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June 2025 Voter Guide
Updated automatically every 5 minutes

Democratic Primary Election

June 2025

Guide to Voting in Brooklyn: NYC Mayor, NYC Public Advocate, NYC Comptroller, Brooklyn Borough President, New York Judge of the Civil Court, NYC City Council, Judicial Delegate

Primary Day: June 24, 2025

Early Voting: June 14 – June 22, 2025

You must be registered as a Democrat to vote in this primary

About this Voter Guide

New Kings Democrats (“NKD”) developed this voter guide to help inform Brooklyn voters about the 2025 Democratic primary races. It includes information about the one race for Mayor of New York City, one race for New York City Comptroller, one race for Brooklyn Borough President, and eight races for City Council in Brooklyn. Also on the ballot is one Civil Court office and party positions like Judicial Delegate.

About New Kings Democrats

NKD is a progressive, grassroots political organization committed to bringing transparency, accountability, and inclusionary democracy to the Brooklyn Democratic Party. Founded by veterans of the Obama campaign, it is a borough-wide political organization that helps people seeking to become more engaged in local politics, and hopes to nurture a new generation of elected Brooklyn Democratic leaders. As of the date of publication, NKD has endorsed 11 candidates, including our first-ever multi-candidate endorsement for mayor.

Please e-mail politics@newkingsdemocrats.com to learn more about our work. If you've found this guide helpful, we'd be super grateful if you could show your support for our volunteer efforts by donating here.

Election Dates & Deadlines

Last day to register to vote in the primary election

Deadline to request an absentee ballot (online)

(The deadline to change your party affiliation or address within NYC has already passed for this primary, but you should still do it before the next election!)

Early Voting!

 

Deadline to request an absentee ballot (in person)

Primary Election Day! Last day to postmark your absentee ballot or drop it off at a poll site. You can also drop it off at any Board of Elections office.

Table of Contents

(Click to Navigate to a Section)

About New Kings Democrats

Election Dates & Deadlines

Table of Contents

Why is My District Not on My Ballot?

NYC Mayor

NYC Public Advocate

NYC Comptroller

Brooklyn Borough President

City Council District 33

City Council District 35

City Council District 36

City Council District 38

City Council District 39

City Council District 41

City Council District 46

City Council District 47

Civil Court Justices

Judge of the Civil Court, Kings County – Countywide

Judicial Delegates

A Few Final Notes

How to Vote

The Primary election on June 24 is a crucial election for NYC offices and judicial offices -- so it is very important that you are registered as a Democrat in order to vote in the Democratic Primary.

Why is My District Not on My Ballot?

A Note On Lack of Primary Elections

When you vote in June, your local city council race may not appear on your ballot. This year, there are roughly equal numbers of Democratic primaries as compared to the number of unchallenged incumbents or presumptive Democratic nominees. Don’t worry if you don’t see your district in your ballot, and look out for the City Council member race on your ballot in the November general election!

NYC Mayor

What Does the NYC Mayor Do?

The mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, and most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.

The mayor proposes the New York City budget, overseen by the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget. It is the largest municipal budget in the United States, totaling $100.7 billion in fiscal year 2021. The city employs 325,000 people, spends about $21 billion to educate more than 1.1 million students (the largest public school system in the United States), and levies $27 billion in taxes. It receives $14 billion from the state and federal governments.

The mayor's office has jurisdiction over all five boroughs of New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens. The mayor appoints numerous officials, including deputy mayors and the commissioners who head city agencies and departments.

According to current law, the mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms in office but may run again after a four-year break.

The incumbent mayor is the scandal-plagued Eric Adams. He is running for re-election, but not as a Democrat and thus does not appear in this guide. He will appear on the general election ballot in November.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Adrienne Adams

Selma Bartholmew

Michael Blake

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

❌ No

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes for this year

❌ No

❓Maybe

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

❌ No

❌ No

✅ Yes

Have a policy to address climate change?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes but also would increase policing

✅ Yes

✅ Yes but also would increase policing

Opposes NYC employees cooperating with ICE, and plans to keep NYC a Sanctuary City?

✅ Yes

❌ No

✅ Yes

Supports congestion pricing, increasing investment in public transit, and safer streets infrastructure?

✅ Yes

❌ No

✅ Yes with qualifications

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Andrew Cuomo

Brad Lander

Zohran Mamdani

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes, but his track record raises q’s

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Have a policy to address climate change?

❌ No

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

❌ No

✅ Yes but also would increase policing

✅ Yes

Opposes NYC employees cooperating with ICE, and plans to keep NYC a Sanctuary City?

❌ No

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Supports congestion pricing, increasing investment in public transit, and safer streets infrastructure?

❓Maybe

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Zellnor Myrie

Paperboy Love Prince

Jessica Ramos

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

✅ Yes 

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes for this year

❌ No

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes 

❌ No

✅ Yes 

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes 

✅ Yes

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes but also would increase policing

✅ Yes

✅ Yes 

Opposes NYC employees cooperating with ICE, and plans to keep NYC a Sanctuary City?

✅ Yes 

❌ No

❌ No

Supports congestion pricing, increasing investment in public transit, and safer streets infrastructure?

✅ Yes 

❌ No

✅ Yes 

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Scott Stringer

Whitney Tilson

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes but also would increase policing

✅ Yes but also would increase policing

Opposes NYC employees cooperating with ICE, and plans to keep NYC a Sanctuary City?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Supports congestion pricing, increasing investment in public transit, and safer streets infrastructure?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate:

Zohran Mamdani has represented New York’s 36th State Assembly District in Queens since 2021. He is the first South Asian man, first Ugandan, and third Muslim to serve in the New York State Assembly. Mamdani has sponsored 21 pieces of legislation, 3 of which became law. He has also been a co-sponsor on 256 bills.

Mamdani helped implement a pilot program to provide free bus service on one line in each borough and has joined taxi drivers in a hunger strike to relieve millions of dollars of debt.

He moved to Queens from Uganda at age 7. His father is Mahmood Mamdani, an Indian-born Ugandan Marxist scholar, and his mother is Mira Nair, an Indian-American filmmaker. Mamdani graduated from the New York City public school system, attending Bronx High School of Science and later receiving a Bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College.

His activism precedes elected office. While in college, he co-founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. In 2015, he volunteered for Ali Najmi’s unsuccessful campaign in the 2015 special election of New York City's 23rd City Council district. In 2017, he joined the Democratic Socialists of America, and worked for the unsuccessful campaign of New York City Council candidate Khadar El-Yateem in Bay Ridge.

A hip-hop enthusiast, Mr Mamdani released a video Nani in 2019 under the stage name 'Mr Cardamom', featuring actress Madhur Jaffrey.

Mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander have cross-endorsed each other.

Platform Summary:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Mamdani has raised $1,686,105 from private donations from 20,398 individual donors. A total of 78% of these donors reside in New York City. Zohran Mamdani qualified for $6,698,063 in matching public funds. New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a PAC that is independent from Mamdani’s campaign, has spent approximately $140,000 supporting Mamdani and opposing Andrew Cuomo.

Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Scott M. Stringer (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Scott Stringer served as New York City Comptroller from 2014 to 2021, and previously served as Manhattan Borough President. As Comptroller he established the city’s first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, increasing spending with minority- and women-owned businesses from 13% to 50%, led the City’s divestment from fossil fuels by its public pension funds, and launched  the "Save Main Street" initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing grants and resources to struggling small businesses.

In 1999, Stringer was arrested outside 1 Police Plaza following the shooting of Amadou Diallo. Later that year, Stringer organized a counter-rally to a KKK march.

In 2021, Stringer was accused of sexual misconduct by two women and bullying by a former employee. Although he denied the allegations, he lost some supporters and endorsements (including NKD’s endorsement) in his unsuccessful bid for mayor that year.

Stringer is married to Elyse Buxbaum, who is the deputy director of development at The Jewish Museum and has two sons. They live in the Financial District of Manhattan.

What stands out about their platform:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Scott Stringer has raised $1,076,807 from private donations from 4,844 individual donors. A total of 89% of these donors reside in New York City. Scott Stringer qualified for $3,943,788 in matching public funds..

Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Selma K. Bartholomew (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Bartholomew is a mathematician and an entrepreneur who started a STEAM consultancy for mainly non-public schools. Her business also focuses on wealth building ventures for Black and Brown young people. She was born in Granada, raised in Harlem, and went to Lehman College and Fordham University.

What stands out about their platform:

Dr. Bartholomew focuses on citizen involvement in her platforms for public safety, cleanliness, housing, and mental health. She aims to open Financial Wellness Hubs that focus on small business development, work and service for young people, and mentorship. She wants to offer free MTA for young adults 18-21 and give bonus rides to frequent MTA users.

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Dr. Selma Bartholomew has raised $2,132 from private donations from 16 individual donors. A total of 41% of these donors reside in New York City. Bartholomew has not qualified for matching public funds.

Endorsements: none that we can find

Where you can learn more:

Zellnor Myrie (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate:

Myrie is a state senator from State Senate District 20 in Central Brooklyn, where he was born and raised by his Costa Rican immigrant mother. He rose to the seat in 2018 as part of the push for Democrats to defeat the IDC and win a true majority in the State Senate after decades of Republican control. Myrie attended Brooklyn Tech, Fordham University, and Cornell Law, and he previously worked as an attorney and as legislative director in the New York City Council, where he played a key role in drafting the Tenants’ Bill of Rights.

What stands out about their platform:

Myrie is an advocate for affordable housing, sponsoring the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act; a fairer criminal justice system, as in the Clean Slate Act; and helping working families and public schoolchildren, such as universal afterschool programs. Myrie declared gun violence a public health crisis and wrote and passed the nation’s first state gun industry liability law, targeting irresponsible gun dealers and manufacturers. As Chair of the Elections Committee he authored and passed the John R. Lewis New York Voting Rights Act, which has been called the strongest state voting rights law in the country, and he was instrumental in bringing early voting and other election reforms to NY.

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Zellnor Myrie has raised $917,003 from private donations from 4,703 individual donors. A total of 88% of these donors reside in New York City. Zellnor Myrie qualified for $3,259,465 in matching public funds.

Endorsed by:

Where you can learn more:

Adrienne E. Adams (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Adrienne Adams is a Queens native and resident and the first Black Speaker of New York City Council. After a career in the private sector as an executive trainer she went into public office as a community board member and then a city councilwoman before becoming Council Speaker.

What stands out about their platform:

She has led on many new policies to improve women’s healthcare and access to reproductive care and abortion. She led the fight against the Mayor’s austerity budget cuts and saved funding for libraries, 3-K, Pre-K, childcare, and K-12 education; expanded Fair Fares program to over a million public transit riders; and secured funding for community safety programs. She has also been credited with her leadership in the City Council passing the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality plan, in cooperation with the Mayor.

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Adrienne Adams has raised over $741,031 from private donations (including funds transferred from previous elections) from almost 1,100 individual donors. A total of 86% of these donors reside in New York City. The CFB has provided $2,004,819 in matching funds thus far.

Endorsed by:

Where you can learn more:

Andrew M. Cuomo (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Andrew M. Cuomo served as the 56th Governor of New York State from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. He resigned after a series of documented instances of sexual harassment. His departure was also complicated by allegations of mismanagement, particularly of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his time as Governor, he oversaw several major infrastructure projects in New York State and New York City such as the Moynihan Train Hall and the rebuilding of the Kosciuszko Bridge. Many of his infrastructure projects have been criticized due to his financial choices. A few examples of his mishandling of funds: spending $100 million on decorative lights that were never installed on bridges, changing the tile color on MTA tunnels mid-stream, or installing “I LOVE NEW YORK” tourism signs along highways to later take them down because they violated federal law..

After resigning as Governor, Cuomo advised the crypto exchange OKX, which was later shut down for operating illegally, and worked on the legal team defending Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu against war crime charges. Cuomo previously served as Attorney General of New York from 2007 to 2010 and served as Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was born and raised in Queens, and moved back to NYC last year. He is the son of former governor Mario Cuomo.

Platform Summary:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Andrew Cuomo has raised $3,901,113  from private donations from 5,463 individual donors. A total of 69% of these donors reside in New York City. Andrew Cuomo qualified for $3,787,836 in matching public funds.

The Fix the City PAC has also raised more than  $13,000,0000 in support of Cuomo — its largest donors include DoorDash and hedge fund manager/Trump supporter Bill Ackman. Cuomo’s campaign was fined by the NYC CFB for illegally coordinating with this PAC.

Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Jessica Ramos (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Jessica Ramos has represented New York State Senate District 13 in Queens since 2018. Prior to being elected to the New York State Senate, Ramos served as Director of Latino Media for the City of New York, and served as Democratic District Leader in the 39th Assembly District. Jessica’s mother crossed the Mexican border by herself at 24, and her father was arrested in a workplace immigration raid in the early 1980’s and spent days held in a detention center. Ramos attended Queens public schools, and now lives in Jackson Heights with her two sons.

In the State Senate, Ramos sponsored Cecilia's Act which would decrimalize sex work and called for “good cause eviction” tenant protections to be included in any budget housing proposal.

Her endorsement of Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 Democratic Mayoral Primaries cost her significant support amongst progressive Democrats and resulted in the withdrawal of a number of endorsements. New Kings Democrats voted on June 14 to remove Jessica Ramos from our endorsement slate.

Platform Summary:

Campaign Finance Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB), Jessica Ramos has raised $281,571 from private donations from 2,061 individual donors. A total of 82% of these donors reside in New York City. Ramos has not qualified for matching public funds.


Endorsements:

Rescinded Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Whitney R. Tilson (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Whitney Tilson is a hedge fund manager, author and political activist who has never held public office. In 2025 Tilson became the lead analyst at Stansberry Research. Prior to that he managed a hedge fund for 18 years.

Tilson was a founding member of Teach America, a nonprofit that places college graduates as teachers in severely underprivileged schools. He served on the board of the Knowledge is Power Program Academy, a charter school in the Bronx and is a co-founder and board member of national PAC Democrats for Education Reform.

