Jumaane Williams

Jumaane Williams (Democratic Party) is the New York City Public Advocate. He assumed office on March 6, 2019. His current term ends on January 1, 2026.

Williams (Democratic Party, Working Families Party) is running for re-election for New York City Public Advocate. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. He advanced from the Democratic primary on June 24, 2025. The Working Families Party primary for this office on June 24, 2025, was canceled.

Biography

Williams received a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in urban policy and administration from CUNY-Brooklyn College.^[1] His professional experience includes working as the executive director of New York State Tenants & Neighbors, the interim executive director of the East Flatbush Community Development Corporation, the housing director for the Flatbush Development Corporation, and the assistant director of the Greater Flatbush Beacon School.^[1]

Elections

2025

General election

General election for New York City Public Advocate

Incumbent Jumaane Williams, Gonzalo Duran, and Martin Dolan are running in the general election for New York City Public Advocate on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Jumaane Williams (D / Working Families Party)
		Gonzalo Duran (R / Conservative Party / United Alliance Party)
		Martin Dolan (Unity Party)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic Primary for New York City Public Advocate

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Jumaane Williams in round 1 .

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 956,868
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Theo Chino-Tavarez (D)

Republican primary election

Republican Primary for New York City Public Advocate

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Gonzalo Duran in round 1 .

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Angela Aquino (R)

Conservative Party primary election

Conservative Primary for New York City Public Advocate

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Gonzalo Duran in round 1 .

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Working Families Party primary election

Working Families Primary for New York City Public Advocate

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Jumaane Williams in round 1 .

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Endorsements

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2022

General election

General election for Governor of New York

Incumbent Kathy Hochul defeated Lee Zeldin in the general election for Governor of New York on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kathy Hochul (D / Working Families Party)	53.1	3,140,415
	Lee Zeldin (R / Conservative Party)	46.7	2,762,581
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	9,290

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,912,286
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Jumaane Williams (Working Families Party)
John Nistico (Constitutional Party)
Larry Sharpe (L)
Alex Zapesochny (Unite Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New York

Incumbent Kathy Hochul defeated Jumaane Williams and Tom Suozzi in the Democratic primary for Governor of New York on June 28, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kathy Hochul	67.4	607,928
	Jumaane Williams	19.3	173,872
	Tom Suozzi	13.0	116,972
	Other/Write-in votes	0.4	3,730

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 902,502
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of New York

Lee Zeldin defeated Andrew Giuliani, Rob Astorino, and Harry Wilson in the Republican primary for Governor of New York on June 28, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lee Zeldin	43.4	196,874
	Andrew Giuliani	22.8	103,267
	Rob Astorino	18.6	84,464
	Harry Wilson	14.7	66,736
	Other/Write-in votes	0.5	2,261

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 453,602
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Lee Zeldin advanced from the Conservative Party primary for Governor of New York.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Jumaane Williams advanced from the Working Families Party primary for Governor of New York.

2021

General election

General election for New York City Public Advocate

Incumbent Jumaane Williams defeated Devi Nampiaparampil, Anthony Herbert, and Devin Balkind in the general election for New York City Public Advocate on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jumaane Williams (D)	68.4	744,183
	Submit photo	Devi Nampiaparampil (R / Save Our City Party)	23.4	254,491
		Anthony Herbert (Conservative Party / Independent Party)	6.8	73,943
		Devin Balkind (L)	1.3	14,352
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	1,701

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,088,670
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic Primary for New York City Public Advocate

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Jumaane Williams in round 1 .

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 818,722
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Devi Nampiaparampil advanced from the Republican primary for New York City Public Advocate.

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Anthony Herbert advanced from the Conservative Party primary for New York City Public Advocate.

