Maria Baez is a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

from

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

who was a member of the

New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...

. She was elected to represent

Fordham Fordham may refer to: Education * Fordham Preparatory School, an all-male, Jesuit high school in New York City * Fordham University, a Jesuit university in New York City ** Fordham Rams, athletic teams of the above university ** Fordham University ...

Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population ...

, Morris Heights, and the

West Bronx The West Bronx is a region in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The region lies west of the Bronx River and roughly corresponds to the western half of the borough. The West Bronx is more densely populated than the East Bronx, and is clos ...

, which are all neighborhoods in the 14th district of

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

.New York City Council webpage
/ref>

Personal life and early career

Her first involvement in politics before her election to the City Council was when she was forming the local community organization, 2300 Tenants Block Association, which helped with voter registration and after-school care for local children. She also worked with Jose Rivera, the Assemblyman as his

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

, and later on become the first Hispanic woman to be appointed to head the Bronx Board of Elections.

Political career and failed 2009 re-election bid

Baez was first elected to the

in the first of January 2002 and was reelected later on. Her term expired on December 31, 2009. On October 23, 2009 Baez voted to extend term limits for the mayor and the City Council. Baez had the support of the Speaker of the New York City Council,

Christine Quinn Christine Callaghan Quinn (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as the Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, she was the first female and fi ...

, who said of her: "She's been a great friend to her district, a great friend to the Bronx, and a great and loyal friend to me."City Limits website
/ref> The race itself, between Baez, Fernando Cabrera, and Yudelka Tapia has been described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' as a challenge to the power of local Democratic Party boss

Carl Heastie Carl Edward Heastie (; born September 25, 1967) is an American politician from New York. Heastie has served in the New York State Assembly since January 2001, and was elected Speaker of the New York State Assembly on February 3, 2015. Early l ...

. However Baez was defeated in her re-election bid by 75 votes by Fernando Cabrera, who had only just days before changed his affiliation from Republican to Democrat

Committee on Aging

She was the first woman to chair the Committee on State and Federal Legislation and after her service there she became the Chair of the Committee on Aging, which administers the public services for aging people throughout

Allegations of pro-landlordism

She came under criticism in some sources when she was allegedly accused of supposedly sponsoring a bill that was allegedly "pro-landlord" and, according to some critics, over-funding some programs.Alleged pro-landlord stance
/ref>

Poor attendance record

She was also further criticized because of her low attendance record, which according to the records was at 47% attendance rate

Allegations of discretionary fund misuse

Another issue that unfolded was her use of her discretionary funds for groups that the City Council had previously refused to fund. Some of the money that Baez conferred has been frozen pending an inquiry by the

New York City Department of Investigation The New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) is a law enforcement agency of the government of New York City that serves as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog for New York City government. Established in 1873, it is one of the oldest l ...

.Allegations of misuse of funds
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baez, Maria Living people New York City Council members Hispanic and Latino American New York City Council members New York (state) Democrats Politicians from the Bronx Monroe College alumni Lehman College alumni Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Women New York City Council members Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women politicians