After college, Bottcher moved to Manhattan and held a number of jobs in various industries throughout his 20s, including a traffic coordinator at an advertising firm, a production assistant in the packaging design department of Colgate Palmolive, and as a realtor at the Corcoran Group.

[5] At the Council, he worked on issues including hate crimes, transgender rights, bullying in schools, and the fight for marriage equality in New York State.

[7][8] Running with Johnson's support, Bottcher quickly became the district's frontrunner, raising more money than all but four other candidates across the city and accruing endorsements from nearly every major union and local elected official.

[9][10][11] During the campaign, Bottcher released an extensive policy platform to address the crisis of serious mental illness, New York City's sanitation concerns, and increasing employment opportunities for residents of public housing and those living in poverty.

[16][17][18] David Nieves, a leading member of Guardians of Divinity, was arrested for assaulting Bottcher's neighbor, a 52-year-old man who had been walking his dog, who he harassed, struck in the face causing him to bleed, and then pushed into a car.