Brooklyn District 36 City Council Race: Ossé Runs Unopposed

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Voters in Brooklyn's 36th District will see only one name on their ballots for City Council in the upcoming general election this fall.

Chi Ossé, who won the Democratic primary for the seat in June, will run unopposed on Nov. 2 to replace term-limited Council Member Robert E. Cornegy Jr. The local activist beat out five candidates in the primary race after four rounds of ranked-choice voting.

Ossé is the co-founder of the Brooklyn organization Warriors in the Garden, a youth-led collective at the forefront of the revitalization of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

The 36th Council District includes the majority of Bed-Stuy and parts of Northern Crown Heights.

Patch is profiling candidates ahead of Election Day. Below are Ossé's responses to Patch's questionnaire, which he filled out during the June primary:

Age (as of *primary* Election Day)

23

Position Sought

New York City City Council District 36

Party Affiliation

Democratic, Working Families Patyu

Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)

Crown Heights

Family

Akim (mother)
Chuma (Brother)
Kai (Brother)
Kara (Sister)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Chapman University

Occupation

Freelance Creative/DJ / Three years
Activist / two years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

https://osse2021.com/

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for City Council because there are problems that need fixing, and I see myself as someone that can help. I am running because Black, Brown & vulnerable lives matter.
I jumped into this race after protesting and experiencing the over-aggression exhibited by the NYPD. I realized that the City Council was a major key to fixing law enforcement. Black Lives Matter goes beyond law enforcement killing and criminalizing Black people. My communities have been redlined into districts where healthy foods, fair-priced housing units, and safe environments are inaccessible.
As a native to Central Brooklyn, I have plans to enact real change to help the district and City.
I am running for public office because our current electeds are not completing the work that/ needs to be done for all the people of NYC. Police brutality and militarization is at an all time high; small businesses are suffering immensely due to the pandemic our workers are under attack, and our climate (both globally and locally) is suffering.
I recognize everyone writes or says all of these statements. That is why we are running to make change now while running for the office. Action over promises.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Sanitation. Our Sanitation Department was severely defunded and our rat problem has exploded. In office, I am committed to clean streets and a fully funded Department of Sanitation that resembles the 2019 budget or higher. Clean streets in Central Brooklyn really means clean and rodent free.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring a new and necessary energy to this race. While many candidates have been around for a long time, they have often been contributors to a system that moves l too slowly, backwards or not at allowing . One of my competitors does not live in this district — he even ran for City Council in the previous election for the seat of the district he actually lives in.
I grew up in this district, watched how the status quo affected its residents — my neighbors — and worked more than any other candidate on the front lines throughout the pandemic to serve my neighbors. I will continue to serve my neighbors up until election day, as well as every day once in office.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I am not interested in being dismissive to Councilmember Cornegy. I hope this criticism is taken as a critique not a stating a failure.
But we do believe the Council’s office could have done a better job with constituent services. And, his record for halting predatory development is stellar but his mistakes for TPT was unnerving.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Positives:
Helped to create open streets for small eateries
Food justice
Promoted safe practices based on available science
Negatives:
Not using 21st century tools to inform and could not reach all demographics in the district
(We reached tens of thousands for testing and vaccination sites)
Not helping tenants with rent and utilities debt
(We used the power of social media to inform locals about available options for debt relief and our Constituent service team reached out to tenants )

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Affordable housing. Our district is attractive to people from all over, thanks to our rich culture, delicious foods, beautiful streets and, of course, incredible people. An influx of people, however, paired with the greed of many large landlords and developers, is squeezing our residents. I believe it is the responsibility of the City Council to address affordable housing.
Education. Our schools are underfunded and segregated and the outcomes for students are in dire need of improvement. I am committed to education equity and excellence, through fully funding our schools, from pre-K to a college education at CUNY. We will incentivize more teachers into the workforce, bring more counselors into our schools, expand co-curricular workshops (including pushing for a high pay ceiling for small CBOs) and give the rising generation the recognition it deserves: as a top priority.
Public safety. Too often, the police fail to keep us safe and abuse Black and brown New Yorkers. I believe that for the jobs police are necessary for, they should be adequately trained and supported. For the jobs they are not necessary for, the city must fund new institutions, such as mental health professionals, to handle these situations. The current Police Reform slate is a good example of our protests, the work of backroom negotiations and the Council being pressured to make change. I am glad to have worked in the streets and the Council floor for this change.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

1. Organizing protests and programs to fight police misconduct
2. Using the power of protest to help defeat 50a
3. Worked the phones and back rooms with City Council Members for women’s rights
4. Have fought for bills and language on behalf of tenant & block associations in City Council as well as fighting predatory development

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Expectations are premeditated resentments.