Juan Carlos “J.C.” Polanco, Esq., MBA
J.C. Polanco has spent his entire career serving others and is committed to public service. Born in Harlem and raised in the Fordham section of the Bronx to immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Polanco was taught early on that education was the key to success and opportunity. This immigrant spirit, emboldened by a sincere belief in the power of the American Dream, propelled J.C. to attend Fordham Preparatory School on a work grant, allowing him to work off his prep-school tuition and earning him a coveted position as batboy for the New York Yankees along the way.
After completing Fordham Prep, Polanco ran for the New York State Assembly, and, at 19, became one of its youngest candidates. Despite coming up short on making the ballot, J.C. learned about the complexities of ballot access, fundraising and party politics. Polanco’s continued interest in politics led him to study history and political science at the University at Albany, where he was an accomplished student leader serving as Comptroller of the Student Association, supervising a multimillion- dollar budget and over 150 student organizations. Prior to recognizing that then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s vision for the Republican Party best served the interests of average New Yorkers, Polanco founded The College Democrats of America on campus and demonstrated a strong ability as an organizer which he retains to this day.
Polanco returned to the Bronx after college and became a Permanently Certified Social Studies teacher at Harry S Truman High School while also taking night classes at both Fordham University School of Law and Fordham Graduate School of Business Administration. While completing his graduate studies, Polanco challenged current state Senator Jeff Klein for his Assembly seat, earning the young political candidate endorsements from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor George Pataki. Polanco ran on a reform platform of fresh ideas, but his incumbent opponent enjoyed a 5-to-1 voter-enrollment advantage in a highly gerrymandered district. Despite the loss, Polanco was noticed by the Assembly Republican Conference and quickly hired as a staff member. Soon after he completed his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees. Polanco today continues his service to state legislature as Director of the New York City Regional Office for Assembly Republican Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb and the Republican Conference.
Polanco was immediately admitted to the bars of New York and New Jersey and in 2006 formed his own firm, Polanco Law, PLLC, as well as The Polanco Organization, where the young attorney focuses on pro bono legal and management consulting to minority-owned and startup businesses.
In 2007 the Bronx Republican Executive Committee nominated Polanco to the New York City Council to serve as Commissioner of Elections from the Bronx. Polanco enjoyed bipartisan support and earned unanimous consent in 2007 and again in 2008. In 2011 Polanco’s fellow commissioners elected him President of the Board of Elections in the City of New York. As President, Polanco presides over all meetings of the Board and appoints commissioners to standing committees. Commissioner Polanco also serves on the Executive, Public Education, Finance, and Investigations committees of the Board of Elections.
Polanco is currently celebrating his 11th year as an educator at the secondary- and higher-education levels. Today he is an adjunct assistant professor at CUNY/Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he specializes in business, criminology, law, and ethnic studies. Prior to his tenure at CUNY, Polanco taught political science, American history and economics at Boricua College in Washington Heights. In 2011 J.C. is beginning an Educational Leadership program at the City College, City University of New York in which he will complete an M.S. in education while researching the socioeconomic effects of de facto segregation on inner-city high school students.
Polanco has served on the Board of Trustees for the Harriet Tubman Charter School, the University Auxiliary Services at SUNY, the United States Students Association, and Student Association of the State Universities. Polanco has also been a member of the Bronx Rotary Club, the Morris Park Kiwanis, and has served as Executive District Leader for the 80th Assembly District, and delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2008. Polanco was elected a member of the New York Republican State Committee and today is the party’s First Vice Chairman in Bronx County.
J.C. is a regular Republican guest and contributor on NY1’s “Pura Politica” and “Inside City Hall.” He has also appeared on CNN’s “American Morning” and “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” WABC’s “UpClose with Diana Williams,” Fox’s “Good Day NY,” WPIX’s “Morning News,” WCBS 2’s “The Early Show,” Univision 41 and Telemundo 47, BET’s “106 and Park” as well as several radio stations and programs, including Radio WADO, 1010 WINS, CBS News, 107.5 Kiss FM, and “The Brian Lehrer Show.”
Polanco resides in the Allerton section of the Bronx and is the proud papi of Savannah and Sebastian.