Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Vanessa Aronson
Vanessa Aronson (Democratic Party, Working Families Party) ran for election to the New York City Council to represent District 4. She will not appear on the ballot for the general election on November 4, 2025. She lost in the Democratic primary on June 24, 2025.
Aronson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Aronson earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Chicago, an M.A. in teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education, and an M.P.P. in political advocacy and leadership from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[1]
At the time of her 2017 run for city council, Aronson was a math and science teacher in the New York public school system and the cofounder of Aronson Concierge Vacations. Her professional experience also includes work as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State, a vice consul with the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, and a food security officer in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.[1][2]
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in New York, New York (2025)
General election
General election for New York City Council District 4
Virginia Maloney, Debra Schwartzben, and Kyle Athayde are running in the general election for New York City Council District 4 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Virginia Maloney (D) | |
| Debra Schwartzben (R) | ||
| Kyle Athayde (Revive East Side Party) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Vanessa Aronson (Working Families Party)
Democratic primary election
Democratic Primary for New York City Council District 4
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Virginia Maloney 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.
|
Total votes: 29,606 |
|||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican Primary for New York City Council District 4
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Debra Schwartzben in round 1 .
|
||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Working Families Party primary election
Working Families Primary for New York City Council District 4
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Vanessa Aronson in round 1 .
|
||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Aronson's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2017
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for the District 4 seat on the New York City Council.[3]
| New York City Council, District 4 Democratic Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Keith Powers |
40.83% | 4,456 |
| Marti Speranza | 22.84% | 2,493 |
| Rachel Honig | 8.69% | 948 |
| Bessie Schachter | 8.41% | 918 |
| Vanessa Aronson | 6.84% | 746 |
| Maria Castro | 4.61% | 503 |
| Jeffrey Mailman | 4.42% | 482 |
| Barry Shapiro | 2.13% | 232 |
| Alec Hartman | 1.00% | 109 |
| Write-in votes | 0.24% | 26 |
| Total Votes | 10,913 | |
| Source: New York City Board of Elections, "2017 Primary: Certified Results," accessed September 28, 2017 | ||
Endorsements
Aronson received endorsements from the following in 2017:[4]
- National Organization for Women NYC
- NYCKidsPAC
- Run for Something
- Sheroes of New York
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Vanessa Aronson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Aronson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
Most recently, Vanessa served as the Sr. Dir. of Strategy at the ASPCA, where she worked to protect animals and strengthen our communities. Before entering politics, she was a NYC public school teacher, deeply committed to students, families, and our community. Prior to that, she was a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, representing our country on the global stage. While at the UN, Vanessa negotiated multi-million dollar agreements that provided food assistance to 795 million people—a testament to her ability to deliver real results.
Vanessa is an experienced organizer. As President of the Lexington Democratic Club, she grew membership by 400% and continues to recruit and empower new voices in the political process. She’s proudly endorsed by a broad coalition of support including organized labor (including CIR/SEAU, IATSE; Teamsters Local 808; RWDSU; 1199), local advocacy groups (DWC; Lights Out Coalition; NYCLASS, League of Humane Voters); and local democratic clubs (Jim Owles; the Lexington Democratic Club) and the Working Families Party. She serves as a New York County Judicial Delegate and Democratic Committee member.
Vanessa is a former Community Board 8 member and previously chaired the Tikkun Olam Committee at Park Avenue Synagogue. Vanessa’s academic credentials include degrees from UChicago.- Affordability and Housing: We are in a housing affordability crisis. We must protect the current stock of affordable housing, hold the Department of Housing Preservation and Development accountable to deliver the affordable units that our community needs, convert commercial to residential wherever possible, and build modern middle class housing by working with non-profit and other developers who prioritize affordable housing.
- Public Education: As a former public school teacher and current public school parent, Vanessa has both the context to understand the complex issues facing local schools and the commitment to deliver results for families and the future of our city. Her priorities are ensuring school entrances have well-functioning security cameras to keep students safe, implementing data-driven programs to combat bullying, safeguarding funding for free school lunch, and protecting students from ICE raids. Vanessa is also committed to fully funding CUNY. At a time when our federal government is actively against public education, Vanessa commits to supporting stronger protections for public education and standing up against threats to public school resources.
