Bronx Borough President Ruben Díaz Jr. was poised to run for New York City mayor in the 2021 city elections. However, he dropped a bomb earlier this week when he announced that he’s not only dropping out of the race but is also retiring from politics after 22 years.
Díaz, 46, made the announcement in The New York Times during an interview saying that he wants to spend more time with his family. He will not seek any other political office once his term as borough president ends in 2021.
“You miss out on a lot,” he said during the interview. “I want to hang out with them [his children] more. I haven’t seen my youngest [Ryan], I’ve seen him three days in over the last 380 days, Ruben lives in the West Bronx and I see Ruben every other week? He lives right here.”
Díaz was referring to his youngest son Ryan, who is in the military serving in Germany, and his oldest son Ruben.
In a letter he referred the AmNews to about his announcement that was sent to supporters, Díaz said that it was “time for a change” after serving two decades as a public servant.
“This decision is final, and no length of additional time will change that,” he said. “Many New Yorkers have committed to support my future in numerous ways, and making this announcement now gives them enough time to make different plans.”
Raising a reported $94,000, Díaz was in a somewhat crowded pool of other mayoral hopefuls including Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, City Comptroller Scott Stringer and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who all raised more.
Reports indicate Díaz plans to return all of the political donations he received.
Díaz was first elected to political office in 1997 at age 23 when he was elected to the New York State Assembly, making him one of the youngest people ever elected to the governing body. He is the son of current City Council Member and former State Sen. Ruben Díaz Sr.
During his time in office, he was an advocate and organizer for the family of Amadou Diallo in 1999 when Diallo was fatally shot by the NYPD in the Bronx. After he led a citywide march, Díaz’s involvement made him a household name in city politics.
In 2009, then-president Barack Obama selected then-Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión Jr. to serve as director of the White House Office on Urban Affairs. A special election was held and Díaz entered the race winning 87% percent of the vote. He ran again in 2017 winning 86% of the vote in the Democratic Primary.
If he were to be elected, Díaz, a Puerto Rican, would have been New York’s first Latino mayor. The Latino population accounts for 2.5 million of the city, at just under 30%.
“Throughout this journey, I have been honored and humbled by the support so many have shown to me,” Díaz said. “That confidence has always guided my efforts to effect positive change for the Bronx, our city and our nation. To those who have supported me in that work, and who were excited to support my future, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”