Name: Do You Know Who’s Running for City Council in Your District?
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Do You Know Who’s Running for City Council in Your District?

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SHAREThere’s a lot of energy around the mayor’s race, which is super important.&nbsp;We also want to make sure you have the important information you need to participate in other crucial races that will be on the June 22 primary ballot. And some special elections are even sooner — Districts 11 and 15 in The Bronx, looking at you!So, this week, we’re diving into City Council contests and revisiting that our team has done about how important these races will be for New Yorkers and our neighborhoods.Sara N., Andrea U. and Aubrey C. — all from Queens — and many other readers asked about how to find out who is running for City Council in different districts.So we made a map where you can see who is running in your district, with links to their campaign websites and social media, so you can learn more.If there is another bit of information you’d like to see on the map, let us know by emailing: .City Council members in New York City can only serve two consecutive four-year terms. In 2010, voters approved to so that Council members can’t run for a third term right away. They can take a break for a four-year term and then run again if they want. That means that a seat automatically opens up after the member serves two terms in a row.&nbsp;Because of these term limits, 35 of the 51 City Council seats are open. And in some districts where the incumbent can run again, challengers have joined the race.&nbsp;Right now, more than 300 candidates are running for City Council throughout the five boroughs.To make things a little bit more complicated, these elections are in the City Council because the city is on tap for redistricting.So buckle up!With so many seats open and so many candidates, voters have an opportunity to drastically alter the makeup of city government.Election GuideOur guide is here to make your decisions easier, with details on candidates, the jobs they’re running for, how to use the new ranked-choice voting system and more.Not only are there a ton of candidates (more than 10 in a lot of districts), but the slate of hopefuls is diverse. In some of the districts with the most candidates, there are also . Those factors — new candidates running and new voters registering — means there’s potential to disrupt business as usual.&nbsp;Monica Klein, a progressive political consultant, said: “We’re at a rare moment where the vast majority of Council members will be replaced all at once… And right now, the field of Council candidates is racially, economically and generationally diverse; there are more women running for office, people are running for office at a younger age, and there are more people of color, immigrants and children of immigrants, and socioeconomic diverse candidates in the field.”As if more than 300 candidates weren’t enough, the Council races will be the first time New Yorkers will use a new method of voting called . Instead of choosing just one candidate, you’ll get to rank up to five in order of preference. This means a voter may need to read up on a few more candidates than usual. We will talk more about Ranked Choice Voting in the coming weeks.&nbsp;There are also voter engagement meetings set up across the city to help New Yorkers wade through this. We’ll keep you posted on those, too.Lastly, like most races in a largely blue city like New York, the City Council members will for the most part be determined in the primary, which is early this year on June 22.So, did you get that?Phew. Now you see why we started the .City Council is kind of like Congress, but for the city. It may seem like a small office, but since New York has 8.4 million residents, a local office like the City Council has more influence than you may think.Klein pointed out that some leaders — Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, to name two — have used the City Council as a stepping stone to higher office.“City Council is an entry point into politics — and a way to build a bench for more diverse representation in higher offices years down the line,” she said. “One reason many people are disappointed in the mayoral field is because 15 years ago, the city wasn’t building an exciting and diverse bench of new political talent.”City Council members represent a district that usually includes two to four neighborhoods, and they have four main responsibilities.Just like Congress or the state Legislature, the City Council proposes and votes on legislation that makes the rules for all sorts of things ranging from public health, education, housing and transportation. You can see all the different City Council committees .After a bill is proposed, the Council holds a to get feedback from the community and potentially make changes. Then, members vote on the bill.Bills passed by a majority of the Council go to the mayor to be signed into law. The Council can override a veto from the mayor with a vote of at least two-thirds of the members.Example: The Council has passed laws authorizing things such as (just last month members proposed ), , the , and the .The Council negotiates with the mayor to pass the city budget every year. That means members help decide how your taxes and other revenue will be spent to fund different city agencies and programs — ranging from the public schools to policing to a bunch of social services. The most recent budget was more than $88 billion.Your Council member can advocate for certain programs or projects to be funded in your neighborhood. And each Council member has their own to help local projects and groups.&nbsp;Example: The Council has a huge say in , and it in the last budget.Council members make sure agencies like the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Preservation, NYCHA and the NYPD are doing their jobs well.Example: The Council can monitor what the DOE is doing about and provide a check on its buildings.Here’s a list of .That means where to build, what to preserve and what to close (like ). The Council has a major say in real estate deals for city-owned land and votes on all zoning changes or rezoning.And Council members that need public approval.How land is used can affect if housing is affordable, what kind of greenspace is available and how much pollution is likely to affect a neighborhood, among other things.Example: The Council approved the in December.Lastly, Council members can advocate on behalf of their constituents to advance certain causes, like .Most candidates are hosting campaign events on Zoom or offering other ways to be in touch directly with potential constituents.Klein said: “City Council candidates are extremely accessible in a way that candidates for higher offices aren’t. If you want to get involved in local government, meet with your council candidates, get to know them and ask them questions.”Have you ever called your Council member? Do you know your Council member? Let us know if you have had any experience engaging with your Council member or their office and why. Email us at .&nbsp;Want all this info in a fun video instead? BRIC made a while back explaining what City Council does.How can I find out what Council district I live in? .How can I find out who’s running for City Council in my district and what they’re about .One more thing: Special elections. There are . Early voting starts on March 13.Lots of different local organizations are hosting virtual candidate forums. Here are a few:If you end up attending any of these events, let us know how they went and what you learned. You can email us at ....and don’t forget: Our first round of virtual Civic Newsroom meetings started last week and continue this week. We’d love for you to join us!If you have any questions about the election process, the candidates or any other information when it comes to voting in New York, let us know by sending a note to .Thank you for reading!Stay safe — and happy voting on June 22.Next Up InMost Popular StoriesThere was an error. Please try again later.Get THE CITY ScoopSign up and get the latest stories from THE CITY delivered to you each morningThank you for your submission!In case you missed itThe LatestNew York’s first licensed retail weed establishments are expected to open in early 2023. But a slate of smoke shop robberies could point toward a cloudy future.NYCHA and the city still haven’t explained when they first became concerned about potential contamination, or why it took three days for the results to be made public.Manhattan lawyer alleges state has been shielding role played by property owner Vornado, which has valuable holdings affected by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Midtown development plan.The mayor and major city unions plan to press the City Council to clear a path for a privatized Medicare plan for retired city workers.Mayor Eric Adams maintains that results showing arsenic in the drinking water at Manhattan’s Riis houses were “questionable” — while not revealing that new clean results come from taps that had been flowing for an extended time first.There was an error. Please try again later.Get THE CITY ScoopSign up and get the latest stories from THE CITY delivered to you each morningThank you for your submission!

SHAREThere’s a lot of energy around the mayor’s race, which is super important.&nbsp;We also want to make sure you have the important information you need to participate in other crucial races that will be on the June 22 primary ballot. And some special elections are even sooner — Districts 11 and 15 in The Bronx, looking at you!So, this week, we’re diving into City Council contests and revisiting that our team has done about how important these races will be for New Yorkers and our neighborhoods.Sara N., Andrea U. and Aubrey C. — all from Queens — and many other readers asked about how to...

Do You Know Who’s Running for City Council in Your District?

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