- Transparency and Responsive Government: Elected officials are public servants. Vanessa’s top priority will be listening to the needs of constituents and representing those interests on the Council. She will solicit input from her constituents, listen to the needs of the community, maintain open dialogue about priorities and progress, and reassess and recalibrate as needed.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2017
Candidate survey
Aronson participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[5] The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Whether at school talking with parents or in the community chatting with neighbors, I'm hearing the same story: our vibrant neighborhoods are disappearing. Families and seniors are being priced out of the city because there isn't enough affordable housing, mom and pops are shutting down, transportation is increasingly unreliable and inaccessible, and for those who do manage to afford to stay in the city, our schools are overcrowded and underfunded. I will work to make New York more affordable, supporting tenants and small businesses. In the face of federal cuts, I will protect public funding for housing, schools and healthcare. I will hold the MTA accountable for improving services for all, including people with disabilities. I will ensure bicyclists, vehicles, and pedestrians safely share our streets. As a former teacher, I will be a strong advocate for all students, including those with special needs, and the hardworking teachers across our city. I will use my policy training and experience to stand up for New York and the East Side.[6] | ” |
| —Vanessa Aronson (September 11, 2017)[7] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| Housing | Government transparency | ||
| Transportation | Candidate did not provide a response | ||
| K-12 education | Crime reduction/prevention | ||
| Homelessness | Unemployment | ||
| Environment | Recreational opportunities | ||
| Civil rights | Public pensions/retirement funds | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Important | |
| Local | |
| Focusing on small business development. First and foremost, we need to ensure that there are no financial incentives to landlords who inflate their rents and keep their spaces vacant. I will fight to remove any and all such tax breaks for landlords with persistent vacancies lasting over one year. An additional carrot to incentivize landlords to fill vacant spaces would be to explore possible tax deductions to those who take a risk on renting shorter-term leases to first-time small businesses and pop-up shops. Second, I advocate for following in the footsteps of San Francisco, a similarly expensive city but one which boasts the lowest retail vacancy rates in the country, to implement two policies: the creation of Business Legacy Registry, which would track and maintain a public registry of small businesses that have been in New York City for at least 30 years, and the introduction of formula retail zoning restrictions to limit the number of chain stores lining our streets. Third, I agree with the numerous local elected officials and policy experts who advocate for the full elimination of the Commercial Rent Tax. The tax essentially subjects commercial tenants to double-taxation – a government levy on rent before the business has even made its first dollar. And because it only applies to tenants in buildings below 96th Street, this tax disproportionately puts businesses in District 4, and particularly small business, at a competitive disadvantage. Finally, to prevent local mom and pops from becoming future vacant storefronts, I fully support the Small Business Jobs Survival Act (SBJSA), which proposes ending the rent gouging of small business owners by guaranteeing them access to 10-year leases with the right to renew—terms that large corporations often receive as a matter of course. | |
| I'm proud of the way that New Yorkers come together to protect and help one another. | |
| The increasing influence of lobbyists, particularly on behalf of business and real estate interests, on city government is continuing to increase each year. Lobbyists in New York City have raked in record earnings in the past decade and the number of hours per week City officials spend meeting with lobbyists also keeps rising. A number of steps can be taken to bring more transparency to the lobbying process and decrease the influence of big money in government. First, the City Council should disclose lobbying meetings, just as they disclose monetary contributions, so that the public can judge what influence lobbyists have on the actions of the Council. Second, lobbyists should be required to disclose not only their client list, but also the elected officials with whom, as well as the legislation about which, they are meeting. Finally, in New York City, former elected officials are currently prohibited from any lobbying of their branch of government for one year after leaving government, with many good governance advocates pushing to increase the moratorium to two years. What is not restricted, however, is current lobbyists seeking elected positions in government. That means that individuals currently accepting money to influence policy on behalf of special interests can soon thereafter be at the helm of government themselves. This type of trajectory needs to be taken seriously and monitored closely by government watchdog organizations and constituents alike. | |
| I support the Public Oversight of Technology (POST) Act, which was introduced by Council Members Dan Garodnick and Vanessa L. Gibson and is currently laid over in committee. In short, the POST Act requires the NYPD to develop impact studies and use policies about its surveillance technology -- much like what’s already done by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security for tools like facial recognition software, drones, and stingrays, (fake cell towers that collect sensitive location and communications data).