November 2019 special election

General election

Special general election for New York City Public Advocate

Incumbent Jumaane Williams defeated Joe Borelli and Devin Balkind in the special general election for New York City Public Advocate on November 5, 2019.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jumaane Williams (D)	77.9	607,441
	Joe Borelli (R / Conservative Party)	19.9	155,617
	Devin Balkind (L)	2.0	15,676
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	1,461

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 780,195
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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February 2019 special election

General election

Special general election for New York City Public Advocate

The following candidates ran in the special general election for New York City Public Advocate on February 26, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jumaane Williams (Nonpartisan)	32.8	138,803
		Eric Ulrich (Nonpartisan)	19.0	80,308
		Melissa Mark-Viverito (Nonpartisan)	11.2	47,375
		Michael Blake (Nonpartisan)	8.4	35,416
		Ydanis Rodriguez (Nonpartisan)	6.0	25,253
	Submit photo	Dawn Smalls (Nonpartisan)	4.1	17,420
		Rafael Espinal (Nonpartisan)	3.2	13,482
		Daniel O'Donnell (Nonpartisan)	3.0	12,774
		Ron Kim (Nonpartisan)	2.8	11,849
	Submit photo	Benjamin Yee (Nonpartisan)	2.5	10,701
		Nomiki Konst (Nonpartisan)	2.3	9,738
	Submit photo	Helal Sheikh (Nonpartisan)	1.3	5,347
		David Eisenbach (Nonpartisan)	0.8	3,491
	Submit photo	Manny Alicandro (Nonpartisan)	0.8	3,373
		Anthony Herbert (Nonpartisan)	0.8	3,189
		Latrice Walker (Nonpartisan)	0.6	2,549
	Submit photo	Jared Rich (Nonpartisan)	0.2	1,053
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	825

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 422,946
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Danniel Maio (Nonpartisan)
Gary Popkin (Nonpartisan)
Ifeoma Ike (Nonpartisan)
Mike Zumbluskas (Nonpartisan)
Walter Iwachiw (Nonpartisan)
Theo Chino-Tavarez (Nonpartisan)

Though the special election was nonpartisan, candidates were allowed to file with their own party line as long as it did not resemble an established political party's name.^[2] Click [show] below to see the list of party lines for each candidate.

Candidate party lines
Candidate	Party line
Manny Alicandro	Better Leadership
Michael Blake	For The People
Theo Chino	Courage To Change
David Eisenbach	Stop REBNY
Rafael Espinal	Livable City
Anthony L. Herbert	Housing Residents First
Ifeoma Ike	People Over Profit
Walter Iwachiw	I4panyc
Ron Kim	People Over Corporations
Nomiki Konst	Pay People More
Danniel Maio	I Like Maio
Melissa Mark-Viverito	Fix the MTA
Daniel O'Donnell	Equality For All
Gary Popkin	Liberal
Jared Rich	Jared Rich For NYC
Ydanis Rodriguez	UNITED FOR IMMIGRANTS
Helal Sheikh	Friends Of Helal
Dawn Smalls	No More Delays
Eric Ulrich	Common Sense
Latrice Walker	People For Walker
Jumaane Williams	The People's Voice
Benjamin Yee	COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
Mike Zumbluskas	FIX MTA & NYCHA NOW

Campaign finance

2018

New York State Senate

See also: New York State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for New York State Senate District 17

Incumbent Simcha Felder defeated Jumaane Williams and Luis Rivera in the general election for New York State Senate District 17 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Simcha Felder (D)	84.3	41,544
		Jumaane Williams (Working Families Party)	13.4	6,611
	Submit photo	Luis Rivera (Reform Party)	1.5	733
		Other/Write-in votes	0.8	395

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,283 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Angharad Vaughan (Working Families Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 17

Incumbent Simcha Felder defeated Blake Morris in the Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 17 on September 13, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Simcha Felder	65.5	15,589
	Blake Morris	34.5	8,200

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,789
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Reform Party primary election

Reform Party primary for New York State Senate District 17

Luis Rivera advanced from the Reform Party primary for New York State Senate District 17 on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Luis Rivera

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Working Families Party primary election

Working Families Party primary for New York State Senate District 17

Angharad Vaughan advanced from the Working Families Party primary for New York State Senate District 17 on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Angharad Vaughan