Tilson’s campaign has focused on attacking Zohran Mamdani, calling him an extremist for his previous statements on policing and Israel/Palestine.

What stands out about their platform:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Whitney Tilson has raised $963,667 from private donations from 2,572 individual donors. A total of 67% of these donors reside in New York City. Whitney Tilson qualified for $2,113,874 in matching public funds.

Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Michael Blake (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Michael Blake was a White House aide under President Barack Obama, served 3 terms in the State Assembly representing the 79th District Bronx and is an associate pastor at a Bronx church. He is a former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2020 and for public advocate in 2019. During the 2021 Mayoral race, he co-chaired Maya Wiley’s campaign.

He has focused on economic empowerment, small business support, and criminal justice reform. His work is aimed at creating fairer opportunities for low-income families and underprivileged communities.

Blake is the son of Jamaican immigrants, was born and lives in the Bronx.

What stands out about their platform:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Michael Blake has raised $546,959  from private donations from 2,751 individual donors. A total of 47% of these donors reside in New York City. Michael Blake did not qualify for matching public funds.

Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Brad Lander (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate:

Brad Lander currently serves as NYC Comptroller. Prior to that he represented District 39 in the City Council and served as co-chair of the Council’s progressive caucus. ​​Before being elected to public office, Lander was the executive director of the Fifth Avenue Committee.

As Comptroller, Lander led the effort to stop Mayor Adams’ plan to switch retired city employees to a Medicare Advantage insurance plan, and restored $80 million that the Trump administration illegally seized from NYC. As a member of City Council, Lander played a key role in passing New York City’s paid maternity leave (2013), banned discriminatory employment credit checks (2015), and passed the Community Safety Act (2017).

Brad Lander lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Meg Barnette, a former executive at Planned Parenthood, now president of Nonprofit New York. They have a son and a daughter, both of whom graduated from New York City public schools

Mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander have cross-endorsed each other.

What stands out about their platform:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Brad Lander has raised $1,728,395 from private donations from 7,667 individual donors. A total of 89% of these donors reside in New York City. Brad Lander qualified for $5,762,615 in matching public funds.

Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Paperboy Love Prince (Democrat)

About the candidate:

Paperboy Prince (who uses the pronouns “they/them” or “God/Goddess”) is an artist, rapper, entrepreneur and community activist residing in Bushwick, Brooklyn. They challenged Nydia Velazquez for Congress in 2020, ran for mayor in 2021 and president in 2024. Their policy platform is vague. Prince aligned with Andrew Yang in 2021 and has recently criticized Zohran Mamdani’s housing plan as “lying to voters”.

Prince was born in Silver Springs, Maryland, studied journalism and computer science at the University of College Park, Maryland, and moved to NYC in 2017.

What stands out about their platform:

Campaign Financing Information:

According to the NYC Campaign Financing Board (CFB), Paperboy Prince has raised $165 from private donations from 4 individual donors. Prince has not qualified for matching public funds.

Endorsements:

Paperboy Prince does not have any endorsements that we’re aware of

Where you can learn more:

NYC Public Advocate

What Does the New York City Public Advocate Do?

The Public Advocate is a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation. The Public Advocate holds the following responsibilities: (1) serves as an ombudsman for city government, providing oversight for city agencies, investigating citizens' complaints about city services and making proposals to address perceived shortcomings or failures of those services; (2) serves on the committee which selects the director of the New York City Independent Budget Office and appoints members to several boards and commissions, including one member of the New York City Planning Commission; (3)  serves as chair of the Commission of Public Information and Communication.

Jumaane D. Williams [Incumbent](Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: 

Jumaane Williams is the current Public Advocate of New York City. Previously, he served on the NYC Council representing the 45th District, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Flatlands, and parts of Kensington, Marine Park, and Canarsie. In the NYC Council, Jumaane championed landmark legislation that fundamentally transformed policing in NYC. Jumaane sponsored the Community Safety Act, reforming the City's Police Department to address the abuse of Stop, Question & Frisk in communities of color and creating the NYPD's Office of Inspector General to investigate unlawful & unethical behavior. As former Co-Chair of the Council’s Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, he helped create New York’s Crisis Management System, which funds Cure Violence Groups that work to reduce shootings through a multi-pronged approach.

What stands out about their time in office: 

In his time in the office, Williams has passed more legislation than the previous public advocates combined — the role was created in 1993.  Notable legislation passed during this past cycle includes: legislation to ban Solitary Confinement in city jails; legislation to require the city to disclose, aggregate, non-identifying data on denials or terminations for public assistance; legislation requiring the city to inform birthing persons about respectful care, their legal rights available to them, including workplace accommodations, right to be free from discrimination, disability, paid leave, schedule changes, healthcare proxy, and other rights; a bill to prohibit an employer from retaliating against an employee who requests accommodation to deal with pregnancy, childbirth, disability, a medical condition, status as a domestic violence victim, a sex offense or stalking victim, or other reasons.

Notable Endorsements (for full list see website link below)

Where you can learn more:

Marty Dolan (Democrat)

About the candidate: 

Marty Dolan is “NYC’s most outspoken Democratic leader against socialism”. His experience is primarily in finance, with over 30 years professional experience at banks including Lehman Brothers, MorganStanley, and JPMorgan. Dolan also highlights his experience with the Let’s Improve Roosevelt Avenue (LIRA) coalition, a bipartisan elected/non-elected leaders tackling issues caused by the influx of illegal immigrants in Queens.

What stands out about their platform: 

Dolan’s platform advocates for fiscal and socially conservative policies, notably: “NYC should put businesses first”, “[NYC should] move away from distractions such as illogical sanctuary city policies and polices which are the domain of the Federal government”, and “OVERDO it with police, sanitation, and other resources until people feel not just a little comfortable again but very comfortable.” Dolan also focuses on community board development, introducing ideas such as unifying the calendar of community boards, group coaching of community boards, and systematic feedback from community boards.

Notable Endorsements

Where you can learn more:

Jennifer Rajkumar (Democrat)

About the candidate: 

Jenifer Rajkumar is the current State Assemblymember for AD38, representing the Queens neighborhoods of Glendale, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, and Woodhaven. She is a lawyer, professor, and government leader who made history as the first South Asian-American woman ever to be elected to a state office in New York. A graduate of Stanford Law School and the University of Pennsylvania, Jenifer has experience as a civil rights lawyer, appointed as Director of Immigration Affairs & Special Counsel for New York State, and as a professor at CUNY’s Lehman College. .

What stands out about their platform: 

Per her platform, Rajkumar intends to take a  “legal-first approach on advocacy, which represents a clear break from status quo politics” - she would use the office’s ability to take legal action to hold government and corporate giants accountable. In terms of quality of life, Rajkumar’s first three focus areas include: (1) shutting down illegal smoke shops; (2) cracking down on reckless e-bikes; (3) ending traffic violence. Other policies she supports include: expanding affordable housing production and financial support, gender pay equity enforcement for city agencies, reproductive freedom.

