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Elvis Santana
Elvis Santana (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New York City Council to represent District 17. He lost in the Democratic primary on June 24, 2025.
Santana completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Elvis Santana was born in the Bronx, New York. He graduated from Fannie Lou Hamer High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Albertus Magnus College in 2015. He has been affiliated with the Estella B. Diggs Democratic Club.[1][2]
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in New York, New York (2025)
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for New York City Council District 17
Justin Sanchez, Rosaline Nieves, and Marisol Duran are running in the general election for New York City Council District 17 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Justin Sanchez (D / Working Families Party) | |
| Rosaline Nieves (R) | ||
| Marisol Duran (Conservative Party) | ||
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Antirson Ortiz (Working Families Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for New York City Council District 17
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Justin Sanchez in round 4 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
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Total votes: 9,280 |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jasmine Uribe (D)
Republican primary election
Republican Primary for New York City Council District 17
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Rosaline Nieves in round 1 .
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Conservative Party primary election
Conservative Primary for New York City Council District 17
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Marisol Duran in round 1 .
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Working Families Party primary election
Working Families Primary for New York City Council District 17
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Antirson Ortiz in round 1 .
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2020
See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2020
General election
General election for New York State Assembly District 79
Chantel Jackson defeated Donald Skinner and Dion Powell in the general election for New York State Assembly District 79 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chantel Jackson (D) | 89.8 | 33,008 |
| Donald Skinner (R) | 8.2 | 3,014 | ||
 | Dion Powell (Conservative Party) | 1.9 | 682 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 57 | ||
| Total votes: 36,761 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 79
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for New York State Assembly District 79 on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chantel Jackson | 25.9 | 2,944 |
| Cynthia Cox | 22.9 | 2,599 | ||
 | George Alvarez | 21.6 | 2,456 | |
 | Elvis Santana | 13.5 | 1,536 | |
 | Eric Stevenson | 12.2 | 1,383 | |
| Dion Powell | 3.6 | 410 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 25 | ||
| Total votes: 11,353 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Donald Skinner advanced from the Republican primary for New York State Assembly District 79.
Conservative Party primary election
The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Dion Powell advanced from the Conservative Party primary for New York State Assembly District 79.
Libertarian primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dion Powell (L)
Serve America Movement Party primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dion Powell (Serve America Movement Party)
Endorsements
To view Santana's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.
2017
New York City held elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, and all 51 seats on the city council in 2017. New Yorkers also voted for offices in their boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
Primary elections were scheduled for September 12, 2017, and the general election was on November 7, 2017. Under New York law, candidates who run unopposed in a primary or general election win the nomination or election automatically, and their names do not appear on the ballot.[3] Incumbent Rafael Salamanca (D) defeated Patrick Delices (R), Oswald Denis (Conservative), and Elvis Santana (Empower Society) in the general election for the District 17 seat on the New York City Council.
| New York City Council, District 17 General Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Rafael Salamanca Incumbent |
92.26% | 11,512 | |
| Republican | Patrick Delices | 3.47% | 433 | |
| Conservative | Oswald Denis | 2.26% | 282 | |
| Empower Society | Elvis Santana | 1.81% | 226 | |
| Write-in votes | 0.2% | 25 | ||
| Total Votes | 12,478 | |||
| Source: New York City Board of Elections, "2017 General Certified Election Results," November 28, 2017 | ||||
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Elvis Santana completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Santana's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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From fighting evictions and demanding NYCHA repairs, to helping pass tenant protection laws like Right to Counsel and the Housing Not Warehousing Act, I’ve worked alongside grassroots coalitions to get real results. I’ve also led initiatives to expand access to food, public safety resources, and career opportunities for youth in our community.
I’m not a career politician—I’m someone who’s been in the fight and never left. My campaign is backed by everyday Bronxites and organizations like 1199SEIU and the Working Families Party because they know I show up, organize, and deliver.
This isn’t about me—it’s about us. And I’m running to make sure our voices are heard, our streets are safe, and our neighborhoods get the investment and respect we deserve.- Safe and Thriving Neighborhoods: I’m fighting to reduce gun violence, expand youth programs, and hold NYCHA accountable—because every Bronx resident deserves clean, safe, and well-resourced communities.
- Truly Affordable Housing: I’ve worked alongside tenants and advocates to push for housing laws that protect us. I’ll fight for deeper affordability, stronger protections, and real NYCHA investments.
- Government That Works for Us: I’m not in this for power—I’m in this for people. I’ll make sure city resources reach our neighborhoods, support small businesses, and create career pathways for the next generation.
1. Truly Affordable Housing—defending NYCHA, strengthening rent laws, and ending luxury tax breaks so families can stay in the Bronx.
2. Community-Rooted Safety—funding youth jobs, trauma care, and violence-interruption programs that fight crime at its roots, not just with cuffs.
3. Food & Health Equity—protecting SNAP, expanding universal school meals, and cleaning our air so asthma isn’t a Bronx birthright.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020
Elvis Santana completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Santana's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Funding Education
- Tenant Rights
- Workers Right
Simultaneously, Elvis was able to advocate and organize for local issues such as housing, homelessness, and environmental justice. Today, he leads in bridging the gap between schools and employment by producing true outcomes that all New York schools deserve. Community involvement, opportunities, and leadership are what make Elvis Santana a well-represented Bronx Native.
Waste Equity Bill
Housing Not Warehousing Act
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2017
Santana provided the following candidate statement for the New York City voter guide:
| “ |
The South Bronx is filled with both talent and vision but unfortunately due to low job opportunities, the Bronx is only making the bare minimum. Families making $27,000 or less yearly, can barely make the minimum they need in a city like ours. That is why I believe creating jobs and opportunity would help make our district strong and growing for years to come. I believe that safe and affordable housing is a basic human right. The Bronx is known now as a target area for developers, which can impact what is known to be one of the most diversified populations in all the United States. We are currently facing one of the biggest housing challenges while and preserving the history of our neighborhoods is what I intend to do. Last and never the least, I will promote the expansion of economic growth. That is why if elected, economic growth will be the backbone for families and a continuous tool to be self-sufficient and stable. More than ever, we will aim to help each other.[4][5] |
” |
| —Elvis Santana (2017) | ||
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 21, 2025
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 14, 2020
- ↑ New York Election Law, "Sec 6-160. Primaries," accessed July 14, 2017
- ↑ New York City Campaign Finance Board, "2017 General Election Voter Guide," accessed October 19, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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