Chris Owens (politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chris Owens is a community and political activist in Brooklyn, New York.

1 Biography
2 Congressional Campaign
3 Defeat
4 External links

[edit] Biography

Owens was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

He's the son of retiring Congressman Major Owens, a former librarian, and Ethel Werfel Owens, a former college professor.

One of his brothers, Geoffrey Owens, is an actor best known for playing the role of "Elvin Thibideaux" on The Cosby Show.

A graduate of Harvard University- where he majored in Sociology - Owens has spent most of his life involved in public affairs and community activism. In 1998, Owens earned an M.P.A. in Domestic Policy from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

In addition to public sector work with former New York City Council President Andrew Stein, Owens worked for over a decade "with a company specializing in managed health care for lower-income communities."

Owens also served as a Trustee of the Weeksville Society and President of the Weeksville Board from 1998-2003. He served as a member of the Political Action Committee of NARAL Pro-Choice New York from 1996 through 2003. Owens was also a long-time member of Central Brooklyn's Coalition for Community Empowerment.

His only prior bid for public office, aside from two elections and six years of service on his local community school board, was a 1989 run for a seat in the New York City Council.

[edit] Congressional Campaign

Chris Owens is one of four candidates vying to replace the current representative for Brooklyn New York's 11th District, Major Owens - his father - in a hotly contested race which has polarized the district.

Like supporters of the two remaining African-American candidates in this race, advocates for Owens maintain that the candidacy of New York City Council member David Yassky represents a threat to this district, which has been represented by a black individual, dating back to the election of the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm in 1968.

Chris Owens has distinguished himself from his opponents by virtue of his opposition to the planned construction of a sports arena for the New Jersey Nets, in addition to housing, on the site of the Atlantic Yards by developer Bruce Ratner.

Unlike his three opponents, who have offered support of this concept, Owens has repeatedly denounced the Atlantic Yards project, which has proved to be one of the most controversial issues in this race.

Although his three opponents would all be considered liberal in terms of their political philosophy Owens is generally regarded as being the most progressive, or leftist, candidate in this crowded primary field.

[edit] Defeat

On September 12, 2006, Owens came in fourth in the Democratic primary for the 11th Congressional District, garnering just under twenty percent of the vote.[1]

The votes Owens received directly contributed to the defeat of City Council member David Yassky. Owens raised and spent less than $400,000 prior to September 12; Yassky had raised and spent more than $1.2 million -- more than any candidate for an open House seat in the nation. Owens finished six percentage points behind Yassky and 11 percentage points behind the winner, City Council member Yvette Clarke.

Clarke received late endorsements from powerful unions, the NY Daily News and several political figures.