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Lieutenant Governor of New York

See also: New York gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Incumbent Kathy Hochul defeated Julie Killian, Jia Lee, Andrew Hollister, and Michael Volpe in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of New York on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Hochul (D / Working Families Party / Independence Party / Women's Equality Party)	59.6	3,635,340
		Julie Killian (R / Conservative Party / Tax Revolt Party)	36.2	2,207,602
		Jia Lee (G)	1.7	103,946
		Andrew Hollister (L)	1.6	95,033
	Submit photo	Michael Volpe (Serve America Movement Party)	0.9	55,441
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	7,115

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,104,477
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Incumbent Kathy Hochul defeated Jumaane Williams in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kathy Hochul	53.4	768,029
	Jumaane Williams	46.6	669,068

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,437,097
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Julie Killian advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Julie Killian

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Green primary election

Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Jia Lee advanced from the Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of New York on September 13, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Jia Lee

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of New York

Andrew Hollister advanced from the Libertarian convention for Lieutenant Governor of New York on April 20, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Andrew Hollister (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2017

See also: Mayoral election in New York, New York (2017) and Municipal elections in New York, New York (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 Jumaane D. Williams (D) defeated Anthony Beckford (True Freedom) in the general election for the District 45 seat on the New York City Council.

New York City Council, District 45 General Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jumaane D. Williams Incumbent	96.54%	21,079
	True Freedom	Anthony Beckford	2.95%	644
		Write-in votes	0.51%	112
Total Votes				21,835
Source: New York City Board of Elections, "General Election - November 7, 2017," accessed January 2, 2018

Incumbent Jumaane D. Williams defeated Louis Cespedes in the Democratic primary for the District 45 seat on the New York City Council.^[4]

New York City Council, District 45 Democratic Primary Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jumaane D. Williams Incumbent	89.99%	9,008
Louis Cespedes	9.47%	948
Write-in votes	0.54%	54
Total Votes		10,010
Source: New York City Board of Elections, "2017 Primary: Certified Results," accessed September 28, 2017

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2022

Jumaane Williams did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Jumaane Williams did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

Jumaane Williams did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

2018

Williams' campaign website stated the following:

“

Women’s Reproductive Choice
I believe, unequivocally, that women deserve the freedom to make their own health choices and that all women must have access to safe and legal abortions. I will prioritize the codification of Roe v Wade in New York State Law, and will work to elect a Democratic-led State Senate that will finally make that happen.

Criminal Justice Reform
I will do everything in my power to end mass incarceration and the unequal treatment of people of color in our criminal justice system. Real changes can be made at the State level, including ending cash bail, sentencing reform, providing more mental health services and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration, and many others.

Environmental Protection
NYS must have a focused and comprehensive approach to fighting climate change and conserving our natural environment. This should include building green and investing in public transportation in our urban areas, conserving more land across the state, protecting our clean water and public health by prohibiting harmful activity in key areas of the State, and divesting from the fossil fuel industry.

Gun Violence Prevention
I have chaired the NYC Council task force to Combat Gun Violence and founded the National Network to Combat Gun Violence, finding effective solutions and implementing real changes in our communities. My opponent has received an A rating from the NRA. As LG, I will continue to be a bold voice and leader on gun reform in New York State and Nationally.

LGBTQ Rights
I believe that we must continue to fight for equality for LGBTQ individuals. I believe in marriage equality and publically supported the Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage in 2015. As LG I will use every tool at my disposal to advocate for equal rights for those who identify as part of the LGBT community.

Women’s Equality
I will prioritize legislation and action that promotes safe working environments for women, equal pay for equal work, and equal representation in Elected positions, government, and board rooms. I will support programs that give women more economic and educational opportunity, and I will advocate for the passage of laws that help prevent domestic and sexual abuse.

Stopping ICE and Protecting Families
I have proudly been arrested while standing up against Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation forces. We cannot let right wing, racist actions tear apart the families our friends and neighbors. The hard-working immigrants who are part of the fabric of our communities must feel safe in their homes and be able to go to their jobs, schools, and government offices without fear.

