Mark Gjonaj

Mark Gjonaj (/ˈdʒoʊnaɪ/ JOH-nye; born December 1968)[1][2] is an American politician who served in the New York City Council from the 13th district from 2018 to 2021. He previously represented the 80th district of the New York State Assembly from 2013 to 2017. His district encompasses Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Gardens, and Norwood, among other communities of the Bronx.

Mark Gjonaj
Member of the New York City Council
from the 13th district
In office
January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2021
Preceded byJames Vacca
Succeeded byMarjorie Velázquez
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 80th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2017
Preceded byNaomi Rivera
Succeeded byNathalia Fernandez
Personal details
Born1968 (age 54–55)
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children2
EducationSt. John's University (BA)

Early life and education

Gjonaj was born in the Bronx to an Albanian family from Reč, Montenegro. He attended St. Raymond High School for Boys and graduated from St. John's University with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[3][4]

Career

Gjonaj is the president of M P Realty Group Corp., a real estate brokerage firm that he founded in 1999. His political experience prior to election was as a member of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.

New York State Assembly

Gjonaj defeated incumbent assemblywoman Naomi Rivera in the 2012 Democratic primary race. On November 6, 2012, he won the general election with 79% of the vote.[5]

New York City Council

In 2017, Gjonaj entered the race to represent the 13th District of the New York City Council, to replace Councilman James Vacca, who had to step down due to term limits.[6] Gjonaj won the five-way primary with 39% of the vote.

On November 8, 2017, Gjonaj won his bid to replace New York City Councilman James Vacca, defeating the Republican candidate John Cerini by a margin of 49% to 36%.[7]

In 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing recession, Gjonaj introduced a bill to cap fees charged by delivery applications (e.g. Grubhub).[8]

Controversies

In 2017, Gjonaj confirmed that he had used over $17,000 of donor funds to sue New York City for siting homeless shelters and mental health facilities in the Bronx.[9]

In August 2018, Gjonaj was filmed chanting "shame" at Alessandra Biaggi, who was running in a primary against incumbent State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein. Gjonaj's chief of staff said that he was angry at Biaggi's support for bike infrastructure.[10] Biaggi won the primary.

Election history
Election History
Location Year Election Type Results
Candidate Votes Percent
NYS Assembly
District 80		 2012 General √ Mark Gjonaj (D)22,38677.76%
Nicole J. Torres (R)2,6007.92%
Naomi Rivera (WFP)2,1866.66%
Patrick A. McManus (Cons)8612.62%
William Edstrom (Green)2740.83%
NYS Assembly
District 80		 2014 General √ Mark Gjonaj (D)9,81677.76%
Robert Goodman (R/Cons)1,89214.99%
NYS Assembly
District 80		 2016 General √ Mark Gjonaj (D)24,95970.50%
Nicholas Marricco (R)3,3919.58%
Robert Goodman (Cons)9532.69%
NYC Council
District 13		 2017 Democratic Primary √ Mark Gjonaj3,50338.46%
Marjorie Velázquez3,11334.14%
John C. Doyle1,72818.97%
NYC Council
District 13		 2017 General √ Mark Gjonaj (D)10,60248.62%
John Cerini (R/Cons/Reform)7,79135.73%
Marjorie Velázquez (WFP)2,82912.97%

References
  1. "Mark Gjonaj". albaniansuccessstories.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  2. Goodman, J. David (12 September 2017). "Local Issues Dominate New York City Council Elections". Retrieved 6 February 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  3. "Albanian-American realtor challenges incumbent Bronx Assemblywoman". New York Daily News. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. "Citizens Union - Assembly District 80 - Democratic Primary". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
  5. Kratz, Alex (November 7, 2012). "No Surprises in Local Election Results as Democrats Sweep the Bronx". Norwood News. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  6. Ben Max (May 1, 2017). "Candidates for 2017 City Elections". Gotham Gazette.
  7. "Election Results: De Blasio Wins Second Term as New York City Mayor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  8. "New York City caps fees for food delivery apps". BBC News. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  9. "Council Member Uses Campaign Funds to Sue City Raising Questions". Gotham Gazette. 2018-10-26. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  10. "Video Shows Angry Bronx Councilman Chanting 'Shame!' At Candidate Who Supports Bike Lanes". Gothamist. 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2020-09-30.


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