In this election, New Yorkers will have the chance to vote for: Mayor, Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough Presidents, City Council Members, and in some districts, judges. Some races are not included in this Voter Guide. We focused our research on:

• Races with at least one progressive candidate,
• Races that are competitive, and/or
• Districts with plenty of JFREJ members, or where we have particular knowledge. 
   

About JFREJ and the Jewish Vote: 
Jews For Racial & Economic Justice is a 6,000-member grassroots organization and the home of New York’s Jewish Left. For over 30 years, JFREJ has organized alongside our neighbors to transform New York from a playground for the wealthy few into a real democracy, free from all forms of racist violence. The Jewish Vote is JFREJ's electoral arm.

CITY-WIDE RACES

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MAYOR: 

✅ 1️⃣ & 2️⃣ Brad Lander & Zohran Mamdani 🐺🐺 in whatever order you choose!
✅ 3️⃣ Adrienne Adams 🐺
✅ 4️⃣ Zellnor Myrie 🐺
✅ 5️⃣ Michael Blake
❌ DO NOT RANK: Andrew Cuomo

The most important thing in the mayoral race is to not rank Andrew Cuomo anywhere on your ballot. This is a race between progressives and Cuomo, and our shot at winning will come from weakening Cuomo’s support, while simultaneously using Ranked Choice Voting to combine the support that exists for all of the progressive candidates in the race. It is imperative that you use your full ballot and rank multiple progressive candidates, with Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander at the top of your ballot.

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COMPTROLLER: [Open seat]

✅ Justin Brannan 🐺
❌ Kevin Parker

Justin Brannan is a South Brooklyn City Council Member who chaired the Committee on Finance, long pushed against Mayor Adams’ cuts to public services, and has been endorsed by the Working Families Party. He is running as the progressive in this race, and was early among his peers to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Kevin Parker is a conservative State Senator who has been accused of (and recorded on video) physically and verbally assaulting multiple people.

Other names on your ballot: Mark Levine is the current Manhattan Borough President, and a former city council member. He has a long history of fighting for affordable housing and has pushed for universal early childcare, expanding access to public bathrooms, and growing our city’s access to trees. He was a powerful voice for evidence-based health policy during the early COVID pandemic. However, in the past year and a half, he has consistently used his platform to defend the Israeli military’s horrific and ongoing assault on Gaza, and supported political repression of student activists, including calling on Columbia University to “remove” student protestors. Ismael Malave Perez is also running.

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PUBLIC ADVOCATE: 

✅ ⭐️ Jumaane Williams (*I) 🐺
❌ Jenifer Rajkumar

Jumaane Williams is a long-time Working Families Party champion in NYC politics, who consistently supports tenants, criminal justice reform, and other progressive priorities. Jenifer Rajkumar is an assembly member and one of Eric Adams’s closest allies.

Other names on your ballot: Marty Dolan

MANHATTAN

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MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT: [Open seat] 

✅ ⭐️ Brad Hoylman-Sigal

Brad Hoylman-Sigal is a progressive champion in the State Senate representing Hell’s Kitchen and the Upper West Side. He has passed legislation to protect LGBTQ rights, to support and empower abuse survivors, to regulate guns, and to combat Trump. 

Other names on your ballot: Keith Powers, currently a City Council Member, has passed some important bills in the council, including against housing discrimination. However, Ritchie Torres is one of his endorsers in this race, and Powers is running on a platform of increasing the NYPD and enforcement. Calvin Sun is also running.

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MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: (Note: NYC doesn’t use Ranked Choice Voting for DA races)

✅ Alvin Bragg (*I) 🐺

While in office, Alvin Bragg has invested in alternatives to incarceration and won a successful conviction against Donald Trump on 34 counts of corruption associated with the 2016 election. Bragg has continued to face challenges from the right, including in this primary.

Other names on your ballot: Patrick Timmins.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 2: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ ⭐️ Harvey Epstein 🐺
✅ 2️⃣ & 3️⃣ Sarah Batchu & Andrea Gordillo 🐺  in whatever order you choose!
❌ Anthony Weiner, Allie Ryan.

Harvey Epstein is a Working Families Party champion in the State Assembly, and a former tenant lawyer with a long record fighting for affordable housing and home care. Andrea Gordillo and Sarah Batchu are both women of color running on progressive platforms that JFREJ can also get behind! Rank all three to stop disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner from making a political comeback. And leave Allie Ryan, who opposes congestion pricing, off your ballot.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 7: 

✅ 1️⃣ ⭐️ Edafe Okporo

Edafe Okporo is a queer former asylum seeker from Nigeria who has dedicated his career in New York to supporting refugees and managing a shelter for others seeking asylum. He is running on a bold platform of affordable housing and immigrant rights. He has been endorsed by Sunrise Movement and former JFREJ candidates Eli Northrup and Marti Cummings. 

Other names on your ballot: Current City Council Member Shaun Abreu (*I) is not a member of the Progressive Caucus, but often supports progressive issues. He was endorsed by the Working Families Party as well as by Solidarity PAC, a right-wing group funded by wealthy donors whose mission is to take down candidates who speak out for Palestinians. Tiffany Khan is another progressive challenger.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 - shared with The Bronx: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ Elsie Encarnación 🐺
✅ 2️⃣ & 3️⃣ Raymond Santana & Clarisa Alayeto in whatever order you choose!
❌ Wilfredo Lopez

Elsie Encarnación is the former Chief of Staff for the district’s current Council Member Diana Ayala, and longtime East Harlem resident, who knows the community and City Hall well. Raymond Santana is one of the Exonerated Five. Clarissa Alayeto is running on a platform that aligns with JFREJ on policing but not on charter schools. We recommend you rank all three. Wilfredo Lopez has run for office multiple times on a progressive platform, but in this race, he is supported by big money from a super PAC that has violated campaign finance regulations and is funded by a Wall Street mogul.

