Rubén Díaz Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rubén Díaz
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| Member of the New York City Council from the 18th district |
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| In office January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Annabel Palma |
| Succeeded by | Amanda Farías |
| In office January 1, 2002 – January 1, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Lucy Cruz |
| Succeeded by | Pedro Espada Jr. |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 32nd district |
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| In office January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Pedro Espada Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Luis Sepúlveda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 22, 1943 Bayamón, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Rubén Díaz Jr. |
| Education | Lehman College (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1960–1963 |
Rubén Díaz Sr. (born April 22, 1943) is a politician from Puerto Rico and New York City. He is also a Pentecostal minister. He served as a member of the New York City Council for the 18th district from 2018 to 2021.
As a member of the Democratic Party, Díaz represented the 32nd district in the New York State Senate. This was from 2003 to 2017. His Senate district covered parts of the Bronx neighborhoods. These included Castle Hill, Parkchester, Morrisania, Hunts Point, Melrose, Longwood, and Soundview. Díaz is known for his traditional views on social issues.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rubén Díaz Sr. was born and grew up in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He joined the United States Army in 1960. He served for three years and then left the Army. In 1965, he moved to New York City.
He became an evangelical Christian in 1966. Later, in 1976, he earned a bachelor's degree from Lehman College.
Career in Public Service
Community Work and Ministry
In 1977, Díaz started a senior center called Christian Community in Action. He became an ordained minister of the Church of God in 1978. This church is known for its evangelical and pentecostal beliefs.
Díaz also founded the Christian Community Neighborhood Church. He continued to serve as a pastor there for many years. He is also the founder and president of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization. This group supports Hispanic clergy members.
In 1993, Díaz was chosen to be on New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board. This board looks into complaints about police behavior.
New York State Senate Role
In 2002, Rubén Díaz Sr. was elected to the New York State Senate. He served the 32nd district from 2003 to 2017. This district included several neighborhoods in the Bronx.
In 2007, Díaz expressed his disappointment with Governor Eliot Spitzer. This was after Spitzer changed his mind about a plan. The plan would have allowed undocumented immigrants to get New York driver's licenses.
Díaz was part of a group of three Democratic Senators. They were sometimes called the "Gang of Three." In 2008, they considered not supporting the Democratic majority in the Senate. They later reached an agreement. They recognized State Senator Malcolm Smith as the Senate Majority Leader in 2009.
In 2010, Díaz ran for re-election in the Democratic primary. He won against Carlos "Charlie" Ramos. Díaz also wrote a column called "What You Should Know." It started being published in 2016 in an online newspaper.
New York City Council Service
Díaz was first elected to the New York City Council in 2001. He then moved on to the New York State Senate the next year.
In 2017, Díaz won the Democratic primary for the 18th district of the New York City Council. He received 42% of the votes. In November 2017, Díaz was elected to the City Council for District 18.
In 2019, Díaz made comments that caused discussion. He suggested that the City Council was influenced by the homosexual community. On February 13, 2019, the City Council voted to close the Committee on For-Hire Vehicles. Díaz had been the head of this committee. Council Speaker Corey Johnson also asked him to resign.
In July 2020, Díaz announced he would not run for re-election in 2021. Amanda Farías took his place.
2020 U.S. House Election
In April 2019, Díaz announced he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. He sought to represent New York's 15th congressional district. On June 23, 2020, he lost the Democratic primary. He finished third among 12 candidates. Ritchie Torres won the primary.
Political Views
Rubén Díaz Sr. is known for his conservative political views. He has often spoken about his beliefs on various social topics.
He has also expressed his views on certain social issues. For example, he has been a strong voice against some policies related to family and social values.
In 2003, Mr. Díaz filed a lawsuit about the expansion of the Harvey Milk School. The lawsuit was settled in 2006. The school agreed to be open to all students and not to discriminate.
In 2007, he opposed a bill that would have allowed certain types of marriage. He continued to oppose similar legislation in 2008. In May 2009, he led a rally in front of Governor David Paterson's office. Many people attended this rally.
In 2011, Mr. Díaz again voted against a bill about marriage. However, this time the bill passed the Senate. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it into law.
In 2017, Mr. Díaz voted against the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). This bill was about transgender rights. He had also voted against it in 2010.
Donald Trump
Mr. Díaz supported Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election.
Personal Life
Rubén Díaz Sr. and his first wife, Didionilda Díaz (Vega), have three children. One of their sons, Rubén Díaz Jr., is also a politician. He was elected Bronx Borough President in April 2009. As of 2015, Díaz is married to Leslie Díaz.
See also
- 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis
- LGBT rights opposition
Images for kids
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Rubén Díaz Sr. in 2014.
