Several victories were celebrated this past Tuesday in the borough president races while Brooklyn said hello to a new district attorney.
In the Bronx, incumbent Ruben Diaz Jr. took nearly 84 percent of the votes, beating candidate Mark Escoffery-Bey. In November, Diaz will face Republican candidate Elizabeth Perri and Green Party candidate Carl Lundgren.
Considered a shoe-in candidate, Diaz spent election night with mayoral candidate Bill Thompson at his election night party.
In Manhattan, City Councilwoman Gale Brewer won the Democratic spot and hopes to replace Scott Stringer, who won the primary race for city comptroller. The highly contested race for Manhattan borough president had a total of five candidates, including Jessica Lappin, Robert Jackson and Julie Menin. Brewer took 40 percent of the votes.
“As you know, the West Side does vote, but in addition, elsewhere people know that Iand this whole coalition, not just me, my staff, the people around me—that we really do care and that we work together,” Brewer said.
In the general election, she will face David Casavis, who is running on both the Republican and Libertarian party tickets.
Melinda Katz is the Democratic candidate for Queens borough president, hoping to replace 12-year incumbent Helen Marshall.
Facing Peter Vallone, Tony Avella and Evelyn Brown in the primary, Katz took nearly 45 percent of the votes. City Councilman Leroy Comrie was in the race and was considered a frontrunner, but he later dropped out.
Katz will face Republican Aurelio Arcabascio in the November election. In her acceptance speech, she attributed Queen’s diverse community as a factor in her win.
“Too many to thank. But between the South Asian community, the Latino community and every community in this borough, we really built a great coalition,” she said.
And it’s no question that state Sen. Eric Adams has been elected Brooklyn borough president. The well-known senator and former NYPD detective ran unopposed and also got the endorsement from current Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
Early possible candidates in the race included City Councilwoman Letitia James and state Sen. Daniel Squadron, who are going into a runoff against each other in the race for public advocate.
No other candidate from any other party is running in the general election, making Adams the new leader of the city’s most populated borough. Adams is also the first-ever Black Brooklyn borough president.
In Staten Island, public school teacher Louis Liedy won an uncontested race as the Democratic candidate for borough president. He will face off against Republican candidate and City Councilman James Oddo and Green Party candidate Henry Bardel.
Defeating Charles Hynes, who has had a nearly 25-year reign, Kenneth Thompson won the Democratic primary for Brooklyn district attorney with 55 percent of the votes. Thompson is best known for representing Abner Louima and Nafissatou Diallo, the hotel maid who allegedly was sexually assaulted by French politician Dominique Strauss-Khan.
“I am humbled and honored to have earned the support of the people of Brooklyn as the Democratic nominee for district attorney,” he said. “As district attorney, I will fight to bring transparency, honesty and accountability to the public sector to give Brooklynites the government we deserve.”
Thompson is the first Black nominee for Brooklyn district attorney and the first candidate to beat an incumbent since 1911.