Notable Endorsements

Where you can learn more:

NYC Comptroller

What Does the New York City Comptroller Do?

The Office of Comptroller of New York City is the chief financial officer and chief auditor of the city agencies and their performance and spending. The comptroller also reviews all city contracts, handles the settlement of litigation claims, issues municipal bonds, and manages the city's very large pension funds ($240 billion in assets under management as of 2020).

As of 2021, the comptroller had a staff of 800 people, and a budget of over $100 million.

The comptroller is elected citywide to a four-year term, and can hold office for two consecutive terms. The current comptroller is Brad Lander who is not running for re-election because he is running for mayor.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Mark Levine

Ismael Malave

Justin Brannan

Kevin Parker

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

❌ No

✅ Yes

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes

❌ No

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

❌ No

✅ Yes

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Mark D. Levine (Democrat)

About the candidate: Mark Levine has served as the Manhattan Borough President since 2022. Prior to that he was a City Council Member from 2014-2021, representing the 7th district in uptown Manhattan..

What stands out about their platform: Levine’s campaign platform focuses on what he calls the “biggest crises facing our city”: affordability, quality of life, public safety, and protecting our communities and money from Donald Trump. He has said he supports a rent freeze this year, would audit NYPD spending on overtime, and wants to invest pension funds to build new affordable housing. As Borough President, he introduced a plan for universal childcare, which he says he would continue to support as comptroller..

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Ismael Malave Perez (Democrat)

About the candidate: Ismael Malave is a long-time city employee who currently works at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, according to his LinkedIn profile. Malave’s campaign website says he was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx before getting undergraduate and MBA degrees in the CUNY system.

What stands out about their platform: Malave authored a recent op-ed arguing “the Comptroller’s office needs fiscal responsibility, not woke politics.”

Notable Endorsements:

None.

Where you can learn more:

Justin Brannan (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: Justin Brannan is a former punk rock musician turned politician, and currently serves as the New York City councilmember for District 47. He has a degree in Journalism and Mass Media from the College of Staten Island and Fordham University. Before holding public office, Justin worked as a financier at Bear Stearns, an investment, trading, and brokerage firm, and later served as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the NYC Department of Education and as Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs for former Councilmember Vincent Gentile..

What stands out about their platform: Justin positions himself as a representative who “fights for the little guy”. He has proposed the NYC Workers Housing Plan, which creates affordable housing options for city employees. He has also called for divesting $1.2 billion of NYC pensions from Tesla, citing concerns over market volatility, and as part of a pushback against the Trump administration. Justin has emphasized the need for a comprehensive procurement reform, arguing that current processes are outdated and lack transparency, which leads to non-profit organizations struggling to recover reimbursement costs.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Kevin Parker (Democrat)

About the candidate: Kevin Parker is a lifelong public servant and current State Senator for District 21. Kevin has a bachelor’s degree in Public Service from Pennsylvania State University and has held several government roles such as: Intergovernmental Aide to New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, New York City Urban Fellow, and Special Assistant to former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger. Kevin also has experience from the financial service industry, having worked in the Chairman’s Office at UBS PaineWebber on matters concerning government affairs..

What stands out about their platform: Kevin believes that pension funds could be used to provide housing for seniors and renovating NYCHA developments. During his 2021 NYC Comptroller race he vowed to allocate pension capital into small businesses and raise the minority/women-owned business enterprise contracting rate to 30% as well as supporting expanding clean energy infrastructure and aiming for a carbon neutral economy creating approximately $150K green jobs.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Brooklyn Borough President

What Does the Brooklyn Borough President Do?

The Borough President is the executive of Brooklyn. Their job is to advocate for their borough in the City government’s infrastructure. The Borough President works with the Mayor to prepare the annual budget that is submitted to City Council, proposes priorities for City Council, and, perhaps most importantly, reviews and gives opinions on major land use decisions. The Borough President also appoints members to community boards.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Antonio Reynoso

Khari O. Edwards

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Antonio Reynoso (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: Antonio Reynoso is the current Brooklyn Borough President, serving since 2021. Before becoming Borough President, he served as a City Council Member representing District 34  (Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Ridgewood) from 2014 to 2021. Prior to serving on City Council, Reynoso was a community organizer with ACORN focused on unionization for childcare workers He was born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

What stands out about their time in office: Antonio's administration has provided asylum work authorization application assistance, combated food insecurity, and allocated $45 million for maternal healthcare serving Brooklyn's diverse communities. Antonio has also developed the Comprehensive Plan for Brooklyn with over 200 recommendations across four key frameworks—Housing Growth and Parking Demand Management, Resilient Infrastructure and Jobs, Health and Wellness Economy, and Healthy Streets and Environment.

Notable Endorsements: 

Where you can learn more:

Khari O. Edwards (Democrat)

About the candidate: Khari Edwards, born and raised in Brooklyn, has been a community service leader for over twenty years. His experience includes serving as Vice President of External Affairs at Brookdale Hospital. He founded the "It Starts Here" program, which connects students with victims of gun violence—an initiative that reflects his broader commitment to community action..

What stands out about their platform: In his interview with NKD, Khari highlighted three main budget priorities: education, healthcare, and food insecurity. He also focuses on providing resources to help homeowners remain in their homes and provides resources on addressing tax liens on his policy page.

Notable Endorsements: 

Where you can learn more:

New York City Council

What Does the New York City Council Do?

The City Council is the lawmaking body for New York City. In much the same way that Congress acts as a check and balance to the Executive Branch, City Council acts as a check and balance to the Mayor’s office. There are 51 City Council districts in New York City and one Council Member per district. Brooklyn’s districts are numbered 33 through 48. Click here to find your City Council district.

City Council proposes and votes on laws that have major implications for New Yorkers. They are responsible for:

City Council can also pass resolutions on state and federal issues that are relevant to New Yorkers. Resolutions allow City Council to speak on behalf of NYC voters and can play an important role in the development of law and public policy.

City Council members serve 4 year terms and can serve up to 2 consecutive terms. 

The following city council candidates will not appear on the ballot in the 2025 primary election in Brooklyn:

Because there were no other candidates in the Democratic Primary in their respective races, these candidates are automatically the Democratic nominees and will advance to the general election. Their names will not appear on the June 2025 ballot.

In addition, no Democrat achieved enough valid petition signatures to run in District 48 so there will be no Democratic Primary in District 48 on the June 2025 ballot.

City Council District 33

Council District 33 covers the neighborhoods of Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill, and Williamsburg. The majority of residents are white, which is dissimilar from many other Brooklyn Council districts.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Lincoln Restler

Sabrina N. Gates

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

❌ No

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Lincoln Restler [Incumbent] (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: Lincoln is the sitting Council Member of the district. Lincoln is a native and lifelong resident of the district. He spent much of his career working in city government, was a founding member of NKD, and was District Leader in Greenpoint.