Equality in Education
We must improve the quality of public education for students across all of NYS with a focus on ending the practice of chronically underfunding public schools that serve people of color and immigrant communities. As LG I will draw attention to this inequality, advocate for resources, and support our teachers.

Fair and Affordable Housing
As a full time tenant advocate and Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Housing and Buildings, I have fought for tenants’ and homeowners’ rights my entire career. Across our entire State we must create more affordable housing, protect rent stabilization and the rights of tenants, promote sensible zoning, and make home ownership more accessible and affordable.

Voting Rights
New York State lags behind much of the nation in our archaic voting laws and we must do everything that we can to protect and expand voting rights. I support the creation of an early voting period, same-day voter registration, automatic voter registration, and investment in poll worker training.

Health Care
The health care system in our country is complicated, but our basic values should not be. I believe that every single individual who resides in our country should have access to the health care they need at a cost they can afford. I will work with our State leaders to resist health care cuts coming out of Washington and ensure that all New Yorkers are provided with affordable, universal, access to the care that they need.

Legalizing Marijuana
We must expand out medical marijuana program to include all those who can benefit from its use. We also should rapidly move towards the full legalization of marijuana that has been massively successful in other states, expunge the State criminal records of past users, and create a pathway for all New Yorkers to benefit economically from this industry, not just a select few chosen by the Governor.

Organized Labor
Strong Labor organizations in New York State are crucial in ensuring that all workers, not just their members, have safe working conditions, fair treatment from employers, livable wages, and basic benefits. I will fight against National or local efforts to diminish a workers’ right to join a union, and a union’s ability to advocate for all workers. I support more vocational and apprenticeship training programs for our youth, particularly in economically disadvantaged communities.

^[5]

”

—Jumaane William’s campaign website (2018)^[6]

2017

In the New York Campaign Finance Board's voter guide, Williams listed his top three issues as:

“	Decreasing Gun Violence Protecting & Creating Affordable Housing Criminal Justice Reform^[5]	”
—Jumaane Williams^[7]

2013

Williams' campaign website highlighted the following issues. Click "show" on the boxes below for more information about his positions.^[8]

Education

"Council Member Williams is a proud product of Brooklyn’s public school system, from pre-school through his Master’s degree at Brooklyn College. He believes that our public schools are a jewel that needs to be polished in order for every New Yorker to reach their potential.

As a Council Member, Jumaane has funded millions of dollars in improvements to his schools in the 45th District, including enhancements to classroom technology and upgrades to building infrastructure and services. When flooding created problems at IS 285, he raised media attention in order to successfully bring City agencies together and solve the issue. He has also provided for creative programming to local students, including over $100,000 a year through the Cultural After School Arts (CASA) initiative, as well as unique educational opportunities to stimulate cross-cultural dialogue; in April 2013, he brought high school students from Brooklyn College Academy and the Yeshivah of Flatbush together in lower Manhattan to learn about genocide and share their experiences with discrimination. Jumaane is a big supporter of Beacon programs, the Summer Youth Employment Program and other enrichment opportunities for young people, advocating on their behalf as a member of the Council’s Committee on Youth Services and making his yearly vote on the City budget contingent on their funding.

Jumaane has been an opponent of mayoral control of schools, citing the lack of parent involvement and the failure in closing the achievement gap for students of more color and those with disabilities. He understands the importance of these issues intimately, having been a student with Tourette’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who had the support of family and teachers in order to succeed. Going forward, he believes a municipal model, which would incorporate greater oversight from the City Council, would be more effective in addressing local concerns and increasing accountability. Jumaane feels the charter school system, intended to be a laboratory for innovation to bring to public schools, has thus far been misused and is opposed to the forced school co-location and closure policy that has dominated the last decade. Locally, he has successfully fought back against a proposed co-location at IS 240 and is working with parents, students and teachers on a similar effort at the Tilden Educational Campus. Jumaane has also been an active supporter of his local parochial schools, helping to rally support to save institutions like Nazareth Regional High School from closure.

