Mathieu Eugene
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Dr. Mathieu Eugene is a New York City Councilmember. Born in April 1954 in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti. He made history when he won two special elections to become the first Haitian-born elected official in the state of New York. He attended schools in Haiti, Belgium and Mexico. He is a master and black belt in the martial art of Tae Kwon Do.
Dr Eugene, a physician, attended medical school in Belgium, Dominican Republic and Mexico. He has a medical degree from Universidad Del Noreste in Mexico but does not practice in the U.S. While he was studying in Belgium, he met the martial art movie superstar Jean-Claude Van Dam and they became friends and have remained so ever since. Before he became Councilmember, he was a community organizer. He is still running a youth program in Brooklyn.
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[edit] Political Career
Mathieu Eugene is a member of the New York City Council representing District 40 in Brooklyn. The district includes parts of Crown Heights and Flatbush. First elected in a special election on February 20, 2007, Eugene, a Democrat, is the first Haitian-American member of the New York City Council.
[edit] Controversy Over Residency Status
There was dispute over his residency when he was first elected. According to election rules in New York City, a candidate must be a resident of their respective district on election day. Even though Eugene was active in the 40th district as a community activist, he lived outside of the district. In was unclear if he has moved into the 40th district in time. In order to avoid a formal inquiry of his residency status, he refused the swearing in so that another election was necessary. On April 24, 2007, he won the second election with 51% of the vote against two other candidates.
[edit] Family
Dr. Eugene is married with two children Sofia and Mathieu [Jr], He also has three known brothers Maxi, Louis and Lucien.
[edit] References
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| Preceded by Yvette Clarke |
New York City Council, 40th District 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