What stands out about their previous terms: Lincoln has helped improve safety on major corridors including Atlantic Ave and McGuinness Boulevard, led oversight of the Adams administration as Chair of the Committee on Governmental Operations, and introduced and passed critical legislation to make communities  cleaner, safer, and greener.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Sabrina N. Gates

About the candidate: Sabrina Gates attended Georgetown University, where she studied Government and English. After college, she began her career at a nonprofit focused on youth civic engagement and leadership. Since then, she coordinated major events and programs with the Brooklyn Democratic Party, supported youth through after-school financial literacy initiatives during her time at Junior Achievement, and helped individuals and organizations grow through her consultancy. Sabrina’s focus has always been the same: bring people together, create opportunities for meaningful dialogue, build stronger systems, and get results that matter. This is the second time that Gates has run against Restler for this city council seat. The first time she had 5.5% in the first round of ranked choice voting while Restler had just short of 50%.

What stands out about their platform: Sabrina’s main policy issues are Affordable Housing, Climate Resilience, Education, Mental Health, and fostering Small Businesses. Her specific plans include more equitable distribution of green space resources, better maintenance, and expanded green space access. She wants to bring back and strengthen affordability plans for teachers, including housing incentives, rental assistance, and homeownership programs that allow educators to build lives in local communities. She wants to establish a District 33 Small Business Advisory Council to identify needs, provide direct feedback, and inform city agencies about the challenges faced by entrepreneurs on the ground.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Website  I Facebook | X / Twitter | Instagram

City Council District 35

Council District 35 includes Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and parts of Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy. It is one of the most rapidly gentrifying districts in the city and has experienced several controversial development projects. This area was historically home to primarily Black New Yorkers. Population demographics have shifted over the past decades.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Crystal Hudson

Hector Robinson

Kenny Lever

Dion M. Ashman

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

❌ No

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

❌ No

❌ No

✅ Yes

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Crystal Hudson [Incumbent] (Democrat) 

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: Crystal Hudson is the current Council Member representing City Council District 35. She was first elected to the position in 2021 and reelected in 2023. Crystal is a third-generation Brooklynite and the daughter of immigrants. After a career in sports marketing, she returned to Brooklyn to become the primary caregiver of her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and took on roles in public service.

What stands out about their first two terms: Crystal has passed legislation for cash assistance programs, access to doulas and midwives, and the How Many Stops Act to promote greater transparency to the NYPD and its interactions with New Yorkers. She is a former leader of the LGBTQIA+ Caucus and promoted legislation to protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers. She has published multiple policy plans, including A Black Agenda for New York City, The Marsha & Sylvia Plan, and the Age in Place plan. She recently was able to secure the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, which will bring 4,600 new homes to the area.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Dion Ashman (Democrat)

About the candidate: The son of Jamaican immigrants, Dion Ashman was born and raised in Brooklyn. After his mother’s death, Dion became the primary caregiver for his father. Dion is the founder and president of Our Gang Productions, a communications company that serves the Black community. He previously served on Brooklyn Community Board 9. Dion has worked on multiple youth development programs in his community.

What stands out about their platform: Dion’s priorities include neighborhood amenities, racial disparity in healthcare, and housing. He opposes the development of protected bike lanes and Citi Bike stations in the district. Dion wants to modify the neighborhood’s Open Streets, limiting the program to one weekend day between 11am and 6pm. If elected, he promises to establish an Equitable Procurement and Contracting Framework to guarantee fair access to government contracts for all businesses, focusing on businesses owned by minorities and women.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Hector Robertson (Democrat)

About the candidate: Hector Robertson is the son of immigrants and a longtime Crown Heights resident. He has worked in the healthcare industry for over two decades. Hector founded the Washington Avenue Botanic Block Association and the Crown Heights Community Council. In 2021, he ran for the same seat, when he finished last in a field of seven.

What stands out about their platform: Hector’s primary concern is housing affordability. He plans to fight gentrification and displacement, and wants to limit the construction of new market-rate housing in the district. Hector wants to secure funding to improve public housing projects and create pathways for first-time BIPOC homebuyers.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

 

Kenny Lever (Democrat)

About the candidate: Kenny Lever does not appear to have a campaign website or social media. According to Campaign Finance Board records, Kenny has not raised any money in public funding.

What stands out about their platform: N/A

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

City Council District 36

Council District 36 includes the neighborhoods of Bed-Stuy and Northern Crown Heights. This area is historically home to a large portion of Black New Yorkers, but has been seeing demographic and financial changes in the last few years. Notably, this district has some of the highest rates of Black home ownership in the city and country.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Chi Ossé

Reginald Swiney

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

❌ No

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Chi Ossé [Incumbent] (Democrat)

About the candidate: Chi Ossé is the current Councilmember for CD 36. Chi was born and raised in Brooklyn in a Haitian-American family. He was first elected in 2021, becoming the youngest member of the Council at the age of 23. His activism in the Black Lives Matter movement inspired him to run for office. Chi leverages his popular presence on social media to reach New Yorkers and inform them about city government legislation.

What stands out about their time in office: Chi’s primary focus is on housing and public safety. He passed legislation to supply bars across the city with anti-overdose medication, as well as a package to solve New York’s rat problem. In 2024, he introduced the FARE Act, which passed despite significant resistance from landlords. It ends forced broker fees for tenants, requiring the one who hires the broker to pay the fee. He voted against budgets proposed by Eric Adams multiple times.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Reginald Swiney (Democrat)

About the candidate: Reginald Swiney ran for CD 36 in 2021, coming in last in a field of five candidates. According to his campaign website, he is an experienced contractor. He does not appear to have raised any public funding this cycle.

What stands out about their platform: Reginald advocates for funding for NYCHA and opposes privatization of public housing. His platform focuses on quality-of-life issues, such as clean streets and loitering.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

City Council District 38

Council District 38 includes the neighborhoods of Red Hook and parts of Park Slope, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, and Bath Beach. This district is 35% Hispanic or Latino, 31% Asian (largely Chinese), and 26% White. This is a waterfront district, coping with loss of industry and many environmental injustices.. 

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Alexa Avilés

Ling Ye

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Alexa Aviles [Incumbent] (Democrat) 

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: Alexa Aviles is a community activist and current second-term City Councilmember for District 28. She is a proud Boricua mom, Brooklynite, and democratic socialist dedicated to public service and ensuring all people have what they need to thrive. She has extensive experience in the non-profit sector, having worked with the Justice, Equality, Human Dignity and Tolerance Foundation, the Fund of the Four Directions, and as Program Director at the Scherman Foundation. Council Member Avilés serves as the Chair of the Committee on Immigration and is a member of the Economic Development, Public Housing, Housing and Buildings, General Welfare, Environmental Protections, Resiliency and Waterfronts Committees, as well as, on the Council’s Taskforce to Combat Hate.

What stands out about their time in office: During her time on the Council, Avilés has championed many pieces of legislation centering equity for working class communities in South Brooklyn, passing over half a dozen bills that combat cruise ship pollution and truck congestion in Red Hook, as well as require greater transparency surrounding NYCHA management practices and NYPD stops of civilians. She has fought hard for budget justice as well, securing millions for park and school upgrades and taking tough stands against the Mayor’s cruel cuts to vital services..

