Ronald Zorrilla has announced his candidacy for the Ward 4 City Council seat in the 2025 election. Endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families parties, Zorrilla is seeking to succeed Councilwoman Patricia Sofokles.
The upcoming election will see all four city ward seats on the ballot.

Councilwoman Giselle Martinez is running for re-election in Ward 1, and Councilwoman Ramona Monteverde is seeking another term in Ward 2. Tamika Stewart, a first-time candidate, is running for the Ward 3 seat.

Zorrilla, also a first-time candidate, is the son of Dominican immigrants and grew up in New York City before moving to Newburgh about a decade ago. He said he is excited and eager to build on his work within the community. His decision to run, he said, stems from his concerns about division among residents, political fatigue and a lack of trust in institutions. He hopes to unify the community if elected.

Zorrilla is the founder of Outdoor Promise, a nonprofit that connects urban youth and families with the outdoors. His inspiration for the organization came from attending a Department of Environmental Conservation summer camp as a teenager. After moving to Newburgh, he became aware of local water pollution, brownfields and high asthma rates. Outdoor Promise has since focused on environmental justice issues and civic engagement.

Zorrilla has also served on the Downing Park Planning Committee, where he met his wife. The couple now have a young daughter. He worked alongside Sofokles on the committee and said he is honored to have her support.

His involvement in local environmental efforts includes serving on the Conservation Advisory Council and the Restoration Advisory Board for Stewart Air National Guard Base, where he advocated for clean water. He has also served on the Greater Newburgh Parks Conservancy board and worked on the Newburgh Wants a Park campaign, which seeks to designate Crystal Lake as a public park.

Zorrilla helped launch the Environmental Justice Fellowship Program, which engages young adults in civic and environmental issues. He has led community cleanups, organized hikes and provided online environmental education. His efforts helped secure more than $200,000 in grant funding for Newburgh’s natural resource inventory, the environmental justice fellowship and the Climate Smart Communities Task Force.

In addition to his nonprofit work, Zorrilla is an advisor for the Small Business Development Center of New York. He previously worked as a consultant for Passaic County’s Department of Human Services and led the homelessness and housing task force for the Impact Passaic coalition.

As a candidate, Zorrilla said he wants to serve as a representative for Newburgh’s more than 30,000 residents. He believes in fostering open discussions, addressing critical issues and ensuring transparency in government.

His campaign is focused on environmental justice, small business and economic development, workforce development and housing. “I don’t want to be a single voice. I want to be a representative of many voices,” he said. “My job is to listen, make sure people feel heard, take action and be transparent about why things take time.”

Amid the current national political climate, Zorrilla said strong local leadership is more important than ever. He hopes to inspire greater civic engagement in Newburgh.

As he begins collecting petition signatures, Zorrilla is encouraging voters to review his record and connect with his campaign on social media at @Ronald4Newburgh or at www.ronald4newburgh.com.