Last Tuesday’s primary election saw candidates go head to head in a great number of races throughout the five boroughs, including open offices for Mayor, Borough Presidencies, and many City Council seats.
However, since ranked choice voting is being used this year, the final results of many elections will likely not be known until early July when second and third (and fourth and fifth) choice votes are counted. Additionally, the board of elections is still receiving mail-in ballots that will be tallied into the final vote.
It’s a lot to keep track of, so here’s everything you need to know about the races in North Brooklyn.
Borough President
After counting first choice ballots, North Brooklyn City Councilmember Antonio Reynoso is leading the race with 28.2 percent of the vote. Bed-Stuy Councilmember Robert Cornegy is in second place with 19.2 percent of the vote, while Carroll Gardens State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon is not far behind with 17.6 percent.
Our paper reached out to Councilmember Reynoso for comments. “I am so honored by the trust the voters of Brooklyn have placed in me with the clear preponderance of first-round votes last night,” Reynoso said.
He continued: “For two years, we’ve built a broad and diverse coalition, and we grew our support by talking about the issues that matter to Brooklyn’s working families, from affordable housing to equitable schools to jobs to safety and police reform. As we wait for every vote to be counted, I am confident that our lead will grow, I will win, and then we begin the hard work of rebuilding a fairer, stronger Brooklyn for all of us.”
District 33
As current Councilmember Stephen Levin prepared to be term-limited out of office, a large field of candidates vied to represent Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO, and the many other neighborhoods encompassed by District 33.
After just one round of voting though, Lincoln Restler — a founding member of the New Kings Democrats and a lifelong reformer — holds an insurmountable lead of 48.4 percent. Elizabeth Adams, a staffer for Council Member Levin, is in second place with 22 percent of the vote.
“I’m humbled and honored by the results. I’ve lived in this corner of Brooklyn all my life and I can’t wait to get to work representing the people of the 33rd,” Restler told our paper. “Excited to be part of an ascendant progressive coalition in the Council who will deliver for working families.”
District 34
In order to win a ranked choice election, a candidate must secure over 50 percent of votes. That was exactly the case in district 34, where Jennifer Gutierrez (an activist and staffer for current Councilmember Antonio Reynoso won the election with 80.1 percent of first choice votes. She will represent Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Ridgewood in City Hall next year.
“This isn’t my win, this is the victory of a long-standing movement to lift up and organize a Queens and North Brooklyn coalition that looks like, and represents the people of the districts,” Gutierrez told our paper. “I live here, I’m not going anywhere and I’m committed not just to this zip code, or this district, but to this city. Justice isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a life’s work — and we have a lot of work to do in City Hall.”
District 39
District 39’s current Councilmember Brad Lander leads the Democratic race for Comptroller with 31.4 percent of the vote, nine points ahead of the current Council Speaker Corey Johnson. However, an equally exciting election is unfolding in Lander’s district, which represents Park Slope, Gowanus, Windsor Terrace, and parts of Kensington.
Shahana Hanif, a Kensington native and the Director of Organizing and Community engagement for Lander, currently leads the race with 32.5 percent of the vote. Brandon West, a former City Hall Budget Staffer, is within striking distance with 22.6 percent of the vote.
“We are thrilled and honored by the first-round results that show us in the lead with the most number 1 votes in our district,” Hanif told our paper. “This is the work of our team and 1000s of volunteers who drove democracy block by block.”
She continued: “While we won’t know the final numbers for a week or so, we are deeply proud of the multiracial, multilingual, intergenerational, and joyful coalition we built that embodies our beautiful and diverse district. Our neighbors showed up at the polls in proactive support of our transformative movement. Shahana is ready to get to work in the continued fight for an anti-racist, feminist NYC and every person in District 39.”