Additionally, Jumaane is an advocate for reducing class sizes and the impact of testing in the classroom. He believes that specialized high schools, such as the one he attended at Brooklyn Tech, should find a solution that fully and fairly assesses every applicant’s abilities in order to ensure fairness. He has fought for ample resources at his local libraries, including successfully lobbying to have full-service trailers provided to the community during the renovation of Rugby Library, which he funded. Jumaane has also been particularly attentive to the needs of his alma mater Brooklyn College and the rest of the City University of New York system, supporting increased funding as a member of the Council’s Committee on Higher Education."

Government Reform

"As a founding member of the Council’s Progressive Caucus, Council Member Williams has helped lead the fight to change the way government serves the people of New York City. By increasing citizen participation and advancing transparency, he believes that New Yorkers will be empowered to better advocate for their communities and to demand greater efficiency and more equitable resource allocation.

In 2011, Jumaane became one of the first Council Members in New York City to implement participatory budgeting, a transformational approach to government that engages residents in the process of designing and voting on projects to better their community. Thus far, he has allocated over $2 million in capital funding based on his constituents’ votes, which will go to projects ranging from security cameras, street improvements for senior citizens, park lighting and a college and career resource center. Jumaane has also changed how non-profit organizations serve the district through results-based accountability, an approach to ensure best practices are used to achieve results, increase accountability and increase the return on investment for taxpayers.

In October 2012, Jumaane was the lead sponsor of Resolution 1540, which requires Council Speakers to establish a policy that ensures the integrity and transparency of the discretionary funding process. He believes codifying this rule was a key step in transparency and fairness, and he will work towards further improvements that ensure the needs of communities across New York City are equitably met by government. One of these efforts began in February 2013, when Jumaane introduced a series of proposed amendments to the New York City Charter that would address the problems with transparency and parity in the budget process, as well as the imbalance of power between the executive and legislative branches. He has asked all mayoral candidates to formally commit to these reforms.

Jumaane has been vocal in his concerns over the way elections are conducted in New York City, including the wait times that he feels have disenfranchised many potential voters. He was a leading voice that successfully lobbied Governor Cuomo to issue an executive order that eased voting for those affected by Hurricane Sandy in advance of the November 2012 general election, and he also helped get the Board of Elections to increase ballot font size and better inform voters of poll site changes following the September 2012 primary election. Jumaane has joined the call for a reform agenda that would address issues with voter registration, ballot design, poll worker training and language access, particularly for the growing Haitian population. Additionally, he is a supporter of instituting early voting and no-excuse absentee voting options.

Government’s approach to contracts has also been a focus of needed reform for Jumaane. He believes that an overemphasis on outside consultants have contributed to cost overruns in city programs and mismanagement of projects like CityTime. He has stood by the labor community as they seek fair contracts with the City, standing with the bus drivers in their early 2013 strike and supporting the call to address back pay in future negotiations. Jumaane has also been a leading voice in the City Council on reforming contracting to minority and women-owned business enterprises, co-writing a report in September 2010 on how Local Law 129 of 2005 has fallen short of meeting its own goals; some of the report’s recommendations were incorporated into Local Law 1 of 2013."

Housing

"The needs of homeowners and tenants are something Council Member Williams understands intimately, having built his young career of advocating for their needs. As a member of the Council’s Housing and Buildings Committee, he has brought his experience to continue the hard work on these issues.

The lack of affordable housing across the city is a growing crisis, and Jumaane has been on the frontlines to protect rent regulation and to call for essential reforms that will keep New Yorkers in their communities. In June 2011, he allocated $250,000 of his capital budget towards the construction of Crystal Towers, a project that will bring reasonably priced units to Flatbush. He believes a fundamental reorganization of the Rent Guidelines Board is needed to ensure the voice of tenants is properly weighed. For years, he has advocated for the repeal of the Urstadt Law, which would bring home rule on housing policy from Albany back to New York City and allow local legislators to address problems such as landlord abuse of high income and vacancy decontrol.

