Municipal elections in New York, New York (2017)
2018 →
← 2016
|
| 2017 New York city council, public advocate, and comptroller elections |
|---|
 |
| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: July 13, 2017 |
| Primary election: September 12, 2017 General election: November 7, 2017 Special election: February 14, 2017 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor, city council, public advocate, and comptroller |
| Total seats up: 54 (click here for the mayoral election) |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2017 |
New York City held regular elections for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, and all 51 seats on the city council in 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 13, 2017, partisan primaries were held on September 12, 2017, and the general election was held on November 7, 2017.
Incumbents Scott Stringer and Letitia James won re-election as city comptroller and public advocate, respectively.[1] Click here to read about the mayoral race. For information about borough-level races in New York, click on the Additional elections tab below.
Forty-eight of the 51 city council seats were held by Democrats before the 2017 election, and three were held by Republicans. The Democratic Party emerged from the November general election with 47 seats, and Republican incumbents won re-election in District 32, District 50, and District 51. Officially, Republicans also picked up the District 30 seat on the council. The District 30 race was too close to call on election night, but Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Crowley conceded to challenger Robert Holden on November 16, 2017.[2] Holden, a registered Democrat who lost to Crowley in the Democratic primary, ran in the general election on the Republican, Conservative, Reform, and Dump de Blasio ballot lines.[3]
Ten city council races were open in 2017. Seven incumbents, including Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito (D), were ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[4] Another three incumbents—Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D), Ruben Wills (D), and David Greenfield (D)—also did not run for re-election. Ferreras-Copeland was considered a front-runner to become the next speaker but opted not to run for re-election to the council.[5] Wills was expelled from office following his conviction for fraud and grand larceny in July 2017.[6][7] Greenfield withdrew from his race to accept a position with the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.[8] Mark-Viverito's departure from the council resulted in the election of a new speaker, Manhattan Councilman Corey Johnson (D).[9] Click here for more information about the race for the speakership.
New York held a special election on February 14, 2017, to temporarily fill the city council seat vacated by District 9 Councilwoman Inez Dickens (D). Click on the "Special election" tab below to read more about the special election. For more on campaign fundraising in the 2017 regular election, click here. To view endorsements in the races for comptroller, public advocate, and city council, click here.
City council composition
All 51 seats on the New York City Council were up for election in 2017. The graphic below illustrates the partisan composition of the council as of June 2017, the share of seats held by each borough, and the breakdown of members' terms of service. In November 2010, New York voters approved a measure to limit councilmembers and other city officials to two consecutive terms. Terms served before the measure was approved did not count toward the two term limit.[10]
General election
Select an office from the list below to display the candidates for that office.
Navigate: Mayor • Comptroller • Public Advocate • District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 34 • District 35 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 40 • District 41 • District 42 • District 43 • District 44 • District 45 • District 46 • District 47 • District 48 • District 49 • District 50 • District 51
Words in (parentheses) represent ballot lines as listed on the New York City Board of Elections' general election candidate list.
Mayor
- ☑ Bill de Blasio (i)
- ☐ Nicole Malliotakis
- ☐ Akeem Browder
- ☐ Aaron Commey
- ☐ Sal Albanese
- ☐ Bo Dietl (Dump the Mayor)
- ☐ Michael Tolkin (Smart Cities)
Public Advocate
- ☑ Letitia James (i)
- ☐ Juan Carlos Polanco (Stop de Blasio)
- ☐ Michael O'Reilly
- ☐ James Lane
- ☐ Devin Balkind
Comptroller
- ☑ Scott Stringer (i)
- ☐ Michel Faulkner (Stop de Blasio)
- ☐ Alex Merced
- ☐ Julia Willebrand
District 1
- ☑ Margaret Chin (i)
- ☐ Bryan Jung
- ☐ Aaron Foldenauer (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Christopher Marte (Independence Party)
District 2
- ☑ Carlina Rivera
- ☐ Jimmy McMillan (Rent Is 2 Damn High)
- ☐ Manny Cavaco
- ☐ Don Garrity
- ☐ Jasmin Sanchez (Liberal Party)
District 3
- ☑ Corey Johnson (i)
- ☐ Marni Halasa (Eco Justice)
District 4
- ☑ Keith Powers
- ☐ Rebecca Harary (Women's Equality and Stop de Blasio)
- ☐ Rachel Honig (Liberal Party)
District 5
- ☑ Ben Kallos (i)
- ☐ Frank Spotorno
District 6
- ☑ Helen Rosenthal (i)
- ☐ Hyman Drusin
- ☐ William Raudenbush (Stand Up Together)
District 7
- ☑ Mark Levine (i)
- ☐ Florindo Troncelliti
District 8
- ☑ Diana Ayala
- ☐ Daby Carreras (Stop de Blasio and No Rezoning 4 Ever)
- ☐ Linda Ortiz
District 9
- ☑ Bill Perkins (i)
- ☐ Jack Royster
- ☐ Pierre Gooding
- ☐ Tyson-Lord Gray (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Dianne Mack (Harlem Matters)
District 10
- ☑ Ydanis Rodriguez (i)
- ☐ Ronny Goodman
District 11
- ☑ Andrew Cohen (i)
- ☐ Judah David Powers
- ☐ Roxanne Delgado (Animal Rights)
District 12
- ☑ Andy King (i)
- ☐ Adrienne Erwin
District 13
- ☑ Mark Gjonaj
- ☐ John Cerini
- ☐ Marjorie Velazquez
- ☐ John Doyle (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Alex Gomez (New Bronx)
District 14
- ☑ Fernando Cabrera (i)
- ☐ Alan Reed
- ☐ Randy Abreu
- ☐ Justin Sanchez (Liberal Party)
District 15
- ☑ Ritchie Torres (i)
- ☐ Jayson Cancel
District 16
- ☑ Vanessa Gibson (i)
- ☐ Benjamin Eggleston
District 17
- ☑ Rafael Salamanca (i)
- ☐ Patrick Delices
- ☐ Oswald Denis
- ☐ Elvis Santana (Empower Society)
District 18
- ☑ Ruben Diaz Sr.
