Rubén Díaz Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rubén Díaz
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| 13th Borough President of The Bronx | |
| In office April 22, 2009 – December 31, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Adolfo Carrión Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Vanessa Gibson |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1997 – April 22, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Pedro Espada |
| Succeeded by | Marcos Crespo |
| Constituency | 75th district (1997–2002) 85th district (2003–2009) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 26, 1973 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Rubén Díaz (father) |
| Residences | Southeast Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Education | LaGuardia Community College City University of New York, Lehman (BA) |
Rubén Díaz Jr. (born April 26, 1973) is an American politician. He served as the 13th borough president of The Bronx in New York City. He held this important job from 2009 to 2021. Before that, he was a member of the New York State Assembly.
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Early Life and Education
Rubén Díaz Jr.'s parents moved from Puerto Rico to New York. He was born in the Bronx and grew up there. He went to school in the Bronx for his early education.
He first graduated from LaGuardia Community College. Then, he earned a bachelor's degree from Lehman College. His degree was in political theory, which means he studied how governments and political ideas work. His father, Rubén Díaz Sr., is also a well-known politician. He was a New York City Councilman and a New York State Senator.
Rubén Díaz Jr.'s Career in Politics
Serving in the New York State Assembly
Díaz was elected to the New York State Assembly when he was just 23 years old. This made him one of the youngest people ever elected to that group. The Assembly is where state laws are made.
While in the Assembly, Díaz worked on many important laws. He helped create rules about:
- Health care for people
- Getting access to public records
- Minimum wage and overtime pay for workers
- Protecting the environment
- Fair rules for jobs
- Stopping insurance fraud
- Rights for people who rent homes
- Making sure environmental reports are clear
- Keeping people safe when walking
- Safety for school buses
- Protecting people from bad tax preparers
- Rights for Senior Citizens
- Helping more seniors get rent help
- Rules for gas and electric companies
Díaz was also a member of the Assembly Education Committee. He often spoke about school issues. He supported groups that worked to make sure everyone has a right to a good education. In 2003, when the Governor wanted to cut money for colleges, Díaz spoke out. He helped get some of that money back for schools.
He also worked on cleaning up old industrial sites and making buildings more eco-friendly. He helped restore the Bronx River. He also spoke against unfair environmental practices that harm certain communities.
In 2007, a magazine called City Hall named him one of the "40 under 40." This award recognized him as an important young leader in New York City politics.
Standing Up for Justice: Amadou Diallo
In 1999, a young man named Amadou Diallo was killed by police officers in the Bronx. Since this happened in his district, Díaz became a strong supporter of Diallo's family. He helped organize protests and public meetings.
Díaz led citywide protests that got attention from all over the country. He marched with other leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson. He was even arrested for peacefully protesting. Because of his actions, Díaz became known for fighting for civil and human rights.
The Rainbow Rebels Group
In 2008, Díaz helped start a new political group called the "Rainbow Rebels." This group quickly became popular in the Bronx.
The Rainbow Rebels worked to support new candidates. For example, Díaz and other Assembly members helped Elizabeth Taylor become a Civil Court judge. She won her election even though some powerful political leaders in the Bronx were against her.
Later that year, the Rainbow Rebels had another big win. They helped replace the Bronx County Leader, José Rivera, with Assemblyman Carl Heastie. This showed their growing power in Bronx politics.
Becoming Bronx Borough President
In 2009, the Bronx Borough president, Adolfo Carrión Jr., was appointed to a job by President Barack Obama. This meant there would be a special election to choose a new Borough President. Díaz was seen as the top choice for the job.
The special election was held on April 21, 2009. Díaz won with a huge 87% of the votes. He became the 13th Borough President of the Bronx.
As Borough President, Díaz made important decisions. He appointed Delores Fernandez to the New York City Board of Education. He also recommended that the New York City Council reject a plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall. He wanted to make sure that any new developments would create good jobs with health insurance.
In 2017, Díaz was re-elected as Borough President. He won the election with 86% of the votes. On the same day, his father also won an election to return to the City Council.
In January 2020, Díaz announced that he would not run for re-election in 2021.
New York City Mayoral Campaign
In 2018, Díaz was the first person to announce he would run for mayor in the 2021 New York City mayoral election. However, in January 2020, he decided to drop out of the race. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Personal Life
Rubén Díaz Jr. lives in the southeast Bronx. He is married to Hilda, and they have two adult sons.
See also
- Timeline of the Bronx, 21st c.
