New York City Council 2025 primary races to watch

District 1: Lower Manhattan, including the Financial District, Chinatown, City Hall and SoHo

TLDR: Incumbent faces YIMBY and NYPD challengers.

Incumbent: Chris Marte (Democrat)

Challengers: Jess Coleman (Democrat), Elizabeth Lewinsohn (Democrat), Eric Yu (Democrat)

District demographics: 45% white, 32% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 5% Black, 1% other/multiple races

Voter enrollment: 66% Democratic, 23% unaffiliated, 9% Republican

What’s the deal? City Council Member Chris Marte is no stranger to opposition – and spirited opponents – in his lower Manhattan district. He won a crowded primary in 2021 and handily fended off a relatively well-funded and a union-backed challenge in 2023.

Marte has been a frequent target of pro-housing advocates for opposing new developments in his district, as well as opposing the City of Yes citywide zoning plan for housing passed last year. (The Elizabeth Street Garden, a small but potent example of one such project Marte opposes, is in this district.) Attorney Jess Coleman is hitting Marte squarely on these kinds of issues – mounting a pro-housing, pro-congestion pricing, pro-outdoor dining campaign.

But it’s not just Marte versus Coleman. There’s Elizabeth Lewinsohn, the former policy head at the NYPD’s Counterterrorism Bureau, who has far outraised Coleman and Marte. A member of Community Board 1 alongside Marte, Lewinsohn is less focused on YIMBY-ism than public safety, predicting the latter will be of more importance to residents of the district. Eric Yu, another Community Board 1 member running, shares Marte’s opposition to congestion pricing and wariness of new housing developments. A director at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Yu is far behind in fundraising. 

The district is reliably blue, but Helen Qiu, who ran as a Republican in 2023, has opened a committee to run again this year. – Annie McDonough

Further reading:
NYC Council Member Chris Marte likely to face 2025 YIMBY challenge
New York City Council challengers are (literally) giving incumbents a run for their money

District 2: Lower Manhattan, including Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Gramercy, and Murray Hill-Kips Bay

TLDR: This race is more than just Anthony Weiner versus Harvey Epstein.

Incumbent: Open seat. Carlina Rivera is term-limited. 

Candidates: Harvey Epstein (Democrat), Andrea Gordillo (Democrat), Sarah Batchu (Democrat), Anthony Weiner (Democrat), Allison Ryan (Democrat)

District demographics: 56% white, 18% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 6% Black, 5% other

Voter enrollment: 72% Democrat, 7% Republican, 10% unaffiliated

What’s the deal? The race to succeed term-limited City Council Member Carlina Rivera began picking up relatively early last year and has since only grown more competitive going into 2025. Two community board reps have had their hats in the ring since early last year, steadily working to build ground support and bolster their profiles. Sarah Batchu, a former de Blasio administration staffer and nonprofit leader who previously served as vice chair of Community Board 3, has been the race’s top fundraiser, raking in over $80,000 in private donations and $174,800 in public matching funds, according to the latest campaign finance filings. Andrea Gordillo, chair of Community Board 3 and a longtime arts nonprofit worker, is not far behind. Gordillo has received nearly $170,000 in public funds, and nearly $62,000 in private donations. Gordillo also snagged a first-choice endorsement from New Majority NYC, a group that promotes women in the City Council. The group endorsed Batchu as their second choice. Stuy Town and East Village Assembly Member Harvey Epstein announced his plans to run in May and has been endorsed by a long list of elected officials from Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Further bolstering his name recognition, Epstein was the subject of a “Saturday Night Live” sketch in November that, well, spoofed his name. Epstein is very well-positioned, with more than $60,000 in private donations and $190,000 in public matching funds. Anthony Weiner, the scandal-scarred former congressman, has been toying with another political comeback attempt and officially jumped into the race in the fall. With name recognition like his, he could stand a chance – even with his controversial history. Weiner was sentenced to 21 months in prison in 2017 for sexting a minor. Prior City Council candidate Allison Ryan is also running for the seat again and has raised about $7,000. New Majority NYC endorsed her as their third choice in the race. - Sahalie Donaldson

