Justin Sanchez

Justin Sanchez (born July 17, 1991) is an American politician representing the 17th district of the New York City Council since 2026. He is a Democrat.

Early life and education Sanchez is the grandchild of immigrants: his grandmother came to New York from the Dominican Republic and his grandfather from Puerto Rico. He attended the University of Richmond but dropped out due to financial reasons, then graduated from the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies with a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies as valedictorian and New York University with a Master of Public Administration. Currently, he is a law student at Fordham Law School.

Career 2017 New York City Council campaign In 2017, Sanchez ran for the New York City Council's 14th district against incumbent Fernando Cabrera. He withdrew before the Democratic primary election after irregularities were found in his petitions. He was on the ballot in the general election on the Liberal Party line, placing 4th with 3.8% of the vote.

2025 New York City Council campaign After working as a community board liaison for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and chief of staff for state senator Nathalia Fernandez, Sanchez ran for the 17th District in 2025. His chief opponent in the Democratic primary was Freddy Perez Jr., a district leader for the 84th Assembly District, who was endorsed by outgoing Councilmember Rafael Salamanca. Sanchez won the June primary with 62% of the vote.

Sanchez's slogan for the general election campaign was "Clean the Damn Streets", focusing on quality-of-life issues in his South Bronx district, beginning with trash and litter on the streets. He won the general election with 86% of the vote.

Political positions Sanchez chairs the Sanitation and Solid Waste Committee of the NYC Council. He is a member of the Progressive Caucus in the City Council, and, along with Chi Ossé, he serves as co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus.

2017