- ☐ Eduardo Ramirez
- ☐ Carl Lundgren
- ☐ William Moore
- ☐ Michael Beltzer (Liberal Party)
District 19
- ☑ Paul Vallone (i)
- ☐ Konstantinos Poulidis
- ☐ Paul Graziano
District 20
- ☑ Peter Koo (i)
District 21
District 22
- ☑ Costa Constantinides (i)
- ☐ Kathleen Springer (Dive In)
District 23
- ☑ Barry Grodenchik (i)
- ☐ Joseph Concannon (Stop de Blasio)
- ☐ John Lim
District 24
- ☑ Rory Lancman (i)
- ☐ Mohammad Rahman
District 25
- ☑ Daniel Dromm (i)
District 26
- ☑ Jimmy Van Bramer (i)
- ☐ Marvin Jeffcoat
District 27
- ☑ I. Daneek Miller (i)
- ☐ Rupert Green
- ☐ Frank Francois
District 28
District 29
- ☑ Karen Koslowitz (i)
District 30
- ☐ Elizabeth Crowley (i) (Women's Equality)
- ☑ Robert Holden (Dump de Blasio)
District 31
- ☑ Donovan Richards Jr. (i)
District 32
- ☑ Eric Ulrich (i)
- ☐ Mike Scala
District 33
- ☑ Stephen Levin (i)
- ☐ Victoria Cambranes (Progress for All)
District 34
- ☑ Antonio Reynoso (i)
District 35
District 36
- ☑ Robert Cornegy (i)
District 37
District 38
- ☑ Carlos Menchaca (i)
- ☐ Allan Romaguera
- ☐ Carmen Hulbert
- ☐ Delvis Valdes
District 39
- ☑ Brad Lander (i)
District 40
District 41
- ☑ Alicka Ampry-Samuel
- ☐ Berneda Jackson
- ☐ Christopher Carew (Solutions)
District 42
- ☑ Inez Barron (i)
- ☐ Ernest Johnson
- ☐ Mawuli Hormeku
District 43
- ☑ Justin Brannan
- ☐ John Quaglione
- ☐ Robert Capano
- ☐ Angel Medina (Women's Equality)
District 44
- ☑ Kalman Yeger
- ☐ Yoni Hikind (Our Neighborhood)
- ☐ Harold Tischler (School Choice)
District 45
- ☑ Jumaane Williams (i)
- ☐ Anthony Beckford (True Freedom)
District 46
- ☑ Alan Maisel (i)
- ☐ Jeffrey Ferretti
District 47
- ☑ Mark Treyger (i)
- ☐ Raimondo Denaro
District 48
- ☑ Chaim Deutsch (i)
- ☐ Steven Saperstein
District 49
- ☑ Deborah "Debi" Rose (i)
- ☐ Michael Penrose
- ☐ Kamillah Hanks
District 50
- ☑ Steven Matteo (i)
- ☐ Richard Florentino
District 51
- ☑ Joe Borelli (i)
- ☐ Dylan Schwartz
Primary election
Select an office from the list below to display the candidates for that office. Candidates in uncontested primaries won the nomination automatically and proceeded to the general election without appearing on the ballot.[11][12]
Primaries are contested—and appear on the ballot—either if more than one candidate successfully files for the race or if members of the party successfully file an opportunity to ballot petition. Opportunity to ballot petitions create a write-in option, allowing members of the party to write in the name of an unnamed candidate.[13] In 2017, there were successful opportunity to ballot petitions for the Independence Party in City Council District 1, the Women's Equality Party in City Council Districts 4 and 12, and the Reform Party for mayor, Brooklyn borough president, and City Council Districts 3, 24, 46, and 47.[14]
Navigate: Mayor • Comptroller • Public Advocate • District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27 • District 28 • District 29 • District 30 • District 31 • District 32 • District 33 • District 34 • District 35 • District 36 • District 37 • District 38 • District 39 • District 40 • District 41 • District 42 • District 43 • District 44 • District 45 • District 46 • District 47 • District 48 • District 49 • District 50 • District 51
Mayor
Democratic primary
- ☑ Bill de Blasio (i)
- ☐ Sal Albanese
- ☐ Richard Bashner
- ☐ Robert Gangi
- ☐ Michael Tolkin
Republican primary
Comptroller
Democratic primary
- ☑ Scott Stringer (i)
Republican primary
Additional candidates
Public advocate
Democratic primary
- ☑ Letitia James (i)
- ☐ David Eisenbach
Republican primary
Additional candidates
District 1
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was too close to call on election night, with incumbent Margaret Chin leading challenger Christopher Marte by 200 votes.[15] According to the official certified results, Chin defeated Marte by 5,363 votes to 5,141.[16]
- ☑ Margaret Chin (i)
- ☐ Aaron Foldenauer (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Dashia Imperiale
- ☐ Christopher Marte
Republican primary
District 2
Incumbent Rosie Mendez was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[17]
Democratic primary
- ☑ Carlina Rivera
- ☐ Jasmin Sanchez (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Ronnie Cho
- ☐ Erin Hussein