Further reading: 

New Majority NYC drops slate of City Council 2025 endorsements
Anthony Weiner mulls a City Council run in lower Manhattan
The 2025 race for Carlina Rivera’s City Council seat is on
Epstein to declare run for council

District 4: Manhattan neighborhoods of Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village, Murray Hill-Kips Bay, Midtown East, Upper East Side

TLDR: A marquee race with massive fundraising befitting the Upper East Side.

Incumbent: Open seat. Keith Powers is term-limited.

Candidates: Virginia Maloney (Democrat), Rachel Storch (Democrat), Vanessa Aronson (Democrat), Faith Bondy (Democrat), Ben Wetzler (Democrat), Lukas Florczak (Democrat) 

District demographics: 69% white, 16% Asian, 8% Hispanic, 3% Black, 1% other

Voter enrollment: 60% Democratic, 22% unaffiliated, 15% Republican

What’s the deal? In the race to replace City Council Member Keith Powers, nearly every candidate running is mounting a serious campaign, built on local civic experience, resources, name recognition or a little bit of each. Unfortunately for the candidates, that makes their competition steep. 

City Council District 4 stretches up from Stuy Town to the toniest parts of the Upper East Side, and candidates have the fundraising to prove it, with a collective half million dollars in private donations raised between them.

Responsible for the lion’s share of that is Rachel Storch, a former Missouri state legislator who moved to the district in 2010 and is now COO at the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. She has raised over a quarter of a million dollars and is opting out of the city’s public matching system. Also running is Virginia Maloney, daughter of longtime Rep. (and name recognition-booster) Carolyn Maloney. Virginia, who previously worked at Meta and the city’s economic development arm, has an impressive haul herself, outraising several other candidates with more local civic ties. That includes former district leader Ben Wetzler, a policy official at the state agency for affordable housing; Lexington Democratic Club President and former public school teacher Vanessa Aronson; and Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club President and attorney Faith Bondy. Lucas Florczak, a veterans’ advocate and member of the Eleanor Roosevelt Independent Democrats, is also running but hasn’t raised nearly as much as the other five candidates.

How much the six candidates will seek to establish daylight between each other on policy over the course of the campaign remains to be seen. Several name funding the NYPD and affordable housing as top priorities.

Powers – a mainstream liberal, like much of the field running to replace him – could also be influential if he chose to endorse in the race, but it doesn’t seem likely that he will. He’s got his own race for Manhattan borough president to focus on. – Annie McDonough

Further reading:
With a well-funded former Missouri lawmaker in the mix, Upper East Side council race is shaping up to be pricey
Carolyn Maloney’s daughter Virginia files to run for City Council

District 8: South Bronx and areas of northern Manhattan including East Harlem, Randall’s Island

TLDR: Will staffer-to-principal continuity be preserved in East Harlem?

Incumbent: Open seat. Diana Ayala is term-limited.

Candidates: Elsie Encarnacion (Democrat), Wilfredo Lopez (Democrat), Clarisa Alayeto (Democrat), Daniel Aulbach-Sidibe (Democrat) Nicholas Reyes (Democrat), Rosa Diaz (Democrat)

District demographics: 55% Hispanic, 25% Black, 12% white, 6% Asian, 3% other

Voter enrollment: 77% Democrat, 4% Republican, 19% unaffiliated

What’s the deal? If it was up to term-limited City Council Member Diana Ayala, who has represented the district since 2018, her successor would be Elsie Encarnacion – her current chief of staff. She’s Latina, born and raised in East Harlem, a former community board member, and a parent coordinator at a local school. With just shy of $170,000 raised, including public matching funds, and the backing of the popular deputy City Council speaker, Encarnacion is in a strong position going into the election year. Even some of her potential future colleagues in the City Council have donated to her campaign, including Council Members Rafael Salamanca and Crystal Hudson. Quite a few other candidates are also vying to represent the district and two have qualified for public matching funds. While Assembly Member Eddie Gibbs filed to run for the seat, he’s since decided not to – good news for the other candidates, none of whom have previously held elected office. 

