New York City Council 2025 primary races to watch

District 1: Lower Manhattan, including the Financial District, Chinatown, City Hall and SoHo
TLDR: Incumbent faces YIMBY and NYPD challengers.
Incumbent: Chris Marte (Democrat)
Challengers: Jess Coleman (Democrat), Elizabeth Lewinsohn (Democrat), Eric Yu (Democrat)


District 2: Lower Manhattan, including Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Gramercy, and Murray Hill-Kips Bay
TLDR: This race is more than just Anthony Weiner versus Harvey Epstein.
Incumbent: Open seat. Carlina Rivera is term-limited.
Candidates: Harvey Epstein (Democrat), Andrea Gordillo (Democrat), Sarah Batchu (Democrat), Anthony Weiner (Democrat), Allison Ryan (Democrat)


District 4: Manhattan neighborhoods of Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village, Murray Hill-Kips Bay, Midtown East, Upper East Side
TLDR: A marquee race with massive fundraising befitting the Upper East Side.
Incumbent: Open seat. Keith Powers is term-limited.
Candidates: Virginia Maloney (Democrat), Rachel Storch (Democrat), Vanessa Aronson (Democrat), Faith Bondy (Democrat), Ben Wetzler (Democrat), Lukas Florczak (Democrat)


District 8: South Bronx and areas of northern Manhattan including East Harlem, Randall’s Island
TLDR: Will staffer-to-principal continuity be preserved in East Harlem?
Incumbent: Open seat. Diana Ayala is term-limited.
Candidates: Elsie Encarnacion (Democrat), Wilfredo Lopez (Democrat), Clarisa Alayeto (Democrat), Daniel Aulbach-Sidibe (Democrat) Nicholas Reyes (Democrat), Rosa Diaz (Democrat)


District 13: Northeast section of the Bronx, including Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Bay, Van Nest, Westchester Square, Throggs Neck and City Island
TLDR: A Republican stunned the city by flipping this district in 2023. Democrats are scrambling.
Incumbent: Kristy Marmorato (Republican)
Democratic primary candidates: Shirley Aldebol (Democrat), David Diaz (Democrat), John Perez (Democrat), Theona Reets-DuPont (Democrat), Jacqueline Torres (Democrat)


District 14: Bronx neighborhoods of University Heights, Fordham Heights, Kingsbridge Heights, Morris Heights
TLDR: Eric Adams-aligned pastor looks for a political comeback against a progressive incumbent.
Incumbent: Pierina Sanchez (Democrat)
Democratic primary candidates: Fernando Cabrera (Democrat), Bryan Hodge Vasquez (Democrat)


District 17: Bronx neighborhoods of Melrose, Hunts Point, Longwood, Morrisania, Crotona Park East
TLDR: Incumbent Rafael Salamanca is backing an old-school business man to replace him, and an upstart state Senate staffer is giving him a run for his money.
Incumbent: Open seat. Salamanca is term-limited, and he’s running for borough president.
Candidates: Freddy Perez (Democrat), Justin Sanchez (Democrat), Elvis Santana (Democrat), Antirson Ortiz (Democrat), Jasmine Uribe (Democrat)


District 21: Queens neighborhoods of East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, LeFrak City and Corona
TLDR: Everyone in Queens already has a candidate in this race – except the incumbent.
Incumbent: Open seat. Francisco Moya is term-limited.
Candidates: Sandro Stefano Navarro (Democrat), Erycka Montoya (Democrat), Hiram Monserrate (Democrat), Shanel Thomas-Henry (Democrat), Yanna Henriquez (Democrat)


District 28 Queens neighborhoods of South Ozone Park, Jamaica, South Jamaica, Baisley Park, Springfield Gardens
TLDR: Adrienne Adams’ chief of staff hopes the association is more gift than curse
Incumbent: Open seat. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is term-limited.
Candidates: Tyrell Hankerson (Democrat), Romeo Hitlall (Democrat), Latoya LeGrand (Democrat), Japneet Singh (Democrat)


District 30: Queens neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and parts of Glendale, Ridgewood, Elmhurst and Rego Park
TLDR: Can any of the incumbent’s multipartisan staffers beat a union powerbroker in this very purple district?
Incumbent: Open seat. Bob Holden is term-limited.
Candidates: Dermot Smyth (Democrat), Phil Wong (Democrat), Paul Pogozelski (Democrat), Alicia Vaichunas (Republican), Jonathan Rinaldi (Republican)


District 38: Brooklyn neighborhoods of Red Hook, South Slope, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Bath Beach
TLDR: A moderate Asian American challenger comes for a socialist Latina incumbent in a district with a large immigrant population.
Incumbent: Alexa Avilés (Democrat)
Challengers: Ling Ye (Democrat)


District 39: Brooklyn neighborhoods of Kensington, Borough Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and the Columbia Waterfront
TLDR: Pro-Israel constituents want to oust a socialist incumbent in one of the city’s most progressive districts.
Incumbent: Shahana Hanif (Democrat)
Challenger: Maya Kornberg (Democrat)




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