- ☐ Mary Silver
- ☐ Jorge Vasquez
Republican primary
Additional candidates
District 3
Democratic primary
- ☑ Corey Johnson (i)
District 4
Incumbent Daniel R. Garodnick was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[18]
Democratic primary
- ☐ Rachel Honig (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Vanessa Aronson
- ☐ Maria Castro
- ☐ Alec Hartman
- ☐ Jeffrey Mailman
- ☑ Keith Powers
- ☐ Bessie Schachter
- ☐ Barry Shapiro
- ☐ Marti Speranza
Republican primary
District 5
Democratic primary
- ☑ Ben Kallos (i)
- ☐ Patrick Bobilin
- ☐ Gwen Goodwin
Republican primary
District 6
Democratic primary
- ☑ Helen Rosenthal (i)
- ☐ Mel Wymore (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Cary Goodman
Republican primary
District 7
Democratic primary
- ☑ Mark Levine (i)
- ☐ Thomas Lopez-Pierre
Additional candidates
District 8
Incumbent Melissa Mark-Viverito was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[19]
District 8 spans East Harlem and the South Bronx. Diana Ayala (D), Mark-Viverito's deputy chief of staff, received endorsements from Mark-Viverito and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. in her bid for the open seat. Other Bronx leaders backed one of her opponents, state Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez (D). Bronx Democratic Party Chair and state Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, state Sen. Jose M. Serrano, and state Assemblywomen Carmen Arroyo and Latoya Joyner came out for their colleague Rodriguez.[20]
New York neighborhood news outlet DNAinfo New York reported that the split between the borough leaders was unusual for the Bronx. "I'm very surprised when you tell me [Bronx elected officials] are not going to march in lockstep on this," Bronx newspaper editor Buddy Stein told the outlet, "because my impression has been that they very seldom take different positions."[20]
The District 8 election, in which Ayala and Rodriguez were front-runners, was also an example of a broader dynamic in the 2017 city council races. Ayala was one of a group of female candidates for open seats who received support from a Mark-Viverito-backed initiative to elect more women to the council, "21 in '21." The "21 in '21" campaign also lent its support to Marjorie Velazquez in District 13 and Amanda Farías in District 18. The Bronx Democratic County Committee, by contrast, came out for Rodriguez over Ayala, state Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj over Velazquez, and state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. over Farías.[21]
To read more about the "21 in '21" campaign and other efforts to increase the number of women on the city council, click on the "Candidate trends" tab.[22][23]
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was too close to call on election night, with Ayala leading Rodriguez by 122 votes.[24] According to the official certified results, Ayala defeated Rodriguez by 4,012 votes to 3,895.[25]
Republican primary
Additional candidates
District 9
Democratic primary
- ☑ Bill Perkins (i)
- ☐ Tyson-Lord Gray (Liberal Party)
- ☐ Cordell Cleare
- ☐ Marvin Holland
- ☐ Marvin Spruill
- ☐ Julius Tajiddin
Republican primary
Additional candidates
District 10
Democratic primary
- ☑ Ydanis Rodriguez (i)
- ☐ Francesca Castellanos
- ☐ Josue Perez
Republican primary
District 11
Democratic primary
- ☑ Andrew Cohen (i)
Republican primary
District 12
Democratic primary
Additional candidates
District 13
Incumbent Jimmy Vacca was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[26]
Democratic primary
- ☐ Marjorie Velazquez
- ☐ John Doyle (Liberal Party)
- ☑ Mark Gjonaj
- ☐ Victor Ortiz
- ☐ Egidio Sementilli
Republican primary
District 14
Democratic primary
- ☑ Fernando Cabrera (i)
- ☐ Randy Abreu
- ☐ Felix Perdomo
Republican primary
District 15
Democratic primary
- ☑ Ritchie Torres (i)
Republican primary
District 16
Democratic primary
- ☑ Vanessa Gibson (i)
Republican primary
District 17
Democratic primary
- ☑ Rafael Salamanca (i)
- ☐ Helen Hines
Republican primary
Additional candidates
District 18
Incumbent Annabel Palma was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[27]
Democratic primary
- ☐ William Russell Moore
- ☐ Michael Beltzer (Liberal Party)
- ☑ Ruben Diaz Sr.