Wilfredo López, a nonprofit lawyer and the former legislative director and counsel for then-City Council Member Ben Kallos, has raised a little over $23,000 in private donations and $66,000 in public matching funds for his bid so far, though he’ll very likely end up maxing out on donations. A political action committee called Ending Homelessness and Building a Better NYC, backed by financial firm founder Michael Jenkins, plans to support López’s campaign. The PAC also supported his ultimately unsuccessful state Assembly run in 2022, which Gibbs won. Bronx Community Board 1 Chair Clarisa Alayeto, who was born in East Harlem and grew up in the NYCHA Patterson Houses in Mott Haven, launched her campaign in December. She’s raised just shy of $16,000 in private donations and $60,000 in public matching funds. Daniel Aulbach-Sidibe, a learning specialist at the Dwight School, has raised nearly $21,000 in private donations. Also in the running, but with little to no money raised at this point, is community activist Nicholas Reyes and Community Board 11 Secretary Rosa Diaz. “Exonerated Five” member Raymond Santana has also expressed interest, but hasn’t filed a committee. – Sahalie Donaldson

Further reading:
Diana Ayala has a possible successor in mind: her chief of staff
Another ‘Exonerated 5’ member eyeing a Manhattan City Council seat

District 13: Northeast section of the Bronx, including Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Bay, Van Nest, Westchester Square, Throggs Neck and City Island

TLDR: A Republican stunned the city by flipping this district in 2023. Democrats are scrambling.

Incumbent: Kristy Marmorato (Republican)

Democratic primary candidates: Shirley Aldebol (Democrat), David Diaz (Democrat), John Perez (Democrat), Theona Reets-DuPont (Democrat), Jacqueline Torres (Democrat)

District demographics: 45% Hispanic, 31% white, 12% Black, 8% Asian, 4% other

Voter enrollment: 62% Democrat, 20% unaffiliated, 14% Republican, 4% other

What’s the deal? It’s been a little over two years since Republican City Council Member Kristy Marmorato defeated former Democratic City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez in the northeast Bronx, ending a decades-long period in which no Republicans had been elected in the borough. Now Democrats hope to get the seat back. 

While one of the biggest questions looming over the upcoming Democratic primary has been whether Velázquez, who recently joined the Adams administration as director for tenant protection, will run for her old seat again, sources close to the matter said this isn’t happening. That leaves Shirley Aldebol, a Bronx native with deep union ties, in a strong position to win the primary. She’s raised the most so far and expects to raise much more soon. For years, Aldebol has worked with 32BJ SEIU, most recently overseeing the public schools division, which includes over 5,000 members who work as cleaners and handypersons, but she retired in early February to focus full time on her campaign. The powerful union will no doubt be in her corner though and has already been pushing her hard as a candidate. David Diaz, a senior executive director at a boutique investment firm with a long history of volunteerism in the district, has raised the next most. Both he and Aldebol are vying for support from the Bronx Democratic Party. Also in the running is Theona Reets-DuPont, chief of staff and budget director for City Council Member Oswald Feliz, Jacqueline Torres, a veteran and HR professional, and John Perez, a veteran who has mounted several unsuccessful campaigns in the past. 

Marmorato herself will no doubt easily win the Republican primary. No other candidates have filed to challenge her yet. For whoever ultimately wins the Democratic primary, winning the November general election will be no small feat. The district grew redder during the most recent presidential election. Observers say name recognition across the district will be everything – something neither Aldebol and Diaz have a great deal of yet. – Sahalie Donaldson

District 14: Bronx neighborhoods of University Heights, Fordham Heights, Kingsbridge Heights, Morris Heights

TLDR: Eric Adams-aligned pastor looks for a political comeback against a progressive incumbent.

