Mariya Markh

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Mariya Markh

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 22, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

Brooklyn College, 2010

Graduate

Fordham University, 2017

Personal

Religion

Jewish

Profession

Community liaison

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Mariya Markh (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New York City Council to represent District 48. She lost in the Democratic primary on June 22, 2021.

Markh completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Mariya Markh was born in Gomel, Belarus. She received a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College in 2010 and a graduate degree from Fordham University in 2017. Markh's professional experience includes being the senior community liaison at City Hall. She has been affiliated with the 41st AD Democrats Club and Bay Democrats.

Elections

2021

See also: City elections in New York, New York (2021)

General election

General election for New York City Council District 48

Inna Vernikov defeated Steven Saperstein in the general election for New York City Council District 48 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Inna Vernikov (R / Conservative Party / Centrist Party)	61.6	12,963
		Steven Saperstein (D)	38.2	8,038
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	51

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,052
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic Primary for New York City Council District 48

Select round: Round 5 Round 4 Round 3 Round 2 Round 1

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Steven Saperstein in round 5 . 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.

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Steven Saperstein	57.1	4,542	755	Advanced (5)
		Mariya Markh	42.9	3,416	555	5
		Amber Adler	0.0	0	-2,004	5
	Submit photo	Binyomin Zev Bendet	0.0	0	0	4
		Harold Tischler	0.0	0	0	3

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Steven Saperstein	43.8	3,787	629	Advanced (5)
		Mariya Markh	33.1	2,861	219	5
		Amber Adler	23.2	2,004	360	5
	Submit photo	Binyomin Zev Bendet	0.0	0	-1,589	4
		Harold Tischler	0.0	0	0	3

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Steven Saperstein	35.0	3,158	117	Advanced (5)
		Mariya Markh	29.2	2,642	56	5
		Amber Adler	18.2	1,644	50	5
	Submit photo	Binyomin Zev Bendet	17.6	1,589	102	4
		Harold Tischler	0.0	0	-463	3

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Steven Saperstein	33.2	3,041	8	Advanced (5)
		Mariya Markh	28.2	2,586	10	5
		Amber Adler	17.4	1,594	7	5
	Submit photo	Binyomin Zev Bendet	16.2	1,487	2	4
		Harold Tischler	5.0	463	2	3

		Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
		Steven Saperstein	32.9	3,033	0	Advanced (5)
		Mariya Markh	28.0	2,576	0	5
		Amber Adler	17.2	1,587	0	5
	Submit photo	Binyomin Zev Bendet	16.1	1,485	0	4
		Harold Tischler	5.0	461	0	3
		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.	0.7	68	0

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,210
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Inna Vernikov advanced from the Republican primary for New York City Council District 48.

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Inna Vernikov advanced from the Conservative Party primary for New York City Council District 48.

Endorsements

To view Markh's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mariya Markh completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Markh's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My family fled the Soviet Union and came to New York City to escape religious persecution. I’ve been a resident of the district since childhood, and have been active in politics and government for 15 years.

I’ve worked for Council Members Lew Fidler, Alan Maisel, and Chaim Deutsch before working at City Hall to represent the southern Brooklyn communities, and have been responsible for guiding constituents through inaccessible and illogical government bureaucracy, connecting vulnerable residents to essential resources, and helping our community recover from Superstorm Sandy. I’ve helped hundreds of families stay in their homes by working to get them off the City’s annual lien sale, which earned me the title of “Queen of Lien.”

I am a graduate of Edward R. Murrow H.S. and Brooklyn College, and I also hold a Master's Degree from Fordham. I currently live in Sheepshead Bay with my husband Lenny, and our daughter Rebecca.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We need to create safe, livable neighborhoods where all of our residents can prosper.
• We need to help those who suffer from the mental, physical, and economic impact that COVID has had on our lives and bring the City back stronger than ever. I am passionate about recovery for our City, specifically for small businesses and our institutions.
• We need to restore funding to our basic services like sanitation, public safety, and senior services.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Safety, Small Businesses, Health, Seniors, and Finance.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The NYC Council is one of most important municipal bodies in the country. Not only is NYC the most populous city in the country, but many other local governments look to us for ideas for how to run their own governments. Many programs that are run by State agencies in other parts of NY are run by City agencies and the City Council oversees them.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official should know the district and have a history of working with the people of the community. They need well established roots and they need to have relationships with the community members. They also need to understand the job and the amount of commitment this job entails.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am the only candidate that has experience in the City Council as well as the executive side — understanding the role of the Mayor’s Office and how the two bodies interact with each other.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked in Coney Island Hospital when I was in high school for a year and a half, doing translation and clerical work.

What is your favorite book? Why?

“America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction” by Jon Stewart with Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee and others. It’s a hilarious take on our democracy and it teaches people about government and politics when they may not have been interested in it previously. It would definitely need to get updated because it was written in 2004 and so much has changed, but it’s probably one of the reasons I got so hooked in politics.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain Marvel. She’s the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe, which is the superior of all the comic universes.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

My toddler is in love with the theme song to “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” so that’s in my head.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The City Council is often seen as a place where constituents can go to get help with a problem, or a place where the budget is passed. Those issues are important and visible, but the City Council has a major say in zoning issues that can have a serious impact on people’s lives by shaping the communities around us.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Two thirds of the City Council is term-limited this year. There will be a new Mayor, Comptroller and Borough President. We will have a large number of new Council Members who likely have never worked in the City Council and are unaware of its roles, procedures, and traditions. We need leaders who have the institutional knowledge, especially as we try to get this City back on its feet.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Having experience in the community is a key factor. Knowing who the community members are on the local level, as well as on the governmental side, is very important in order to effectively connect services to people. Understanding the powers and responsibilities of the City Council is key.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Two muffins are in an oven. The first muffin says “Boy, it’s hot in here!” The second muffin turns to him and responds “Oh my G-d, a talking muffin!!” This joke is not only simple and short, it was also the first joke I told to one of my regular constituents when he called and told me he was suicidal. I started telling him these jokes while paramedics rushed to his house and, thankfully, he got the care he needed. It was important for me to use humor not only as a distraction but as a way to get the constituent more comfortable and able to trust the professionals who were on their way to help him. Humor and empathy are valuable tools in politics.

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.

See also

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Candidate

New York City Council District 48

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