- ☐ Amanda Farías
- ☐ Elvin Garcia
Additional candidates
District 19
Democratic primary
- ☑ Paul Vallone (i)
- ☐ Paul Graziano
Republican primary
District 20
Democratic primary
- ☑ Peter Koo (i)
- ☐ Alison Tan
District 21
Incumbent Julissa Ferreras-Copeland opted not to seek re-election.[28]
Democratic primary
District 22
Democratic primary
- ☑ Costa Constantinides (i)
District 23
Democratic primary
- ☑ Barry Grodenchik (i)
- ☐ Benny Itteera
Republican primary
District 24
Democratic primary
- ☑ Rory Lancman (i)
- ☐ Mohammad Rahman
District 25
Democratic primary
- ☑ Daniel Dromm (i)
District 26
Democratic primary
- ☑ Jimmy Van Bramer (i)
Republican primary
District 27
Democratic primary
- ☑ I. Daneek Miller (i)
- ☐ Anthony Rivers
Republican primary
Additional candidates
District 28
Former incumbent Ruben Wills was expelled from the city council following his July 2017 conviction for fraud and grand larceny.[29][30] He was sentenced to two to six years in prison on August 10, 2017.[31]
Democratic primary
Republican primary
District 29
Democratic primary
- ☑ Karen Koslowitz (i)
District 30
Democratic primary
- ☑ Elizabeth Crowley (i) (Women's Equality Party)
- ☐ Robert Holden
Republican primary
District 31
Democratic primary
- ☑ Donovan Richards Jr. (i)
District 32
Democratic primary
Republican primary
- ☑ Eric Ulrich (i)
District 33
Democratic primary
- ☑ Stephen Levin (i)
District 34
Democratic primary
- ☑ Antonio Reynoso (i)
- ☐ Tommy Torres
District 35
Democratic primary
- ☑ Laurie Cumbo (i)
- ☐ Ede Fox
Republican primary
Green primary
District 36
Democratic primary
- ☑ Robert Cornegy (i)
District 37
Democratic primary
- ☑ Rafael Espinal (i)
District 38
Democratic primary
- ☑ Carlos Menchaca (i)
- ☐ Sara Gonzalez
- ☐ Chris Miao
- ☐ Felix Ortiz
- ☐ Delvis Valdes
Additional candidates
District 39
Democratic primary
- ☑ Brad Lander (i)
District 40
Democratic primary
Additional candidates
District 41
Incumbent Darlene Mealy was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[32]
Democratic primary
- ☑ Alicka Ampry-Samuel
- ☐ Royston Antoine
- ☐ Henry Butler
- ☐ Leopold Cox
- ☐ Victor Jordan
- ☐ Moreen King
- ☐ David Miller
- ☐ Deidre Olivera
- ☐ Cory Provost
Republican primary
District 42
Democratic primary
- ☑ Inez Barron (i)
- ☐ Mawuli Hormeku
Additional candidates
District 43
Incumbent Vincent Gentile was not eligible to run for re-election due to term limits.[33]
Democratic primary
Republican primary
Additional candidates
- John Bruno
- Angel Medina (Women's Equality Party)
- John Bruno
District 44
Incumbent David Greenfield (D) withdrew from the District 44 race on July 17, 2017, to accept a position as executive director of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.[34] His campaign selected Kalman Yeger (D), who had previously filed for the District 48 seat on the council, to replace him on the Democratic primary ballot.[35]
No other candidates could enter the Democratic primary after Greenfield's withdrawal because the July 13 filing deadline had passed. However, others could petition for a place on the November general election ballot. On August 1, 2017, social worker Yoni Hikind announced that he was collecting signatures to run in November under a new party line, Our Neighborhood.[36][37]
Hikind is the son of state Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D), and the District 44 race was characterized by local outlets City & State New York and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle as a proxy battle between Greenfield and the elder Hikind.[37][38] Greenfield served as Dov Hikind's chief of staff 15 years ago, but the two men subsequently had a falling-out.[39] Greenfield described their relationship as, "Complicated. That's my word. Complicated," while District 24 Councilman Rory Lancman (D) called it, "Vitriolic, acrimonious."[40]
The younger Hikind disputed the local media's characterization of the race. "There are people who know my father and know that's [the rivalry between Greenfield and Dov Hikind is] not what it's about for them and people who know me and know that that's certainly not what it's about for me," he told the New York Daily News. "There's [an] open seat which is now going to have a race as opposed to no one opposing Mr. [Kalman] Yeger, and there's someone named Yoni Hikind who wants the voters to have the choice about who will represent them in the Council."[41]
As of August 8, 2017, Hikind and Yeger were the only active candidates listed by the New York City Campaign Finance Board in District 44. Click on the "Campaign finance" tab for fundraising information about this and other open races for city council.[42]