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Ling Ye (Democrat)

About the candidate: Community organizer, immigrant, and decade-long public servant. Ling has worked for former City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, and Congressman Dan Goldman. She studied engineering at Cooper Union but decided to pursue a career in public service, using participatory budgeting to empower grassroots, working-class communities.

What stands out about their platform: Ling positions herself as a pragmatic Democrat, focusing on improving community relationships with the NYPD as a strategy to address public safety, restoring NYPD academy classes, and investing in youth programs. She has also pledged to support small businesses through grants, technical assistance, and fair lease policies, while advocating for fair property tax assessments for small business owner-occupied commercial buildings. Ling believes that small homeowners are overburdened by property taxes, which ultimately affects tenants in small residential buildings. For this reason, she argues that the City Council must reconfigure the property tax system to more accurately reflect property values. Additionally, she supports divesting from the for-profit shelter-hotel model in favor of investments in affordable housing and housing vouchers..

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

City Council District 39

Council District 39 includes the neighborhoods of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront. This district boasts some of the highest incomes and highest voter participation in the city. This is a distinctly diverse council district; pockets of the community are dramatically underserved.This may be the most expensive city council race this election as over $400,000 in PAC money has been spent on it.

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Shahana Hanif

Maya Kornberg

Nickie Kane

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

❌ No

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Shahana Hanif [Incumbent] (Democrat)

✅ ENDORSED BY NEW KINGS DEMOCRATS

About the candidate: Born and raised in the 39th District to Bangladeshi immigrant parents, Council Member Hanif began her career in politics serving as the Director of Organizing and Community Engagement in the office of former District 39 Council Member Brad Lander. Her personal battle with Lupus, diagnosed at age 17, and her experiences with the challenging healthcare system and City services inspired her commitment to public service. She was elected to the Council in 2021 and serves as Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus as well as Chair of the Task Force to Combat Hate.

What stands out about their time in office: Since taking office in January 2022, she and her team has handled over 3,000 constituent requests, ranging from increased traffic enforcement to improved sanitation services. She has passed legislation mandating universal residential composting, protecting and expanding abortion rights in NYC, creating a pioneering Immigrant Workers Bill of Rights, and providing survivors of domestic violence with free lock changes, personal safety alarms, and door and window repairs. She has also led efforts to end solitary confinement in NYC jails and advance the How Many Stops Act for greater police transparency. A vocal advocate for peace, Council Member Hanif was among the first City Council Members to call for an immediate permanent bilateral ceasefire in Gaza that includes the return of all hostages and political prisoners.

Notable Endorsements:

Largest PAC Supporters:

  1. Laborers Building a Better New York $32,096 (supporting Hanif)
  2. Affordable New York $18,570 (opposing Kornberg)
  3. People for Public Space $12,848 (opposing Kornberg)

 

Where you can learn more:

Nickie Kane (Democrat)

About the candidate: Nickie Kane describes herself as a community advocate and grassroots leader who is running an independent campaign fueled by hard work and direct engagement with her constituents rather than big-money donors and political interests. She boasts of only receiving one campaign donation of $10 and declining an invitation to participate in a candidate forum hosted by Ben Max of Max Politics.

What stands out about their platform: Nickie’s primary focus appears to be on affordable housing, specifically in reforming the affordable housing lottery process. She advocates following the advice of “experts” by lowering income requirements, increasing the number of truly affordable units, creating more transparency and fairness in the lottery process, and reinvesting in public housing. She is also petitioning to appear on the ballot on a “Voters First” party line, which she describes as having a platform of community input before political influence, transparency in local decision-making, accountability to residents not special interests, and collaboration over division.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Maya Kornberg (Democrat)

About the candidate: Currently a Senior Research Fellow and Manager at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, Maya Kornberg holds a PhD in Political Science and works on combatting political violence, getting big money out of politics, and making legislatures more effectively and responsively engage with those they serve. She previously worked on peace building in the Middle East for the United Nations Development Program. She has not held public office.

What stands out about their platform: A main focus of Maya’s campaign is “taking the fight to Trump.” Among other things, her plan includes increasing investment in our schools and protecting students from Trump’s immigration policies, building safe and accessible NYC transportation infrastructure, protecting congestion pricing, and increasing investment in women's health and accessible healthcare for all. She has plans for addressing various concerns like affordable housing, public safety, and education, including supporting the creation of an Office of Child Care to work toward and plan for the implementation of citywide free childcare and consolidate the childcare permitting process.

Notable Endorsements:

Largest PAC Supporters:

  1. Uber NY PAC $210,987 (supporting Kornberg)
  2. The Coalition to Restore New York $71,000 (supporting Kornberg)
  3. Brooklyn Bridgebuilders $25,731 (opposing Hanif)

Where you can learn more:

City Council District 41

Council District 41 consists of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East Flatbush, and Ocean Hill. A major constituent issue in this district is finding affordable housing. Council Member Darlene Mealy currently represents this district. 

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Darlene Mealy

Jammel Thompson

Lawman Lynch

Jamell Henderson

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Eli Brown

Clifton A. Hinton

Bianca Cunningham

Dante Arnwine

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

✅ Yes

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

❌ No

✅ Yes

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

❌ No

❌ No

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Darlene Mealy [Incumbent] (Democrat)

About the candidate: Darlene Mealy held this Council seat from 2006 until 2017. She was term-limited out in 2017, but then she won the seat back by defeating Amprey-Samuel in 2021, and defeating two other challengers in 2023.

What stands out about their time in office: She has been criticized in recent years for missing many council meetings and has not been the primary sponsor of any bills this year or last year.

Mealy’s campaign does not have much of an online presence — no website, no social media posts since last October. Her campaign is supported by $30,000 in digital ads from The Coalition to Restore New York, a PAC funded by Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan. She has raised around $80,000 in campaign contributions and matching funds, including $750 from Brooklyn Dems Chair Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn’s campaign committee. Mealy has endorsed Andrew Cuomo for Mayor.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Jammel Thompson (Democrat)

About the candidate: Thompson is a neighborhood organizer who describes himself as “a passionate millennial candidate dedicated to revitalizing Brooklyn's District 41.”

What stands out about their platform: Thompson promises to participate in the City Council’s Participatory Budgeting program, which District 41 has not participated in thus far. He proposes providing business training, establishing a job fair, and creating a workforce development program to address unemployment. And he promises to advocate for additional investments and faster repairs for NYCHA properties.

Thompson has raised approximately $27,000 in contributions and has not qualified for matching funds.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Lawman Lynch (Democrat)

About the candidate: Lawman Lynch is “a community development advocate born in Kingston, the Jamaican capital, who migrated to New York in 2010” (Caribbean Life). His website lists him as the CEO of CariGlo Diaspora LLC, a human services and fintech company, and he also works as an elementary and middle schools program manager at New York Edge.

What stands out about their platform: He promises to implement wraparound educational models and establish District 41 Academies to support holistic student development. He has raised more than any other candidate in this race, approximately $108,000 including matching funds.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Jamell Henderson (Democrat)

About the candidate: Jamell Henderson is a lifelong Brooklynite and resident of Kingsborough Houses (Brooklyn Paper).