Incumbent: Pierina Sanchez (Democrat)

Democratic primary candidates: Fernando Cabrera (Democrat), Bryan Hodge Vasquez (Democrat)

District demographics: 72% Hispanic, 20% Black, 3% white, 3% Asian, 1% other

Voter enrollment: 76% Democratic, 17% unaffiliated, 5% Republican

What’s the deal? Could 2025 be the year of the comeback campaign? The mayor’s race and several City Council races offer a bounty of opportunities, including in the Bronx’s District 14, where former Council Member Fernando Cabrera will be incumbent Council Member Pierina Sanchez’s strongest competition in her bid for reelection.

Sanchez, who was elected in 2021 when Cabrera was term-limited out, is a member of the council’s Progressive Caucus who has made affordable housing a key issue as chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings. She was elected with support from Rep. Adriano Espaillat, and was considered a part of his alliance of northern Manhattan and Bronx officials dubbed the “Squadriano.” Though Sanchez isn’t known for being far-left, Cabrera is a conservative Democrat who could get pickup in a district that became less deep blue in the last presidential election.

Cabrera has his own baggage, though. A longtime Christian pastor, he had to apologize for anti-gay comments he’s made over the years when he was hired as a faith adviser at the outset of Mayor Eric Adams’ administration – a role he left in 2023.

Also running (and steadily fundraising) in the Democratic primary is Bryan Hodge Vazquez, a 24-year-old Bronx native who is campaigning to change the status quo of the district getting the short end of the stick – from higher violent crime rates to collapsing buildings. He was previously an intern and fellow for Espaillat and Council Member Shaun Abreu, respectively.

Though Sanchez will likely benefit from incumbent advantages including institutional endorsements, Cabrera shouldn’t be underestimated. In the 2021 Democratic primary for Bronx borough president in which he came in a close second, performing particularly well in University Heights and Kingsbridge Heights.

Council Member Darlene Mealy – also a formerly term-limited council member who later ousted her successor for a second tour in the council – is among Cabrera’s donors, as is Assembly Member Al Taylor. Sanchez still has a lead in fundraising, however.

John Maynard Harris and Evette Wilson have also opened committees to run in the district. – Annie McDonough

Further reading:
How Rep. Adriano Espaillat built the Squadriano

District 17: Bronx neighborhoods of Melrose, Hunts Point, Longwood, Morrisania, Crotona Park East

TLDR: Incumbent Rafael Salamanca is backing an old-school business man to replace him, and an upstart state Senate staffer is giving him a run for his money.

Incumbent: Open seat. Salamanca is term-limited, and he’s running for borough president.

Candidates: Freddy Perez (Democrat), Justin Sanchez (Democrat), Elvis Santana (Democrat), Antirson Ortiz (Democrat), Jasmine Uribe (Democrat)

District demographics: 65% Hispanic, 29% Black, 2% white, 1% Asian

Voter enrollment: 77% Democrat, 4% Republican, 16% unaffiliated 

What’s the deal? Outgoing City Council Member Rafael Salamanca is the council’s powerful Land Use Committee chair, and his tenure has been marked by significant development of affordable housing in the district. Salamanca, who is Puerto Rican, is challenging incumbent Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, the first Black woman to hold the seat. He is backing business owner Freddy Perez in the race to replace him in the council. Perez, who is a district leader and runs a party supply business, is partly distinguished in the race by his age. At 59, he’s the lone Gen X competing against a few younger folks, including state Sen. Nathalia Fernandez’s chief of staff Justin Sanchez. Sanchez was formerly president of the Stonewall Democratic Club, one of the city’s LGBTQ+ political clubs, and he currently leads the pack in fundraising and spending. If the Bronx County Democratic machine does weigh in on the race (not guaranteed, since they’ve got a mayor’s race and a speaker’s race to focus on and might be wary of getting involved in an open seat), he’s seen as a favorite for their support. The popular former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has donated to both Perez and Sanchez. Elvis Santana came up through the Estella B. Diggs Democratic Club and has backing from mayoral candidate and former Assembly Member Michael Blake. Director of Constituent Services at the city comptroller’s office Antirson Ortiz is currently a state committee member and is close with mayoral candidate Scott Stringer. Perez, Sanchez, Santana and Ortiz have all received public matching funds. Entrepreneur Jasmine Uribe is also running, but so far doesn’t seem to have gained much traction. – Holly Pretsky