Democratic primary
Additional candidates
- Yoni Hikind (Our Neighborhood)
District 45
Democratic primary
- ☑ Jumaane Williams (i)
- ☐ Lou Cespedes
Additional candidates
District 46
Democratic primary
- ☑ Alan Maisel (i)
Additional candidates
District 47
Democratic primary
- ☑ Mark Treyger (i)
Republican primary
District 48
Democratic primary
- ☑ Chaim Deutsch (i)
- ☐ Marat Filler
Republican primary
District 49
Democratic primary
- ☑ Deborah "Debi" Rose (i)
- ☐ Kamillah Hanks (Liberal Party)
Republican primary
District 50
Democratic primary
Republican primary
- ☑ Steven Matteo (i)
District 51
Democratic primary
Republican primary
- ☑ Joe Borelli (i)
Special election
A special election was held on February 14, 2017, to fill the vacancy created by the election of District 9 Councilwoman Inez Dickens to the New York State Assembly. Special elections for the New York City Council are officially nonpartisan, so there are no partisan primaries. Candidates are also prohibited from running on typical party ballot lines, although they can create and run under their own party names. The labels in parentheses in the candidate list below are the party names under which the candidates ran in February 2017.[43][44]
City council
District 9
- ☐ Caprice Alves (Educated Leader)
- ☐ Larry Scott Blackmon (Harlem Family)
- ☐ Cordell Cleare (Time To Wake Up)
- ☐ Charles Cooper (Building Harlem)
- ☐ Marvin Holland (Holland4Harlem)
- ☐ Athena Moore (We are One)
- ☑ Bill Perkins (Community First)
- ☐ Dawn Simmons (Dawn for Harlem, Rent Too Damn High)
- ☐ Todd Stevens (Harlem Voices)
Additional elections
Residents of New York City voted for mayor and for offices in their boroughs:
The ballot also featured races for local courts, as well as statewide ballot proposals to call a state constitutional convention, authorize pension forfeiture for public officers convicted of felonies, and permit the use of forest preserve land to address public health and safety concerns.
Race for speaker
The speakership of the New York City Council has been described by media outlets, including Gothamist, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, as the second most powerful position in the city behind the mayor.[45][46][47] The speaker's responsibilities include serving as the council's presiding officer, negotiating the budget, setting the legislative agenda, and approving rezoning proposals.[45]
Melissa Mark-Viverito (D), who was selected as speaker in 2014, was not eligible to run for re-election to the council in 2017 due to term limits. Her successor in the speaker's chair, Councilman Corey Johnson (D), was officially chosen by the members of the city council on January 3, 2018.[9][48][49] However, the county Democratic parties typically play a significant behind-the-scenes role in shaping the selection. Multiple media outlets reported on December 20, 2017, that Johnson had secured the support of the Bronx and Queens parties and was expected to win the speakership.[50][51][52]
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who was credited by the Times with helping Mark-Viverito prevail over the county party leaders' preferred speaker candidate in 2014 but played a less visible role in the 2018 race, voiced his support for Johnson on December 21, 2017.[53][54] "I came to the conclusion in the last few days that Corey Johnson was the right candidate [for speaker]," he said. "I'm happy to support him."[55]
Seven other candidates were competing for the speakership as of December 20, 2017. Six conceded to Johnson before January 3. Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams (D) withdrew the morning of January 3 and did not participate in the vote.[56] A ninth candidate, Brooklyn Councilwoman Inez Barron (D), entered the race on December 27, 2017. She remained in contention through the vote, ultimately losing to Johnson 48-1.[56][57] Barron cast the sole non-Johnson vote for herself, and Williams and Staten Island Councilwoman Debi Rose (D) were not present for the vote.[58] The table below lists the candidates who competed in the 2018 speaker's race and the boroughs they represented on the city council.
"I'm running because I think it's our turn," Barron said in explaining her entry into the speaker's race. "We had the traditional speakers, white men. We've had white women. We've had a Latina woman, a Latina. So the city population at this point is majority black and Latino. We have never had a black speaker."[59]
That echoed comments other officeholders and political observers made about the race.