What stands out about their platform: He promises to keep affordable housing under 40% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and to give priority to Section 8 families. He promises to streamline the funding process for local nonprofits, offer grants to small businesses, and expand after-school programs. And he promises to support public schools and not expand charter schools.

He has raised approximately $8,000 and has not qualified for matching funds.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Eli Brown (Democrat)

About the candidate: Brown’s statement in the NYC Voter Guide lists him as a lifelong resident of Brownsville and a teacher in the NYC Department of Education.

What stands out about their platform: He lists his top issues as funding youth programs, economic development, and affordable housing. He does not have a website or any endorsements as far as we can tell.

He has raised approximately $7,000 and has not qualified for matching funds.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Clifton A. Hinton (Democrat)

About the candidate: Hinton is “born and raised out of the Seth Low Houses in Brownsville” and works as a community organizer, per his submission to the NYC Voter Guide.

What stands out about their platform: He lists education, affordable housing, and employment opportunities as his top issues, and he proposes using in-district AMI to evaluate affordable housing applications.

In 2024 New Kings Democrats and the Brooklyn Can’t Wait campaign endorsed Hinton in his unsuccessful race for District Leader, a position that Council Member Mealy also holds.

Hinton has raised approximately $6,000 and has not qualified for matching funds. He does not have a website or any endorsements as far as we can tell.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Bianca Cunningham (Democrat)

About the candidate: Cunningham is a union leader who led the first successful unionization of Verizon Wireless retail stores in 2014.

What stands out about their platform: Her platform starts with a promise to fully fund public schools and offer wraparound services to students. She promises a small business revival and new workforce development programs focused on union jobs. She also supports mobile crisis units as first responders for non-violent 911 calls, and expanding violence interruption organizations. She supports freezing the rent, and using the local median income, not the AMI, to measure housing affordability.

She has raised approximately $28,000 and has not qualified for matching funds.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Dante Arnwine (Democrat)

About the candidate: Arnwine serves as District Manager of Brooklyn Community Board 9.

What stands out about their platform: His platform leads with services for seniors, including deed theft prevention, programs to help seniors afford rent, and zoning changes to allow creation of more senior housing. He also advocates for expanding the Summer Youth Employment Program, and calls for keeping public schools public while supporting all students.

Arnwine is a member of the NYC Transit Riders Council and advocates for adding accessibility in subway stations in the district, as well as expanding the 2, 5, and 4 lines. He supports freezing the NYPD budget and directing additional funding to precinct community councils.

Arnwine has raised approximately $70,000 including matching funds.

Notable Endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

City Council District 46

Council District 46 covers Southeastern Brooklyn neighborhoods along Jamaica Bay including parts or all of Bergen Beach, Canarsie, Flatlands, Georgetown, Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, Mill Basin, and Sheepshead Bay. It is currently represented by Mercedes Narcisse. 

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Mercedes Narcisse

Dimple Willabus

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

❌ No

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

❌ No

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

✅ Yes

❌ No

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Mercedes Narcisse [Incumbent] (Democrat)

About the candidate: Council Member Mercedes Narcisse has represented the 46th Council District since she was first elected in 2021. Mercedes was born in Haiti and migrated to the United States as a teenager. Prior to being elected, she worked as a registered nurse and was a small business owner.

What stands out about their term: Narcisse is the chair of the Council’s Committee on Hospitals. Her campaign website touts a bill requiring police officers to receive training related to recognizing and interacting with individuals with autism spectrum disorder as a major legislative accomplishment. She voted against the “City of Yes” rezoning plan. She organized a protest against a new long-term homeless shelter for families in her district. Recently she’s advocated for a new NYC Ferry stop in Canarsie.

Narcisse has received support from an Airbnb-affiliated Super PAC after co-sponsoring legislation to allow short-term rentals in certain types of homes. She endorsed Adrienne Adams for mayor.

Notable endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Dimple Willabus

About the candidate: Willabus is first-generation Guyanese-American and small business owner. She previously ran for City Council in 2021 and State Assembly in 2022. In addition to running in the Democratic primary, she has filed to run in the general election on the Conservative Party line.

What stands out about their platform: Her campaign website includes few policy specifics. She has emphasized her opposition to a new homeless shelter in the district in media stories about her candidacy and has also protested against the City of Yes rezoning.

Notable endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

City Council District 47

A newer district, Council District 47 comprises Bay Ridge, Coney Island and parts of Bath Beach. The district is 49% White, 20% Asian, and 18% Latino. This area of Brooklyn tends to be more moderate and issues like public safety, education, and supporting small businesses are emphasized. It is currently represented by Justin Brannan who is term limited (and running for city Comptroller). 

Candidate Positions at a Glance

Kayla Santuosso

Fedir Usmanov

Have a clearly defined plan to build and maintain affordable housing?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Supports freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants?

❌ No

❌ No

Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?

✅ Yes

❌ No

Have a policy to address climate change?

❌ No

❌ No

Prioritizes solutions for public safety other than more policing and incarceration, such as community-based solutions and mental health outreach programs?

❌ No

✅ Yes

The information in the chart above is based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

Kayla Santosuosso is a political candidate for NYC City Council District 47 Brooklyn New York City

Kayla Santuosso

About the candidate: Kayla Santuosso is a lawyer who currently serves as Chief Council for New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan. She is also President of the Bay Ridge Democrats political club. Her previous experience includes serving as Councilmember Brannan’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Deputy Director for the Arab American Association of New York. Her main platform items focus on making New York more affordable for families, maintaining and improving green spaces, affordability, supporting small businesses, and sanitation and traffic safety.

What stands out about their previous terms: Kayla aims to build upon the success of universal pre-K by creating a universal child care program. Additionally, she hopes to improve public spaces in City Council District 47 by upgrading the 69th Street pier and overhauling Coney Island’s boardwalk. She has also proposed initiatives to benefit businesses in the area, including creating incentives for small landlords to rent to small businesses and securing anchor tenants along the 86th Street business corridor. To make New York City more affordable, she has also pledged to oppose utility rate hikes.

Notable endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Fedir Usmanov

About the candidate: Fedir Usmanov is a first-generation immigrant and recent graduate of Baruch College with a degree in Operations Management. He has experience in running his family’s nonprofit which helps low-income youth explore culture and the arts. The main planks of his platform include improving housing stability through incentives, filling transit gaps, improving youth programs, cutting costs for small businesses, and boosting public safety.

What stands out about their platform: Fedir’s housing platform aims to incentivize stable housing through legislation such as creating a vacancy tax for tax-incentivized constructions that are not occupied within a reasonable time. He also aims to fill transit gaps by establishing a 12-month pilot program for a free micro-shuttle system within the district. He also hopes to improve existing youth programs to make them more engaging, interactive, and career-focused. He also aims to help small businesses grow by covering the interest on small business loans during the first year. He also plans to improve public safety in part by expanding collaboration between police officers and social workers during calls involving mental health crises and homelessness.