According to Council Member Dan Garodnick, the POST Act would provide New York City lawmakers with 'a meaningful opportunity to understand and oversee decisions about the NYPD’s acquisition and use of new surveillance technologies and provides an opportunity for public engagement.' The Brennan Center, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that seeks to improve our systems of democracy and justice, states that the POST act is 'a thoughtful approach to balancing the need for democratic oversight and transparency with the NYPD’s legitimate need for operational secrecy.' | |
| In the face of anti-immigrant policies, undocumented New Yorkers’ last line of defense is often an attorney. Only three percent of those who are detained and facing deportation receive favorable outcomes in their cases, but individuals who have a lawyer are six times more likely to prevail in a case, according to a 2010 study conducted by the Study Group on Immigrant Representation convened by Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. New York has shown leadership in securing counsel with its Immigrant Family Unity Project, which provides lawyers to low-income people in immigration detention. In its current iteration, the project is funded by the City, except in the defense of anyone convicted of the 170 crimes deemed serious or violent by city law, whose defense is funded by anonymous private donors. As your City Council member, I will work to continue this program and ensure it is fully funded in the future so that no New Yorker facing deportation goes to immigration court without qualified representation. | |
| My vision for transportation in NYC is that all residents have access to safe, reliable, and accessible transportation options. People using wheelchairs and walkers, as well as parents with strollers, should be able to access all aspects of city life, and all New Yorkers should be able to rely on a safe and efficient transportation system. I have been a fierce advocate for accessible transportation in NYC. Currently, the city is falling far behind, with less than 25% of subway stops accessible to people with ambulatory disabilities. Access-a-ride, the CIty’s stopgap to the out-of-date system, is inefficient and unreliable. Since well before the “Summer of Hell” transportation crisis began, I have also been demanding that our state and local officials practice leadership and start holding the MTA accountable for maintaining and updating its aging infrastructure. Billions of dollars from the City to the MTA Capital Plan are being spent irresponsibly, without oversight. When the L train closes in 481 days, I envision a dynamic 14th street PeopleWay with a wide pedestrian promenade, ample space for bicycles, and a free, efficient shuttle bus running across Manhattan, safely and reliably delivering commuters to their next subway or bus connection. | |
| First, I will preserve and protect the current dwindling stock of affordable housing units. To do so will first require an accurate audit of existing rent-regulated apartments as well as all units that have been deregulated within the past five years. This must be done to ensure that landlords who receive J-51 and other tax benefits are not illegally deregulating units. Additionally, I applaud the recent mayoral plan to grant low-income tenants free legal representation in housing court to prevent unlawful evictions of tenants from their rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apartments. As a City Council Member, I will fight to make sure funds are appropriated to administer this legal program, guaranteeing this right to counsel is not just granted in theory, but is also put into practice.
Second, I will fight to the repeal the Urstadt Law, which wrongly denies New York City home rule on critical housing issues. There is no legitimate reason why the City of New York should not legislate on a matter specifically concerning its citizens. Finally, while I support pro-growth policies that allow for additional residential development, I will not support any development plans that do not also adequately address the following: 1) neighborhood schools have sufficient class space to accommodate an increase in population density without displacing children of current residents; 2) occupancy rates remain high, so that additional housing stock is not simply absorbed into the non-resident, pied-a-terre market; and, 3) a sufficient number of units are available at prices that middle-class tenants can afford. |
Additional themes
Aronson's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
AFFORDABILITY, INCLUDING HOUSING
QUALITY OF LIFE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, RELIABILITY AND ACCESSIBILTY
SCHOOLS
SENIORS
IMMIGRANTS
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
|
” |
| —Vanessa Aronson's campaign website, (2017)[8] | ||
See also
2025 Elections
External links
|
Candidate New York City Council District 4 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 LinkedIn, "Vanessa Aronson," accessed July 31, 2017
- ↑ Vanessa Aronson - Democrat for City Council," accessed July 31, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email correspondence with the New York City Board of Elections," July 14, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Vanessa Aronson's Responses," September 11, 2017]
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Vanessa Aronson's Responses," September 11, 2017
- ↑ Vanessa Aronson - Democrat for City Council, "Issues," accessed July 31, 2017
| |||||||||