Johnson and fellow Manhattanite Mark Levine (D), who are both white, were named as front-runners for the speakership early in the race by media outlets such as Crain's New York Business and The New York Times.[46][60] Both raised significant sums for their current and potential colleagues' 2017 election efforts. As of November 7, 2017, Levine had contributed $69,375 to city council campaigns, and Johnson had given $84,875.[61] Johnson and Levine also had the advantage of representing Manhattan. As noted by the Times, leaders from the Bronx and Queens historically backed candidates from Manhattan to avoid handing each other too much power and to secure committee chairmanships for their boroughs' members.[62]
However, some political observers expressed concerns about white men holding both of the top two spots in majority-minority New York's city government. "Race is important," Councilman Antonio Reynoso (D) said when asked about the speakership. "Race is very important."[46] The Rev. Al Sharpton, a black activist and former presidential candidate, described the lack of diversity in the city's top leadership as an issue in the speaker's race and "a glaring example of the hypocrisy of liberal New York." "New York advertises one thing. When you buy the product, you're buying a rainbow," he said. "And when you get home you find out you have a white, vanilla ice cream cone and there is no rainbow inside."[63] On December 11, 2017, the city council's Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus issued a statement calling for a speaker of color to succeed Latina Speaker Mark-Viverito.[64]
The two challengers to Johnson who remained in the race through the day of the vote, Barron and Williams, were black. Four of the other contenders for the seat—black Brooklyn Councilman Robert Cornegy, black Latino Bronx Councilman Ritchie Torres, Latino Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, and black Queens Councilman Donovan Richards—were also candidates of color. In a December 22 press conference at which he indicated his intention to remain in the speaker's race, Williams expressed frustration that a candidate of color was not selected for the position. "The message that we are sending is that none of them [the speaker candidates of color] were qualified and the people who made those decisions don't reflect the diversity that we need to see ourselves," he said. "So I was astonished by the responses that I saw and how the selection process played out, not even acknowledging the historic nature of what was being said. So I think those questions, people have to be forced to answer. Why did you believe out of that diverse background field of candidates [of color] that none of them were qualified?"[65]
Others were more supportive of Johnson's selection. "It all comes down to who can bring communities together; Corey [Johnson] was able to put this together," Manhattan Democratic Party head Keith Wright said. "Race is always important. I've been black all my life. But at the end of the day it comes down to who can put it together."[66] Former speaker candidate Torres, who conceded and congratulated Johnson following news of his support, added, "Expecting to be speaker regardless of whether you have member support is presumptuous. Confidence in one's leadership matters more to me than common complexion."[66][67]
Candidate trends
Progressive Caucus
Caucuses in the New York City CouncilAs of 2017, the Progressive Caucus was one of six caucuses in the New York City Council and the only one unified by ideology rather than a demographic characteristic. The other five caucuses were the:
As of 2017, the caucuses ranged in size from the four-member Irish Caucus to the 24-member Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus.[68][69] |
Twelve Democratic members of the 51-member city council formed the Progressive Caucus in 2010 to pursue policy outcomes such as environmental sustainability, safe housing, and prevention-focused criminal justice.[70] In the spring of 2017, the caucus released a policy platform for 2018 that included proposals to provide legal counsel for immigrants facing deportation or detention, mandate low-income housing units in new multifamily developments, develop a plan to reduce school segregation, and extend the right to vote in local elections to legal permanent residents.[71]
The formation of the caucus in 2010 was, in part, a response to initiatives by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R). "The mayor has done some good things - on the environment, on gun control," caucus co-leader Mark-Viverito said at the time. "But there are some other issues where he hasn't done a good job, and he's lost sight of the poor, working class and middle class. So yes, this is a response because we don't feel the city is going in the same direction as the majority wants."[72]
The group's positions have aligned more closely with those of Bloomberg's successor, Bill de Blasio (D). Self-described progressive de Blasio was first elected in 2013 on a platform that overlapped with the Progressive Caucus' agenda.[73][74] He was also credited with helping elect Progressive Caucus co-leader Mark-Viverito as speaker in 2014. For more on de Blasio's role in the 2014 speaker's race, click here.
In 2013, the Progressive Caucus launched the Progressive Caucus Alliance to help elect more like-minded councilmembers.[75] The number of members in the caucus had grown to 19 by the spring of 2017, and the Alliance endorsed four more candidates in the regular city council elections in 2017.[76] Three of the four regular election endorsees—Ayala, Powers, and Rivera—won their races in November, netting the Progressive Caucus two new seats.
Women
|
Women held a smaller share of the New York City Council than of the city's population in 2017. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2015 American Community Survey put the female share of the population at 52 percent, but women held about a quarter of the seats on the city council.[77][78] According to an August 2017 report from the New York City Council's Women's Caucus, that was smaller than the female share of the council in all but two of the 10 most populous cities in the country: Houston and Los Angeles.[79]
The number of women on the New York City Council also declined from 18 in 2009 to 13 in August 2017.[79] It dropped even further when the new city council was sworn in in January 2018. Adrienne Adams won the District 28 seat vacated by Ruben Wills when he was expelled from the council, but male candidates won three other female-held seats in the 2017 regular election. Ruben Diaz Sr. picked up the District 18 seat held by term-limited Councilwoman Annabel Palma, Francisco Moya won retiring District 21 Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland's seat, and challenger Robert Holden defeated Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley to pick up the District 30 seat. All told, female candidates emerged from the 2017 election with 11 seats.[4][5]
Concerns about such an outcome spurred at least two initiatives to support female candidates in the 2017 election. The "21 in '21" campaign, which had the backing of term-limited Speaker Mark-Viverito, aims to help increase the number of female councilmembers to 21 by 2021. The Progressive Caucus Alliance, the campaign arm of the city council's Progressive Caucus, also committed to supporting female candidates in 2017. Both efforts backed Carlina Rivera (D) in District 2, Diana Ayala (D) in District 8, and Marjorie Velazquez (D) in District 13.[80][81] The "21 in '21" campaign also came out for Amanda Farías (D) in District 18.[80]
Ayala and Rivera won their their elections, but Farías and Velazquez were defeated by state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. and state Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, respectively. Click here to see fundraising data for these candidates and the other contenders for the city's open city council seats.
