It’s not easy being the son of a former politician who is best known for being indicted by federal prosecutors. But Carlos Gonzalez, the son of ex-State Senator Efrain Gonzalez, is determined to make his own name for himself in Bronx politics.

The younger Gonzalez recently created an exploratory campaign committee in order to start raising money for a possible run for public office, sparking speculation that he could challenge one of two longtime Bronx politicians. 

Gonzalez, 41, lives in the Bronx’s 78th Assembly District, where Jose Rivera holds office, as well as the 33rd Senate District, which is represented by Pedro Espada, Jr. Both are up for re-election this fall.

In an interview on Monday night, Gonzalez repeatedly said he didn’t know if or against whom he would run, if he decides to run.

“I’m also in the 14th Councilmanic District,” he said.
Gonzalez did say that if he does decide to run, he wants to change the culture of politics.

“We need to think on and beyond and start thinking about having new leaders,” Gonzalez said. “People seem to be secondary when we think about politics.”

While not naming any names, Gonzalez did talk about the type of politicians he felt were in the way of progress. “There are elected officials who work really hard and those that try to ride this out and talk about what they’ve done over the last 20 years, Gonzalez said. We need to have a more critical strategy. I’m talking about the future of our lives.”

Gonzalez said there’s no “blueprint” for progress, especially for those struggling in the west Bronx, which he says is in far worse shape than the east Bronx. “This is about the struggling poor in our communities,” he said. “These families are on the brink of catastrophic collapse. On the brink of losing everything.”

For years, the younger Gonzalez has worked for the Democratic conference in the State Senate. Ironically, he began his career in the mid-1990s working for the man who unseated his father in 2008, Espada. “Not that many people know that,” he said.

Lately, Gonzalez said he’s been helping bring more transparency to Albany as the Senate’s director of media services. His office, he says, is working to bring what happens in Albany to the Bronx and everywhere else in the state by streaming video of Senate proceedings on the internet. “We have cameras everywhere now,” he said.

For now, Gonzalez said he’s not worried about being elected to office, he just wants to brings his ideas of progress and change to the forefront. “If it starts a conversation and starts bringing people together, then that’s what we need to do,” he said.