Chetan Hebbur is giving a run for New York City Council. A New York University senior, 21, Hebbur wants a shot at succeeding Rosie Mendez, who is term-limited out. “The city needs younger voices who represent change,” he told the media. Hebbur, who expects to earn his bachelor’s degree from NYU in 2017, said in a New York Post report that the city needs younger voices who represent change.
Hebbur, an Indian American student majoring in mathematics and economics at New York University, has announced he is running for the New York City Council District 2 seat. If he wins, the Democrat would tie former Bronx Councilman Joel Rivera for the title of youngest city lawmaker in Big Apple history. Rivera was 22 when he was elected in 2001. The budding politico plans to rely on his fellow students to secure a spot on the ballot to represent the East Village, Lower East Side and Murray Hill. “You only need a tiny slice of the pie and there are 50,000 students at NYU,” Hebbur said.
Hebbur, a Democrat, is counting on his fellow classmates to earn a spot on the ballot for the District 2 seat representing the East Village, Lower East Side and Murray Hill, which will become open as incumbent Rosie Mendez is termed out. A Dallas native, Hebbur works as a marketing consultant at Toews Corporation in New York. He announced his candidacy for the council in March.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Hebbur has intentions of rebuilding the city’s critical infrastructure while sending a clear message of the need for fact-based politics in America. “My time at NYU has made me attached to the area and community, and changes need to be made,” he said in his profile.
Added Hebbur in the report, “I want to get my peers on the same page and actively make a difference in our community,” adding that he hopes to change NYU students’ anger at President Donald Trump through a local movement.
Among the issues Hebbur is campaigning to resolve, if elected, are implementing a fact-based policy, a review of all public health legislation, supporting nonprofits and advocacy groups, and supporting criminal justice. He hopes to launch an online portal for people to vote on policy proposals, and to measure local support for each piece of legislation, the Post reported.
Hebbur, who is running a grassroots campaign, criticized the current council for proposing progressive policies but not executing them, according to the report. He cited the Save a Life, Carry Naloxone campaign, which touted expanding access to the life-saving overdose antidote to 700 pharmacies, it added.
“I plan to do things differently and create change,” the Dallas native said. He wants to transform NYU students’ anger at President Trump into a local movement. “I want to get my peers on the same page and actively make a difference in our community,” he said.
He wants to use the internet and social media to create more government transparency. He hopes to launch an online portal for people to vote on policy proposals, and to measure local support for each piece of legislation.
Hebbur also believes in a “grass-roots approach” to his campaign. That means he has no money. “We already have a full staff pro bono, and when I meet officials for lunches, they usually offer to pay anyways,” he joked. New York’s primary election is Sept. 12 with the general election slated for Nov. 7.
