse had a big lead. After all the votes were counted, including mail-in ballots and ranked-choice votes, she won! Ranked-choice voting lets people rank candidates in order of their preference. She officially won the election in November 2021. She started her job as a City Council member on January 1, 2022.
In 2024, Mercedes Narcisse spoke out against a plan to change rules about parking. This plan would have removed rules that require new buildings to have parking spaces.
Personal Life
Mercedes Narcisse lives in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn. She has four children.