Jumaane has hosted numerous housing forums and office hours to connect property owners to City agencies and empower them with information on their legal rights. He has been deeply involved in the transformation of conditions at Flatbush Gardens, from rallying against the lockout of workouts and poor living conditions to working with new management in an effort to bring resources to residents. He is a strong supporter of local block associations and civic associations, assisting them with beautification projects and helping to make neighborhood conditions safer. When Jumaane joined with the Nieuw Amersfort Civic Association to highlight a blighted house on East 40th Street, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development promptly committed to tear down the unsafe structure. He is also a big advocate for public housing, funding thousands of dollars towards programs at Glenwood Houses and working with the New York City Housing Authority to confront the backlog of maintenance requests from tenants.

As a member of both the Council’s Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses and the Council’s Committee on Land Use, Jumaane has backed efforts to preserve the rich culture and history of neighborhoods across the city, including in his district. In April 2013, he launched a campaign to have the Landmarks Preservation Commission provide protection to the Jackie Robinson House on Tilden Avenue, an effort he hopes may one day lead to the creation of a local museum celebrating the baseball icon’s role in Brooklyn and the civil rights movement. He has also stood with the South Midwood Residents Association and homeowners throughout Victorian Flatbush as they work to 'complete the quilt' of having all of the unique architecture in their micro-neighborhoods receive city landmark status. Jumaane is a staunch believer in responsible development that keeps our communities safe, as he demonstrated when he successfully organized local residents from the East 59th Street Block Association in May 2012 to fight back against a proposed hotel on Foster Avenue that many felt could result in seedy behavior and increased crime. To address this issue going forward, he hopes to pass Intro 861, his legislation to require hotel developers to present their plans to affected community boards."

Immigration

"Council Member Williams is a proud child of Caribbean parentage, with his family hailing from the island of Grenada. With a district that has one of the largest immigrant populations in New York City, he has made sure to make his office a valued resource for this community.

In January 2010, following the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti, Jumaane quickly helped mobilize volunteers and contributions to deliver to reputable relief organizations. As the elected representative of one of the nation’s largest Haitian populations, he was designated as an appointee to a task force created by former Governor Paterson to address the effects of the crisis in New York City and beyond; this led to his creation of the 45th District Haitian Relief Effort, a mobile clinic to provide various types of support for Haitian immigrants and their families, in conjunction with the Haitian American Business Network (HABNET). He was a leading voice in calling for the extension of temporary protected status for Haitian nationals, and he has repeatedly lobbied federal leaders to ensure its extension while the nation recovers.

As a member of the Council’s Committee on Immigration, Jumaane has played a key role in the citywide debate on the local implementation of the Secure Communities program, which he feels has had a chilling effect on the immigrant community. He helped pass legislation limiting the use of detainers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York City, and has pushed for the passage of the DREAM Act as well as comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship. Jumaane also worked directly with City Hall and advocates to bring light to the needs of international teachers recruited to work in the United States with the promise of permanent residency.

Jumaane annually funds an immigration attorney from CUNY Citizenship Now!, free of charge to the community, to assist with citizenship applications and related matters. He has also directed thousands of dollars in his expense budget to cultural institutions that directly serve his Caribbean-American constituency and celebrate their rich heritage, including his annual Haitian Flag Day celebration."

Public Safety

"Council Member Williams has gained national attention for his commitment to bringing better policing and safer streets to every resident of New York City, especially his constituents in the 45th District.

