2023 New York City Council general election results

Suspicious donations, intraparty backstabbing, gun charges – this general election season had it all. And that was just with only a handful of competitive races for the New York City Council.

While most of the 51 City Council seats will not be competitive, several moderate to purple districts in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx have seen all-out campaigns, as Republicans aim to grow their small minority in the council and Democrats hope to fend off a rightward shift similar to the one that parts of the city saw in last year’s state legislative elections.

Those hard-fought campaigns included the victory by Democratic Council Member Justin Brannan over Republican Ari Kagan, who, thanks to redistricting, faced off for the same southern Brooklyn district in what was one of the nastier races this year.

Just next door is the open seat for the newly created majority-Asian American district, which was won handily by Democrat Susan Zhuang.  Republican Ying Tan was defeated, splitting the vote with Conservative Party candidate Vito LaBella to Zhuang’s benefit.

In northeast Queens, incumbent Republican Vickie Paladino won a rematch – one of several this year – with former state Sen. Tony Avella, whose prior service in the district made him a competitive challenger, though his membership in the controversial state Senate Independent Democratic Conference may have left a sour taste in some Democrats’ mouths.

Facing what’s likely to be very low turnout, campaigns have turned to labor unions and fellow elected officials to help get out the vote in a final push over the weekend. Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, who outperformed as the Republican candidate in last year’s gubernatorial election in some outer borough neighborhoods that overlap with competitive districts, has shown up to campaign for Council Member Inna Vernikov in southern Brooklyn and Kristy Marmorato, who will likely win her race against Council Member Marjorie Velázquez in the Bronx. Democratic Rep. Grace Meng was pounding the pavement for Avella and incumbent Democrat Sandra Ung in Queens.

District 13

Kristy Marmorato (R, C): 52.46%

Marjorie Velázquez (D): 46.81%

98.33% of scanners reported

District 19

Northeast Queens, including College Point, Whitestone and Bayside

Vickie Paladino (R, C): 60.18%

Tony Avella (D): 39.44%

99% of scanners reported

District 20

Queens, including Flushing, Queensboro Hill and Murray Hill

Sandra Ung (Democratic): 58.05%

Yu-Ching James Pai (Republican, Conservative): 31.45%

Jin Liang Chen (Better Flushing Party): 9.91%

98.90% of scanners reported

District 23

Eastern Queens, including Hollis, Douglaston and Bellerose

Linda Lee (D): 63%

Bernard Chow (R, C): 35.53%

97.37% of scanners reported

District 29

Central Queens, including Kew Gardens, Rego Park and Forest Hills

Lynn Schulman (D): 67.86%

Danniel Maio (R, C): 27.28%

Sukhi Singh (Common Sense): 4.26%

97.67% of scanners reported

District 43

Southern Brooklyn, including Sunset Park, Bensonhurst and Gravesend

Susan Zhuang (D): 58.53%

Ying Tan (R): 26.30%

Vito LaBella (C): 14.55%

99% of scanners reported

District 47

Southern Brooklyn, including Bay Ridge, Coney Island and Sea Gate

Justin Brannan (D): 58.17%

Ari Kagan (R, C): 41.31%

97.76% of scanners reported

District 48

Southern Brooklyn, including Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay

Inna Vernikov (R, C): 67.12%

Amber Adler (D): 24.22%

Igor Kazatsker (Team Trump): 8.10%

97.46% of scanners reported