District 21: Queens neighborhoods of East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, LeFrak City and Corona

TLDR: Everyone in Queens already has a candidate in this race – except the incumbent.

Incumbent: Open seat. Francisco Moya is term-limited.

Candidates: Sandro Stefano Navarro (Democrat), Erycka Montoya (Democrat), Hiram Monserrate (Democrat), Shanel Thomas-Henry (Democrat), Yanna Henriquez (Democrat)

District demographics: 75% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 8% Black, 4% white, 1% other 

Voter enrollment: 70% Democrat, 23% unaffiliated, 7% Republican

What’s the deal? Just about every local political leader in this diverse, heavily immigrant district has their opinion on who they’d like the next City Council member to be – with the exception of term-limited City Council Member Francisco Moya, who has yet to endorse a candidate. That means a competitive Democratic primary. 

Progressive Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Jessica González-Rojas are backing Erycka Montoya, who works in intergovernmental affairs with City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ office. Mayoral candidate state Sen. Jessica Ramos is backing her district director Sandro Stefano Navarro, an Army National Guard veteran. Embattled former lawmaker Hiram Monserrate, a previous representative of the district, and nonprofit worker and district leader Yanna Henriquez are also running, though neither have been endorsed by any local elected officials. 

LaGuardia Redevelopment Program public information liaison Shanel Thomas-Henry, a member of the local community board, has run a strong campaign so far. Despite only recently entering the race, she’s already raised at least $43,000 in private donations – more than any other candidate. Recently-retired Queens Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry is among those who donated to her campaign. Given that the district is heavily Latino, securing the support of Latino local leaders could be particularly important for Thomas-Henry, who is Black. All of the other leading candidates are Latino. Monserrate, who has been heavily involved in an ongoing campaign to fight crime on the Roosevelt Avenue Corridor, has the second largest fundraising haul with roughly $25,000 raised. While he has the greatest name recognition, he’s also got the most baggage – like being booted from the state Senate in 2010 after he assaulted his then-girlfriend and pleading guilty to felony mail fraud charges. Even though most of Monserrate’s previous comeback attempts have failed, he’s been a district leader since 2018, proving he clearly still has political capital. Montoya has raised just shy of $20,000, Navarro a little over $10,500, and Henriquez roughly $12,000. – Sahalie Donaldson

Further reading:
In the race to replace Francisco Moya, everyone has a candidate

District 28 Queens neighborhoods of South Ozone Park, Jamaica, South Jamaica, Baisley Park, Springfield Gardens

TLDR: Adrienne Adams’ chief of staff hopes the association is more gift than curse

Incumbent: Open seat. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is term-limited.

Candidates: Tyrell Hankerson (Democrat), Romeo Hitlall (Democrat), Latoya LeGrand (Democrat), Japneet Singh (Democrat)

District demographics: 45% Black, 16% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 9% other, 3% white

Voter enrollment: 75% Democrat, 17% unaffiliated, 5% Republican

What’s the deal? The chief of staff to council member pipeline is tried and true. Tyrell “Ty” Hankerson, chief of staff and longtime staffer to Speaker Adrienne Adams, is certainly hoping the pattern follows for him this June, where he and three others are running in the Democratic primary for the seat Adams will vacate due to term limits.

