Kristin Richardson Jordan

Kristin Richardson Jordan
Member of the New York City Council from the 9th district
Taking office January 1, 2022
Succeeding	Bill Perkins
Personal details
Born	(1987-01-03) January 3, 1987 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Other political affiliations	Socialism and Liberation
Parents	Lynne D. Richardson, Desmond Jordan
Residence	New York, New York, U.S.
Education	Calhoun School
Alma mater	Brown University
Occupation	Poet activist

Kristin Richardson Jordan (born 1987) is an American activist, poet and politician who is the Councilmember for New York City's 9th City Council district. Jordan identifies as a democratic socialist and police abolitionist. In her 2021 race for the New York City Council, she campaigned on a platform of "radical love."

Early life and education

Jordan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1987 to physicians Lynne D. Richardson and Desmond Jordan. Her parents were both raised in Harlem, and the family returned after her father's internship at Johns Hopkins University, where she grew up. She graduated from the Calhoun School and then from Brown University in 2009, double-majoring in Africana studies and literary arts. Jordan is a lesbian activist.

Career

Jordan ran for New York City Council in 2021 against incumbent Councilmember Bill Perkins, narrowly defeating him in the Democratic primary, virtually assuring her election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Jordan was not endorsed by that organization, as it wanted to focus support on other candidates in that year's elections. Members of her campaign have also speculated that the DSA may have been dissatisfied with her past membership in the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

Jordan was criticized in the aftermath of a fatal shooting in her district where two Latino NYPD police officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora were shot and killed in a domestic disturbance call; choosing instead to issue tweets about a local community garden. After criticism by residents, she stated she was told not to tweet about the slain officers. Several days later, she publicly sent condolences to the family of Lashawn McNeil, the alleged killer who was shot and killed by a third officer, alongside the families of the fallen cops. Explaining her motivation, Jordan stated "I mourn the loss of literally all human life. I don’t see it as contradictory to mourn the life lost of Lashawn as well as the lives of Officer Rivera and Officer Mora."

In 2022, Jordan said she "would rather have lots sit empty than have them filled with further gentrification."

In February 2022, Jordan received criticism for her tweet thread blaming the U.S., NATO, and the European Union for their role in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She said, "In 2014, the U.S. helped overthrow Ukraine’s democratically elected leader in an illegal coup, helped install a fascist government and empowered a far right military all with the goal of destabilizing Russia."