Concerned about the bloodshed in communities of more color, he worked to found the Council’s Task Force to Combat Gun Violence in September 2011. As co-chair, he consulted with a citywide team of experts to produce a comprehensive report of local, state and federal recommendations to address the supply and demand of gun violence, including the establishment of Youth SHIELD (Safe Havens, Improved Environments, Local Development) in February 2012 to improve crime-affected areas. Through these efforts, Jumaane also helped create the Anti-Gun Violence Initiative in June 2012, which to date has funded almost $10 million in pilot programs across the five boroughs to employ the holistic Cure Violence approach in reducing violence. Locally, he joined with East Flatbush Village, Inc. both in May 2010 to start the 'Not in My Hood' anti-violence march and in July 2012 to begin his 'Occupy Our Corners' campaign, all with the goal of having volunteers and violence interrupters positively engage young people.

Jumaane has led the fight to end the disparate policing of historically disenfranchised communities, be it the misuse and abuse of stop, question and frisk or the surveillance of Muslim-Americans. In June 2012, he organized a delegation of city and state elected officials to travel to our nation’s capital to meet with the Department of Justice and Congress over profiling concerns. In conjunction with a citywide advocacy campaign, Jumaane introduced the Community Safety Act in February 2012, a landmark legislative package aimed at advancing NYPD accountability and oversight while significantly improving relationships between police and the communities they serve. Following over a year of negotiations, the City Council passed Intro 1079, which will establish a NYPD inspector general within the Department of Investigation, and Intro 1080, which will create the first enforceable ban on bias-based profiling in New York City, by veto-proof majorities in June 2012.

Following the blizzard of December 2010, Jumaane used his role as chair of the Council’s Committee on Oversight and Investigations to hold citywide hearings on the City’s storm response. As a result of his findings, he introduced and passed Local Law 29 in May 2011, which has improved 311 service during emergencies. Jumaane has been vigilant in calling for addressing the problems with the 911 call system and increasing diversity within the ranks of the FDNY; he also has fought against the closure of firehouses during yearly budget negotiations.

Jumaane values the close relationship he has developed with local law enforcement, working with them on a daily basis to make the 45th District a safer place. He has funded local gun buyback and Safe Surrender programs, in conjunction with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, to get dangerous weapons off our streets and assist individuals with re-entering society. Working with Community Board 17, he helped start a local Community Observation Patrol; in the future, he hopes to collaborate with them to establish a Community Emergency Response Team that can assist in crisis situations. Jumaane believes our city should hire more police officers and civilianize the NYPD’s clerical and administrative positions, in an effort to reduce overtime costs, increase the number of men and women patrolling our neighborhoods and bring a return to community policing in New York City."

Quality of Life

"The overarching goal that Council Member Williams has for his efforts in the 45th District is for all young people to have a safe place to learn and grow. To achieve that, he has taken an assertive approach to addressing constituent issues and improving the climate for families, seniors and small businesses alike to flourish.

Jumaane has performed community outreach across the district on a wide variety of issues, including holding yearly health and resource fairs, community screenings for breast cancer and brain tumors and free workshops and clinics on legal issues. With the help of his Community Volunteer Corps and his youth group, Students Taking Action Today (S.T.A.T.), he has organized community clean-up days to engage young people in beautifying their neighborhood, donation drives to provide books, school supplies and food to the less fortunate as well as holiday concerts and parties for local senior citizens. Going forward, Jumaane also looks forward to continue advancing entertainment in the community, hosting film screenings and promoting local artists and musicians.

One of Jumaane’s primary missions has been to establish a full-service community center in the 45th District. He is proud to have secured funding from City Hall for a feasibility study that represents the first step towards its construction. Jumaane has also allocated millions of dollars in his capital budget towards improvements at local parks such as Glenwood Playground and Paerdegat Park, and he looks to continue exploring ways to maximize the use of current and future open space in the community, such as the creation of community gardens and community murals.

Improving the local environment has always been a focus for Jumaane, including his advocacy for home weatherization and solarizing local buildings. One of his legislative priorities is the passage of Intro 966, his effort to address flooding concerns by requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to regularly report inspection, cleanup and maintenance of catch basins. He also seeks to address the health problems that local air quality has created and to improve access to healthy food options, in part through the creation of a farmer’s market pilot program in the Flatbush Junction.

