Out of 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs, quite a few Black City Council members were in competitive races in this year’s June primary elections. Upping the spice factor for the 2025 City Council elections is the element of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), where instead of choosing only one favorite candidate, voters rank up to five candidates in each race.
In terms of timeline, the first round RCV results from Election Day and early votes were released on Election Night at the close of the polls. Next week, on July 1, the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) will begin counting mail-in and affidavit ballots, with further releases every Tuesday until there are no more rounds. All races should be certified by July 15.
Here’s a quick rundown of the first round RCV winners in competitive Black and Brown City Council district races among the boroughs and the incumbents still in office.
District 8: East Harlem, Manhattan & South Bronx
This packed race has several candidates: Raymond Santana Jr.; City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala’s chief of staff, Elsie Encarnacion; lawyer Wilfredo López; Bronx Community Board Chair Clarisa Alayeto; and Community Board 11 member Nicholas Reyes.
So far, Encarnacion has pulled out ahead with 28.73% of the votes, and Lopez is trailing in second place with 18.34% of the votes.
District 28: Richmond Hill & Jamaica, Queens
This race was incredibly competitive as candidates competed to replace City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. The candidates were Adams’s chief of staff Tyrell D. Hankerson, Romeo Hitlall, Latoya LeGrand, Japneet Singh, and former Councilmember Ruben Wills.
So far, Hankerson is leading the pack with 34.81% of the votes, while Singh is close behind with 24.75% of the votes.
District 41: Brownsville, Brooklyn
Incumbent Darlene Mealy is holding onto a lead of 43.24%, while candidate Lawman Lynch is coming in second with 15.61% of the votes. Other candidates, like Jammel A. Thompson (13.47%) and Bianca Cunningham (12.63%), are just behind Lynch in votes.
Several incumbents won their reelection campaigns right off the bat, according to the latest BOE unofficial results.
Incumbent Councilmember Shaun Abreu swept the first round with 62.74% of the votes in the District 7 (Upper West Side and Washington Heights, Manhattan) race. His main challenger, Edafe Okporo, trailed behind with 24.96% of the votes. In District 12 (Co-op City, Bronx), incumbent Councilmember Kevin C. Riley got a majority in the first round with 75.51% of the votes against opponent Andy King.
Incumbent Councilmember Crystal Hudson, in District 35 (Crown Heights & Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn), defeated several candidates with 84.67% of the votes. Incumbent Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse, in District 46 (Canarsie, Mill Basin, and Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn), got 82.94% of the votes in her race. Incumbent Councilmember Kamillah M. Hanks, in District 49 (North Shore, Staten Island), got 58.46% of the votes in her race.