Guillermo Linares was born on August 30, 1951, in the town of Cabrera in the Dominican Republic;[4] he was the oldest of nine children.

He has often credited his family with being critical to his successes in community activism, public office, and academia.

[7] In 1991, Linares became the first Dominican elected to public office in New York City and tied for first in the United States with Kay Palacios.

In 2014, after Assembly Member Rosa pleaded guilty to marriage fraud and resigned,[10] Linares announced he would run for his old seat in the 2014 election.

[13] Linares was defeated for re-election in 2016 by Carmen De La Rosa after unsuccessfully running for Congress earlier in the year.