Notable endorsements:

Where you can learn more:

Judicial Offices

Civil Court Justices

What is the Civil Court?

The Civil Court of the City of New York handles lawsuits involving monetary claims for damages up to $50,000. For example, if a dry cleaner destroys $500 worth of your clothes, you can sue them in Civil Court to try to recoup the loss. Civil Court also presides over cases around housing, such as landlord-tenant matters and maintenance of housing standards.

Judges elected to Civil Court often are assigned to Criminal, Family, and Supreme Court instead of serving their term in Civil Court; so these judges have a lot of power for everyday Brooklynites. Civil Court judges are elected directly by voters to 10-year terms.

What’s On My Ballot?

Civil Court justices in Brooklyn can be either county-wide or municipal-specific. The Brooklyn Democratic Party leadership tends to limit competition for Civil Court by supporting only one candidate per seat. The end result is that the ballot does not have real choice or competition. You will see many primary races already advanced to the General Election.

Judge of the Civil Court, Kings County – Countywide

While judicial candidates do not put together a policy platform, they are judged by their peers to determine whether they are currently qualified to take on the responsibilities of that judgeship. There are four major screening organizations: NYC Bar Association, Brooklyn Bar Association, LGBT Bar Association of Greater NY, Brooklyn Democratic Party*.

Judicial Screening Panel

Janice Chen

Marisa Arrabito

Susan Liebman

Janice P. Purvis

NYC Bar Association

✅ Approved

✅ Approved

❌ Not Approved

✅ Approved

Brooklyn Democratic Party Judicial Screening*

✅ Qualified

✅ Qualified

✅ Qualified

✅ Qualified

*This is not to be confused with the judge that that the Kings County Democratic Party endorses. In addition to these judicial screening ratings, the party also holds a vote among their 42 District Leaders to determine which single candidate gets their endorsement for the position..

Janice Chen: Life of Service in Law And Community - BKReader

Janice Chen

Chen has served for 20 years as a Court Attorney in Kings County Supreme Court, much of that time in the Guardianship Part, working with people who need a court-appointed guardian. She currently chairs the board of the Imagine Me Leadership Charter School in East New York and Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Her petitions to qualify for the ballot were challenged by lawyers involved with the Brooklyn Democratic Party, but the Supreme Court and the Appellate Division both ruled that her petition signatures were valid.

Endorsed by:

Where you can learn more:

Marisa Arrabito

Arrabito served as a Civil Litigator for 20 years, then in 2022 became a clerk in the Supreme Court system. She has won endorsements from both reform-oriented District Leaders who ran on the Brooklyn Can’t Wait slate (Julio Peña III, Jacqui Painter, Shaquana Boykin, Lydia Green, Mark Hanna, Chris McCreight) and District Leaders aligned with the party establishment.

Endorsed by:

*Decided by a vote of the Executive Committee (the 42 District Leaders)

Where you can learn more:

Susan Liebman

There’s not much information about Liebman available online. The Brooklyn Paper reports that “she worked first as a civil attorney managing tenant-landlord issues, small claims, and commercial litigation; and now serves as a Principal Law Clerk in Brooklyn Supreme Court, where she handles civil and matrimonial cases.”

District Leader/former Party Chair/current Board of Elections Commissioner Frank Seddio held a fundraiser for Liebman recently.

Endorsed by:

*Decided by a vote of the Executive Committee (the 42 District Leaders)

Where you can learn more:

Janice P. Purvis

Purvis works in the Law Department of the Kings County Supreme Court. Per the Brooklyn Paper: “In her current role as a Court Attorney Referee, Purvis hears and decides cases related to custody and orders of protection…additionally, she works in the Kings County Help Center, where she helps to explain court procedures, provides legal forms and referrals, and assists people representing themselves in court.” She serves on the board of Bushwick Street Cats, Inc.

Last year, some NKD volunteers met Purvis when she was appointed by the court as one of the referees scrutinizing thousands of signatures on District Leader petitions that were challenged by the Brooklyn Dems. We found all the referees to be fairly reasonable, though we wish our party would not file baseless challenges against candidates for party office!

Endorsed by:

Where you can learn more:

Judicial Delegates

What is a Supreme Court Judge?

In New York, judges are either elected or appointed to their positions, depending on the court. Civil Court, Surrogate Court, and Supreme Court candidates are elected. But unlike Civil Court and Surrogate Court, Supreme Court candidates do not appear on the Primary ballot. Instead, candidates for NYS Supreme Court appear on the general election ballot following a nominating convention.

Judicial candidates for the Supreme Court are nominated by the Brooklyn Democratic Party Executive Committee (the 42 District Leaders). Then Judicial Delegates, selected by voters, attend a nominating convention to review and vote on the nominated judges to determine who will appear on your general election ballot. This complicated process exists to conceal the fact that party leaders are choosing Supreme Court judges — the Judicial Delegates typically have no options at the convention aside from approving the party leader’s picks — it’s a “choose 5 of these 5” situation.

What Is a Judicial Delegate?

The sole function of a judicial delegate is to represent their Assembly district at the Judicial Nominating Convention. At this convention, delegates vote to approve the party leaders’ nominations for the NYS Supreme Court. The judges selected will then appear on voter ballots in the general election (and in Brooklyn these Democratic nominees typically win easily).

For 2025, there are 5 vacancies for Brooklyn Supreme Court.

How Should We Choose Judicial Delegates?

As the Supreme Court holds real power over the lives of New Yorkers, nominating judges is an important job. While Judicial Delegates don’t currently have a real choice in who to nominate, an ideal Judicial Delegate will attend the Judicial Nominating Convention and actively participate, working to make the process more accessible and transparent.

In Assembly District 53, there are contested elections, so you will see two slates on your ballot:

AD 53 Group 1:

Paperboy Love Prince

Lindsey Royce

Michelle Joni Lapidos

AD53 Group 2:

Jessica Florenciany

Lahoma Shipman

Eloisa L. Rowe-Barnett

Iris Cabrera

Sharon L. Irby

Larry Fernandez

Joseph A. Yanis

Maritza Rodriguez

Group one is organized by Paperboy Love Prince, who is also running for mayor. They challenged Nydia Velazquez for Congress in 2020, ran for mayor in 2021 and president in 2024. Their policy platform is vague. Prince aligned with Andrew Yang in 2021 and has recently criticized Zohran Mamdani’s housing plan as “lying to voters”.

Group two is organized by Assembly Member and District Leader Maritza Davila, who has been an ally of New Kings Democrats and the Brooklyn Can’t Wait coalition working to reform the Brooklyn Democratic Party.

A Few Final Notes

For each mayoral, comptroller, Brooklyn borough president, and city council candidate, we completed the “yes”/”no” chart based on publicly available information. Where we have noted “yes” or “no” to a candidate’s commitments, “no” may also indicate that the candidate’s position is unknown or unavailable to the public.

For the question “Committed to free or accessible healthcare for all?”, we noted a “yes” if a candidate has publicly stated support for accessible healthcare for all, universal healthcare, Medicare for All, or the New York Health Act.