Upper East Side Councilmember Candidate Profile: Kyle Athayde ...

Kyle Athayde is from Manhattan's East Side. He has a bachelor's degree from CUNY Hunter College.

Kyle is the Director of External Affairs and Operations for NYC Health + Hospitals South Brooklyn Health. He previously oversaw Statewide Outreach and Special Initiatives for the New York State Office for New Americans for nearly a decade, and then led Strategic Initiatives and Community Affairs for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Kyle Athayde - Ballotpedia

Kyle Athayde's campaign for New York City Council Member, District 4, is his first time running for public office. He previously served as the chair of Manhattan Community Board 6 from 2021 to 2023.

Supports eliminating municipal income tax for all public school employees.

- Supports eliminating municipal income tax for all public school employees.

Economy

Supports installing "smart bins" on every corner to replace sidewalk trash bags.

- Advocate for increased green space.
- Supports installing "smart bins" on every corner to replace sidewalk trash bags.

Public Services

Supports freezing rent and limiting future rent increases for low- to middle-income housing units.

Plans to reform the shelter system to include on-site mental health support, healthcare, childcare, and workforce development.

Supports increasing middle-income housing options by expanding rent regulation targeted at households earning up to 165% of the Area Median Income.

Supports increasing middle-income housing options by expanding rent regulation to households earning up to 165% of the Area Median Income.

Wants to bar "slumlords" from owning and operating rental properties.

Supports providing free legal representation in housing court for all tenants, regardless of income.

Supports streamlining development approvals based on the number of affordable housing units planned for the community.

- Supports freezing rent and limiting future rent increases for low- to middle-income housing units.
- Plans to reform the shelter system to include on-site mental health support, healthcare, childcare, and workforce development.
- Supports increasing middle-income housing options by expanding rent regulation to households earning up to 165% of the Area Median Income.
- Wants to bar "slumlords" from owning and operating rental properties.
- Supports providing free legal representation in housing court for all tenants, regardless of income.
- Supports streamlining development approvals based on the number of affordable housing units planned for the community.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports increasing New York City Police Department (NYPD) neighborhood safety patrols.

Supports reallocating NYPD officers from turnstiles and platforms to subway cars and implementing smart surveillance, improved lighting, and 24/7 mental health outreach to enhance public safety.

Supports reallocating NYPD officers from turnstiles and platforms to subway cars and implementing smart surveillance, improved lighting, and 24/7 mental health outreach in subways.

Supports empowering law enforcement to monitor hate crime patterns, radicalization pathways, and prevention models.

- Supports increasing New York City Police Department (NYPD) neighborhood safety patrols.
- Supports reallocating NYPD officers from turnstiles and platforms to subway cars and implementing smart surveillance, improved lighting, and 24/7 mental health outreach in subways.
- Supports empowering law enforcement to monitor hate crime patterns, radicalization pathways, and prevention models.

Public Safety

Supports using geofencing technology to enforce no bike zones on sidewalks, automatic slow down at crossings, mandatory licensing and registration, and bike lane speed bumps at pedestrian crossings.

Supports dedicated busways on every major street.

Supports city control of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

Supports protected bike lanes for rider and pedestrian safety.

Supports expanding ferry service and integrating the One Metro New York (OMNy) system.

Supports expanding the Fair Fares program.

- Supports using geofencing technology to enforce no bike zones on sidewalks, automatic slow down at crossings, mandatory licensing and registration, and bike lane speed bumps at pedestrian crossings.
- Supports dedicated busways on every major street.
- Supports city control of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
- Supports protected bike lanes for rider and pedestrian safety.
- Supports expanding ferry service and integrating the One Metro New York (OMNy) system.
- Supports expanding the Fair Fares program.

Transportation & Infrastructure

As of August 21, 2025, Kyle Athayde’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

Healthcare

Supports fully funding 3K, PreK, and universal afterschool programming.

Supports protecting and expanding gifted and talented programs in schools.

Supports fully funding arts, civic, financial literacy, and home economic as part of the curriculum.

Supports comprehensive social media mental health education.

Supports comprehensive social media mental health education for students.

Supports including apprenticeships as part of the curriculum.

Supports including apprenticeships as part of the school curriculum.

Supports allowing all high school students to receive college credits towards City University of New York (CUNY) colleges.

- Supports fully funding 3K, PreK, and universal afterschool programming.
- Supports protecting and expanding gifted and talented programs in schools.
- Supports fully funding arts, civic, financial literacy, and home economic as part of the curriculum.
- Supports comprehensive social media mental health education for students.
- Supports including apprenticeships as part of the school curriculum.
- Supports allowing all high school students to receive college credits towards City University of New York (CUNY) colleges.

Education

Instagram

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Kyle Athayde

Supports freezing rent and limiting future increases for low- to middle-income housing units.

Plans to create a public review process for any shelter siting.

Kyle Athayde is from Manhattan's East Side. He has a bachelor's degree from CUNY Hunter College. He is a first-generation American.

Kyle is the Director of External Affairs and Operations for NYC Health + Hospitals South Brooklyn Health. Before running for office, he oversaw Statewide Outreach and Special Initiatives for the New York State Office for New Americans for nearly a decade, and then led Strategic Initiatives and Community Affairs for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Kyle Athayde's campaign for New York City Council Member, District 4, is his first entry into politics. He previously served as the chair of Manhattan Community Board 6 from 2021 to 2023.

- Supports freezing rent and limiting future rent increases for low- to middle-income housing units.
- Plans to reform the shelter system to include on-site mental health support, healthcare, childcare, and workforce development.
- Supports increasing middle-income housing options by expanding rent regulation targeted at households earning up to 165% of the Area Median Income.
- Wants to bar "slumlords" from owning and operating rental properties.
- Supports providing free legal representation in housing court for all tenants, regardless of income.
- Supports streamlining development approvals based on the number of affordable housing units planned for the community.