Hankerson, born in South Ozone Park, has clear ties to the Southeast Queens district, but working for Adams has provided a direct line and experience working with constituents – a fact his campaign will emphasize. 

But he’s not the only one with those ties. LaToya LeGrand, a nonprofit founder and constituent services representative for Assembly Member Vivian Cook, is also running. Given their respective resumes, the two are expected to split endorsements among elected officials in the area, though Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is backing Hankerson. Between the two, Hankerson also has a strong lead in fundraising. But Hankerson and LeGrand have company. Romeo Hitlall, a community board member and respected Lion’s Club leader, and Japneet Singh, a former challenger to Adams who has raised a strong $30,000 in private donations, make the race all the more competitive. (Singh, Hitlall, Hankerson and Thomas-Henry have all received public matching funds.)

Some observers expect the vote to split along ethnic lines; Hankerson and LeGrand are both Black and have ties to the southeastern part of the district, while Hitlall and Singh are expected to mobilize Indo-Caribbean and Sikh communities, respectively, in South Ozone Park and Richmond Hill. All campaigns, however, say they expect to have support in every part of the district. 

While Hankerson’s work and close alignment with Adams is expected to work in his favor in many ways – her endorsement was a given – some of his challengers will argue that the district needs change, and could stir up dissatisfaction with hot-button votes under Adams, including the City of Yes housing plan and How Many Stops Act. – Annie McDonough

Further reading: 
Adrienne Adams’ staffer wants to succeed her. One of his opponents is attracting GOP support.

District 30: Queens neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and parts of Glendale, Ridgewood, Elmhurst and Rego Park

TLDR: Can any of the incumbent’s multipartisan staffers beat a union powerbroker in this very purple district?

Incumbent: Open seat. Bob Holden is term-limited.

Candidates: Dermot Smyth (Democrat), Phil Wong (Democrat), Paul Pogozelski (Democrat), Alicia Vaichunas (Republican), Jonathan Rinaldi (Republican)

District demographics: 45% white, 30% Hispanic, 20% Asian, 2% Black

Voter enrollment: 51% Democrat, 18% Republican, 27% unaffiliated 

What’s the deal? Term-limited Council Member Bob Holden is one of a kind. He’s a registered Democrat, but he’s co-chair of the council’s conservative Common Sense Caucus and has run on the Republican line (and several other party lines) in his elections to the City Council. He’s backing two staffers in two different primaries – Republican Alicia Vaichunas and Democrat Phil Wong – to replace him. Holden’s move underscores a rare truth in this city: The November general election in District 30 will be competitive. 

In the Democratic primary, United Federation of Teachers operative Dermot Smyth, who has spent years maneuvering the powerful union’s political endorsement process, has virtually unmatched backing from elected officials across the city. Smyth also has a significant fundraising lead, with more than $62,000 in private funds raised as of mid-January. Wong, a vocal education activist who has fought to preserve the city’s gifted and talented programs as well as the specialized high school admission test, joined Holden’s office in 2023 as constituent services and budget director. He hasn’t disclosed fundraising yet. Middle Village roller hockey league leader Paul Pogozelski, who has raised a respectable $11,000 in private donations, is also in the race.

Vaichunas has worked with Holden since she ran his first race for council, and she is now his deputy chief of staff. She’s running with county GOP support and has received a donation from neighboring Republican Queens City Council Member Joann Ariola. Along with Smyth and Pogozelski, Vaichunas has received public matching funds. In the Republican primary, she faces MAGA perennial candidate Jonathan Rinaldi, who has not fundraised in any meaningful way. Rinaldi is known for his activism against vaccinations, confronting elected officials and more recently allegedly impersonating a City & State reporter. – Holly Pretsky

Further reading:
Every politician you know donated to a bloke by the name of Dermot Smyth
Republican council candidate harasses Queens elected officials

District 38: Brooklyn neighborhoods of Red Hook, South Slope, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Bath Beach

TLDR: A moderate Asian American challenger comes for a socialist Latina incumbent in a district with a large immigrant population.