Jumaane has been a friend to small businesses, advocating for the reduction of fines by the Department of Consumer Affairs and co-chairing a Council hearing on the restaurant grading system, which called into question the over-penalization of well-intentioned entrepreneurs by the Department of Health. At the same time, he has been staunchly opposed to enterprises attempting to prey on New Yorkers, as he identified with the emergence of internet sweepstakes cafés engaged in illegal activity. In May 2013, he led the passage of Local Law 45, which will require the mandatory revocation of an amusement arcade or gaming cafe license for engaging in unlawful gambling. Jumaane has organized business corridor forums to assist local small businesses, has begun efforts to help establish a business improvement district on Utica Avenue as well as a merchants’ association on Nostrand Avenue and is exploring ways to help brand the 'Little Caribbean', all in an effort to help spur economic activity.

Transportation safety is a growing concern in the community which Jumaane is helping to address. After labeling part of his district the 'East Flatbush Motorist Danger Zone', the Department of Transportation partnered with him to address a problem intersection at Kings Highway and Foster Avenue in May 2013. He will continue to monitor issues of speeding and traffic congestion that pose challenges to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike, proposing solutions like neighborhood slow zones in Midwood and speed cameras near schools. Jumaane looks forward to the improvements that the new Streetscape project will bring to the Flatbush Junction and will consider how bus rapid transit and other public transportation improvements could enhance the quality of life of his constituency."

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Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Jumaane Williams' 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed June 1, 2022
↑ Gotham Gazette, "23 Candidates Submit Petitions to Get on February 26 Public Advocate Ballot," January 15, 2019
↑ New York Election Law, "Sec 6-160. Primaries," accessed July 14, 2017
↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the New York City Board of Elections," July 14, 2017
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Jumaane Williams for lieutenant governor, “Policy,” accessed August 22, 2018
↑ New York City Campaign Finance Board, "Jumaane D Williams," accessed September 8, 2017
↑ Jumaane Williams - Democrat for City Council," accessed September 8, 2017

Political offices
Preceded by Letitia James	New York City Public Advocate 2019-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	New York City Council District 45 2010-2019	Succeeded by Farah Louis (D)

[campaignbio-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Jumaane Williams' 2022 campaign website, "About," accessed June 1, 2022

[2] Gotham Gazette, "23 Candidates Submit Petitions to Get on February 26 Public Advocate Ballot," January 15, 2019

[3] New York Election Law, "Sec 6-160. Primaries," accessed July 14, 2017

[4] Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the New York City Board of Elections," July 14, 2017

[quotedisclaimer-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[6] Jumaane Williams for lieutenant governor, “Policy,” accessed August 22, 2018

[7] New York City Campaign Finance Board, "Jumaane D Williams," accessed September 8, 2017

[8] Jumaane Williams - Democrat for City Council," accessed September 8, 2017

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Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
Jumaane Williams	71.2	681,605	0	Advanced (1)
Jenifer Rajkumar	18.8	179,439	0	1
Martin Dolan	9.4	89,841	0	1
Undeclared Write-insUndeclared write-in candidates may advance past the first round in some ranked-choice elections. If the official source reports write-in votes by candidate name, Ballotpedia displays them alongside the ballot-qualified candidates. However, if write-in votes are reported without a name, they will instead be included in the total write-in votes figure in Round 1. Please consult the official elections source for more details about unnamed write-in candidate vote totals past Round 1.	0.6	5,983	0

Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
Jumaane Williams	70.0	572,762	0	Advanced (1)
Anthony Herbert	21.2	173,858	0	1
Theo Chino-Tavarez	7.8	64,053	0	1
Undeclared Write-insUndeclared write-in candidates may advance past the first round in some ranked-choice elections. If the official source reports write-in votes by candidate name, Ballotpedia displays them alongside the ballot-qualified candidates. However, if write-in votes are reported without a name, they will instead be included in the total write-in votes figure in Round 1. Please consult the official elections source for more details about unnamed write-in candidate vote totals past Round 1.	1.0	8,049	0

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