State legislators
Politicians often try to move up the ballot over the course of their careers. In 2017, however, some New Yorkers hoped to move down the ballot—from the state legislature to city government.
Former state Sen. Bill Perkins (D), who won the District 9 seat on the city council in the February 2017 special election, said he made the move because he thought he could have more impact at the city than the state level. Democrats held 48 of the 51 seats on the New York City Council in the lead-up to the 2017 elections.[82] In the state Senate, by contrast, a power-sharing agreement between Republicans and a group of Democratic senators known as the Independent Democratic Conference left most Democrats in the minority.[83] "It's [the Senate is] not an easy place to be in the minority," Perkins told The New York Times. "In a legislative body where majority rules, you're basically being ruled."[84]
A 2016 pay raise also bumped the salary for city councilmembers to close to double the rate for state legislators. City councilmembers received a base salary of $148,500 after the raise to state lawmakers' $79,500.[84]
Six other state legislators filed bids to join Perkins in city government in 2017. Two of them, Felix Ortiz and Robert Rodriguez, were defeated in the September primary, and Nicole Malliotakis lost the mayoral race in November. Perkins and the other three state legislators won their city council bids.
About the city
- See also: New York, New York
New York City is a city in New York and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. As of 2010, its population was 8,175,133.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of New York uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor and city council each serve four-year terms.
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for New York, New York | ||
|---|---|---|
| New York | New York | |
| Population | 8,175,133 | 19,378,102 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 300 | 47,123 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 42.7% | 63.7% |
| Black/African American | 24.3% | 15.7% |
| Asian | 14.1% | 8.4% |
| Native American | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0% |
| Other (single race) | 14.7% | 8.7% |
| Multiple | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 29.1% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 82.2% | 86.8% |
| College graduation rate | 38.1% | 36.6% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $63,998 | $68,486 |
| Persons below poverty level | 17.9% | 14.1% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New York City election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| New York, New York | New York | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ New York Daily News, "New York City and State 2017 General Election Results," November 8, 2017
- ↑ New York Daily News, "City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley Concedes Defeat to Underdog Bob Holden," November 16, 2017
- ↑ New York City Campaign Finance Board, "Member of the City Council 30th Council District," November 8, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Politico, "Julissa Ferreras-Copeland Will Not Seek Reelection," June 1, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "City Councilman Convicted of Stealing Thousands in Public Funds," July 20, 2017
- ↑ Times Ledger, "Conviction Leaves Wills' City Council Seat Vacant," July 31, 2017
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Councilman David Greenfield Ditches a Reelection Run to Take Over Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty," July 17, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 New York Daily News, "Corey Johnson Elected as City Council Speaker," January 3, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "Once Again, City Voters Approve Term Limits," November 3, 2010
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the New York City Board of Elections," July 14, 2017
- ↑ New York Election Law, "Sec 6-160. Primaries," accessed July 14, 2017
- ↑ New York State Election Law, "Section 6-164," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑ New York City Board of Elections, "The Contest List - Primary Election - 9/12/2017," August 22, 2017
- ↑ DNAinfo, "Chin Maintains Slim Lead in Downtown Council Race That's Too Close to Call," September 13, 2017
- ↑ New York City Board of Elections, "Statement and Return Report for Certification," September 25, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 DNAinfo New York, "City Council Speaker's Open Seat Sparks Political Rift in Bronx," May 19, 2017
- ↑ New York Post, "Bronx Democrats Promote Boys' Club - Not Women," June 11, 2017
- ↑ EffectiveNY, "New Effort to Elect More Women to New York City Council," January 13, 2017
- ↑ City & State New York, "Primed for the Primaries: Political Organizations Stake Out Their Candidates for the 2017 New York City Candidate Election," March 21, 2017
- ↑ DNAinfo, "Chin Maintains Slim Lead in Downtown Council Race That's Too Close to Call," September 13, 2017
- ↑ New York City Board of Elections, "Statement and Return Report for Certification," September 26, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Julissa Ferreras-Copeland Will Not Seek Reelection," June 1, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "City Councilman Convicted of Stealing Thousands in Public Funds," July 20, 2017
- ↑ Times Ledger, "Conviction Leaves Wills' City Council Seat Vacant," July 31, 2017
- ↑ New York Law Journal, "Ex-Councilman Convicted of Corruption Gets Prison Term," August 10, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Candidates for 2017 City Elections," May 1, 2017
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Councilman David Greenfield Ditches a Reelection Run to Take Over Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty," July 17, 2017