Incumbent: Alexa Avilés (Democrat)

Challengers: Ling Ye (Democrat)

District demographics: 37% Hispanic, 32% Asian, 25% white, 4% Black

Voter enrollment: 63% Democrat, 11% Republican, 23% unaffiliated

What’s the deal? This diverse, sprawling district with large Latino and Asian immigrant populations has been redrawn since City Council Member Alexa Avilés first won it in 2021. It now includes areas in southern Brooklyn that voted for Donald Trump in November: Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst. In 2021, Avilés, who was backed by Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party, won her general election with a 60-point margin. In 2023, after redistricting, that margin shrank considerably to 33 points. But before she gets to the general election this year, the DSA-endorsed council member, who chairs the Immigration Committee, is facing a serious primary challenge. Ling Ye, a Chinese American moderate Democrat, has worked for Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Nydia Velázquez as well as former District 38 Council Member Carlos Menchaca. Ye is running toward the center, saying Avilés’ left-wing ideology has gotten in the way of her ability to advocate for her constituents. She cited Avilés’ decisions to vote against the New York City budget three years in a row as an example. Avilés has also spoken in support of Palestinian liberation, exposing her to the ire of pro-Israel interests and the conservative New York Post. Ye is already backed by the pro-Israel Solidarity PAC. It’ll be a tough race, but Avilés’ office is known for being active in the district, and her incumbency advantage remains strong. On the Republican side, banking program manager and community yoga teacher Luis Quero is running on a public safety platform, and so far isn’t facing a primary challenge. Quero also wants to roll back bail reforms, block luxury condos from the district and tackle deed theft. – Holly Pretsky

District 39: Brooklyn neighborhoods of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and the Columbia Waterfront

TLDR: Pro-Israel constituents want to oust a socialist incumbent in one of the city’s most progressive districts.

Incumbent: Shahana Hanif (Democrat)

Challenger: Maya Kornberg (Democrat)

District demographics: 60% white, 15% Hispanic, 13% Asian, 6% Black

Voter enrollment: 76% Democrat, 6% Republican, 15% unaffiliated

What’s the deal? Both Council Member Shahana Hanif and challenger Maya Kornberg say that their primary election shouldn’t be about Israel or the war in Gaza. The New York City Council has no real power to influence the conflict. But in the Democratic primary in one of the city’s bluest City Council districts, that subject continues to come to the forefront.

It’s also drawn some support to Kornberg, a Jewish academic whose work has centered on democratic governance and political violence, and whose most recent post is as a senior research fellow at the Brennan Center. Hanif is a Democratic socialist and the first Muslim woman to be elected to the City Council, where she is a co-chair of the Progressive Caucus. She previously worked for her predecessor in the office – mayoral candidate and City Comptroller Brad Lander. Hanif, along with some of her colleagues in the Progressive Caucus, has been vocal in calling for a ceasefire. Some Jewish members of the district and around the city have harshly criticized Hanif for not condemning Hamas’ attacks soon enough or being responsive enough to antisemitic incidents in the district. And some of those voices are mobilizing to ensure Hanif doesn’t get another term. Solidarity PAC, a pro-Israel committee that endorsed several other candidates around the city, is backing Kornberg. 

Kornberg, a self-described “pragmatic progressive” who in January notably called for outside groups to stay out of the race, has targeted her criticism on Hanif’s constituent services and her past calls to defund the NYPD.

Hanif carries distinct incumbent advantages, including that many parts of the district are deeply liberal. Another candidate, Luke Saghir, also opened a committee to run in the district but has not been fundraising. – Annie McDonough

Further reading:
Amid reelection battle, Shahana Hanif lands a heated rezoning deal
Shahana Hanif talks reelection campaign, and why she’s not seeking DSA endorsement
Maya Kornberg pitches ‘pragmatic progressivism’ in Brooklyn council race
These NYC Council challengers are fundraising aggressively