- Supports increasing New York City Police Department (NYPD) neighborhood safety patrols.
- Supports reallocating NYPD officers from turnstiles and platforms to subway cars and implementing smart surveillance, improved lighting, and 24/7 mental health outreach to enhance public safety.
- Supports empowering law enforcement to monitor hate crime patterns, radicalization pathways, and prevention models.

Buket Urgen

LinkedIn

Debra earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from the University of Maryland. 

Debra currently works as a marketing coordinator for Fox News Media. She previously worked as a campus coordinator for Turning Point USA and as a campaign staffer for Rob Astorino’s governor campaign.

Debra Schwartzben - Ballotpedia

Debra Schwartzben's campaign for New York City Council Member, District 4 is her first entry into politics. 

As of August 5, 2025, Debra Schwartzben did not have a website or any information online.

Facebook

Debra Schwartzben

Virginia is originally from the East Side of Manhattan. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Princeton University, a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She lives in Stuyvesant Town with her partner.

Virginia currently works as a product manager at Meta, where she focuses on augmented reality and accessibility tools. She previously held product and marketing roles at Facebook, led tech-focused economic development initiatives at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and worked as a consultant at Deloitte.

Virginia Maloney’s campaign for New York City Council District 4 is her first run for public office.

Believes accountability is essential, saying, "New Yorkers deserve to know where their money is going."

- Believes accountability is essential, saying, "New Yorkers deserve to know where their money is going."

Supports accessible online city services for all New Yorkers, advocating for digital tools that meet accessibility and usability standards to create a more inclusive city government.

Supports accessible online city services for all New Yorkers.

Supports dependable trash pickup, rat-resistant bins, and responsive sanitation services.

- Supports accessible online city services for all New Yorkers.
- Supports dependable trash pickup, rat-resistant bins, and responsive sanitation services.

Believes the high cost of housing is forcing essential workers, like teachers, transit workers, and firefighters, out of their communities.

- Believes the high cost of housing is forcing essential workers, like teachers, transit workers, and firefighters, out of their communities.

Supports consistent enforcement of sidewalk riding laws for e-bikes and mopeds, especially in crowded areas, using real-time fines.

Supports increased enforcement of sidewalk riding laws for e-bikes and mopeds, especially in crowded areas, using real-time fines.

Supports "common sense regulations" like Priscilla’s Law to require registration and identification for high-speed e-bikes and mopeds used for commercial purposes.

Supports Priscilla’s Law, which would require registration and identification for high-speed e-bikes and mopeds used for commercial purposes.

Believes app companies like Uber and Seamless should be required to promote safe riding by incentivizing safe behavior, training and certifying delivery riders on traffic rules, and sharing violation data to help prevent crashes.

Believes app companies like Uber and Seamless should be required to promote safe riding, train and certify delivery riders on traffic rules, and share violation data to help prevent crashes.

Believes that removing long-term scaffolding and overseeing vacant storefronts will make neighborhoods safer and more vibrant.

Believes that removing long-term scaffolding and better oversight of vacant storefronts will make neighborhoods safer.

- Supports increased enforcement of sidewalk riding laws for e-bikes and mopeds, especially in crowded areas, using real-time fines.
- Supports Priscilla’s Law, which would require registration and identification for high-speed e-bikes and mopeds used for commercial purposes.
- Believes app companies like Uber and Seamless should be required to promote safe riding, train and certify delivery riders on traffic rules, and share violation data to help prevent crashes.
- Believes that removing long-term scaffolding and better oversight of vacant storefronts will make neighborhoods safer.

Supports reducing construction length and height for the Lenox Hill hospital project.

Believes basic services like street work and infrastructure upgrades should be better coordinated, with clear timelines and improved communication to reduce disruptions.

Supports investing in infrastructure such as protected bike lanes, better signage, and improved intersection visibility to reduce collisions.

Supports investing in protected bike lanes, better signage, and improved intersection visibility.

Supports upgrading subway stations to be more accessible.

Supports upgrading the district's subway stations to be more accessible.

- Supports reducing construction length and height for the Lenox Hill hospital project.
- Believes basic services like street work and infrastructure upgrades should be better coordinated, with clear timelines and improved communication to reduce disruptions.
- Supports investing in protected bike lanes, better signage, and improved intersection visibility.
- Supports upgrading the district's subway stations to be more accessible.

As of August 5, 2025, Virginia Maloney’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Supports protecting first responders and opposes cuts to medical care for 9/11 heroes.

Opposes cuts to medical care for 9/11 first responders.

Wants to partner with local institutions to expand access to trauma-informed care, emergency shelter, and legal assistance for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Wants to expand access to trauma-informed care, emergency shelter, and legal assistance for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Supports non-police crisis response teams and accessible care options for mental health crises.

- Supports abortion access.
- Opposes cuts to medical care for 9/11 first responders.
- Wants to expand access to trauma-informed care, emergency shelter, and legal assistance for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
- Supports non-police crisis response teams and accessible care options for mental health crises.

Supports prioritizing anti-hate curriculum and Holocaust education in public schools.

- Supports prioritizing anti-hate curriculum and Holocaust education in public schools.

Virginia Maloney

- Supports protecting first responders and opposes cuts to medical care for 9/11 heroes.

- Supports reducing construction length and height for the Lenox Hill hospital project.

- Supports renewable energy initiatives, such as installing solar-powered ovens.

Supports renewable energy initiatives, such as installing solar-powered ovens.

- City Council Members work together to enact local laws, approve the city budget, and oversee land use and zoning regulations. ​
- Council Members oversee city agencies, ensuring they effectively serve the public and address community needs. ​

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