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Democrat Councilman David Greenfield Locks in Colleague to Run for His Brooklyn Seat, Sparking Backlash," July 18, 2017
- ↑ YouTube, "Yoni Hikind for NYC Council District 44," August 1, 2017
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Brooklyn Daily Eagle, "Yoni Hikind Announces Run for City Council Seat," August 3, 2017
- ↑ City & State New York, "Winners & Losers 8/4/2017," August 3, 2017
- ↑ City & State New York, "Sources Say Councilman David Greenfield is Behind Favorable Yeshiva World Stories," May 1, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Bitter Feud Divides New York's Orthodox Jewish Politicians," July 31, 2017
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Assemblyman Dov Hikind's Son, Yoni, Jumps in Race for City Councilman David Greenfield's Seat," August 1, 2017
- ↑ New York City Campaign Finance Board, "Candidate List - 2017 Citywide Elections," August 8, 2017
- ↑ New York City Campaign Finance Board, "2017 Council District 9 Special Election Voter Guide," accessed July 3, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Small Number of Votes Likely to Carry Harlem Special Election," February 3, 2017
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 Gothamist, "Who Will be the Next City Council Speaker?" August 23, 2017
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 The New York Times, "Only Race in Town: Who Will be the Next Council Speaker in New York?" October 2, 2017
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "In New York, Race Heats up for City Council Speaker," August 20, 2017
- ↑ The Council, City of New York, "Rules of the Council," 2016
- ↑ City & State New York, "In the Race for New York City Council Speaker, Who's a Player and Who's Being Played?" December 3, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Corey Johnson Gains Support in Council Speaker Race," December 20, 2017
- ↑ New York Post, "Councilman Has Enough Votes to Become Next Speaker," December 20, 2017
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Corey Johnson Leads Race for New York City Council Speaker," December 20, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Race for City Council Speaker Intensifies after Primary," September 19, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "De Blasio Prods Council to Elect Ally as Speaker," December 18, 2013
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Mayor de Blasio Endorses Deal that Paves Way for Corey Johnson to Win City Council Speaker Job," December 21, 2017
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 New York City Patch, "Corey Johnson Elected City Council Speaker," January 3, 2018
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Brooklyn Councilwoman Inez Barron Vying for Speaker Spot," December 27, 2017
- ↑ AM New York, "City Council Votes Corey Johnson into Speaker Role," January 3, 2018
- ↑ Observer, "Inez Barron Wants to Become the First Black NYC Council Speaker," December 27, 2017
- ↑ Crain's New York Business, "Think This City Council is Tough on Business? Just Wait," August 22, 2017
- ↑ Gotham Gazette, "Council Speakers Give Generously to Colleagues," December 1, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "New York City Girds for Political Brawl Over Looming Speaker Vacancy," February 15, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "New York's Leadership is Mostly White. That's Roiling the Speaker's Race." November 7, 2017
- ↑ Observer, "NYC Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus Wants Speaker of Color," December 12, 2017
- ↑ Observer, "NYC Council Speaker Hopeful Jumaane Williams Blasts Selection of White Candidate," December 22, 2017
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 The New York Times, "'A Slap in the Face': Pick of White Man to Lead Council Draws Fire," December 22, 2017
- ↑ Observer, "Bill de Blasio Backs Corey Johnson for New York City Council Speaker," December 21, 2017
- ↑ New York City Council, "Irish Caucus," accessed October 12, 2017
- ↑ New York City Council, "Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus," accessed October 12, 2017
- ↑ New York City Councilmembers Progressive Caucus, "Statement of Principles," March 2010
- ↑ New York City Council Progressive Caucus, "Resistance & Progress: 18 Progressive Policies for 2018," Spring 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Dozen Council Members Form a Bloc for Liberals," March 23, 2010
- ↑ The Guardian, "Bill de Blasio Wins by a Landslide to Become New York City Mayor," November 6, 2013
- ↑ The New York Times, "Progressive Caucus Seeks to Influence Race for New York Council Speaker," November 19, 2013
- ↑ The Nation, "Building a Progressive Caucus in NYC: Why It Matters," June 4, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named2018platform - ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates," accessed June 16, 2017
- ↑ New York City Council, "Council Members & Districts," accessed June 16, 2017
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 New York City Council Women's Caucus, "Not Making It Here: Why Are Women Underrepresented in the New York City Council?" August 24, 2017
- ↑ 80.0 80.1 EffectiveNY, "New Effort to Elect More Women to New York City Council," January 13, 2017
- ↑ City & State New York, "Primed for the Primaries: Political Organizations Stake Out Their Candidates for the 2017 New York City Candidate Election," March 21, 2017
- ↑ New York City Council, "Council Members & Districts," accessed June 20, 2017
- ↑ Times Union, "IDC Will Once Again Partner with Senate GOP," January 2, 2017
- ↑ 84.0 84.1 The New York Times, "City Council Draws New Crop of Candidates: State Lawmakers. (Pay Doesn't Hurt.)," February 21, 2017
 |
State of New York Albany (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