Other names on your ballot: Federico Colon, Rosa Diaz, and Nicolas Reyes are also running but have not qualified for matching funds.

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Manhattan incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

Council District 3: Erik Bottcher (*I)

Council District 5: Julie Menin (*I)

Council District 6: Gale Brewer (*I)

Council District 9: Yusef Salaam (*I) 

Council District 10: ⭐️ Carmen De La Rosa (*I) (PC) 🐺

BROOKLYN

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 38:

✅ 1️⃣ ⭐️ Alexa Avilés (*I) (PC) 🐺
❌ Ling Ye

Alexa Avilés is a socialist legislator and tireless fighter for working people and immigrants. She is being challenged from the right by Ling Ye, who is supported by big real estate and Solidarity PAC, a right-wing group funded by wealthy donors whose mission is to take down candidates who speak out for Palestinians.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 39: 

✅ 1️⃣ ⭐️ Shahana Hanif (*I) (PC) 🐺
❌ Maya Kornberg

Shahana Hanif is the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and has been one of JFREJ’s closest allies in elected office. The a Muslim daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, she is under attack by Solidarity PAC, a right-wing group funded by wealthy donors whose mission is to take down candidates who speak out for Palestinians. Maya Kornberg’s campaign has taken money from Trump donors and big real estate, and is backed by Uber’s PAC as well as groups that spew racist viewpoints and aim to sow discord and division in New York’s Jewish community for their own political gain.

Other names on your ballot: Nickie Kane.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 41:

✅ 1️⃣ Bianca Cunningham
✅ 2️⃣ Jamell Henderson  
✅ 3️⃣ Dante Arnwine

This is a crowded race, with many challengers to incumbent Darlene Mealy (*I). The three candidates listed above are running as progressives, with support from various partners in our ecosystem. Rank all three.

Other names on your ballot: Lawman Lynch, Eli Brown, Clifton Hinton.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 47: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ Kayla Santosuosso 🐺

Other names on your ballot: Fedir Usmanov.

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Brooklyn incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

Brooklyn Borough President: ⭐️ Antonio Reynoso (*I) 🐺

Brooklyn District Attorney (not an RCV race): Eric Gonzalez (*I) 🐺

Council District 33: ⭐️ Lincoln Restler (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 34: ⭐️ Jen Gutiérrez (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 35: ⭐️ Crystal Hudson (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 36: ⭐️ Chi Ossé (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 37: ⭐️ Sandy Nurse (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council DIstrict 40: ⭐️ Rita Joseph (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 42: Christopher Banks (*I)

Council District 43: Susan Zhuang (*I)

Council District 45: Farah Louis (*I)

Council District 46: Mercedes Narcisse (*I)

THE BRONX

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 - shared with The Bronx: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ Elsie Encarnación 🐺
✅ 2️⃣ & 3️⃣ Raymond Santana & Clarisa Alayeto in whatever order you choose!
❌ Wilfredo Lopez

Elsie Encarnación is the former Chief of Staff for the district’s current Council Member Diana Ayala, and longtime East Harlem resident, who knows the community and City Hall well. Raymond Santana is one of the Exonerated Five. Clarissa Alayeto is running on a platform that aligns with JFREJ on policing but not on charter schools. We recommend you rank all three. Wilfredo Lopez has run for office multiple times on a progressive platform, but in this race, he is supported by big money from a super PAC that has violated campaign finance regulations and is funded by a Wall Street mogul.

Other names on your ballot: Federico Colon, Rosa Diaz, and Nicolas Reyes are also running but have not qualified for matching funds.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 11: 

✅ 1️⃣ Danielle Herbert-Guggenheim
❌ Eric Dinowitz (*I)

Danielle Herbert-Guggenheim is running on a pro-immigrant and affordable housing platform. She has qualified for matching funds in this race against Eric Dinowitz, who has aligned himself with AIPAC and Solidarity PAC, a right-wing group funded by wealthy donors whose mission is to take down candidates who speak out for Palestinians.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 13: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ Shirley Adebol 🐺
✅ 2️⃣ David Diaz 🐺

Other names on your ballot: John Perez, Jacqueline Torres, Joel Rivera, Theona Reets-Dupont.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 14: 

✅ 1️⃣ ⭐️ Pierina Sanchez (*I) (PC) 🐺
❌ Fernando Cabrera

Pierina Sanchez is a progressive council member who has led the legislative push to protect and license more street vendors. She is being challenged from the right by Fernando Cabrera, who has an anti-LGBTQ+ record and a history of running against leftists in office like AOC and Gustavo Rivera. 

Other names on your ballot: Bryan Hodge Vazquez, a first-time candidate running on a pro-LGBTQ+ platform, but without major endorsements.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 17: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ Antirson Ortiz 🐺
✅ 2️⃣ & 3️⃣: Justin Sanchez & Elvis Santana 🐺 🐺 in whatever order you choose!

Rank all three.

Other names on your ballot: Freddy Perez Jr.

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Bronx incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

Council District 12: Kevin Riley (*I)

Council District 15: Oswald Feliz (*I)

Council District 18: Amanda Farias (*I) (PC) 🐺

QUEENS

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 21: [Open seat]

✅ 1️⃣ Erycka Montoya 🐺
✅ 2️⃣ Shanel Thomas-Henry 🐺 

Other names on your ballot: David Aiken, Yanna Henriquez.

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 28: [Open seat] 

✅ 1️⃣ & 2️⃣ Tyrell Hankerson & Latoya LeGrand 🐺 🐺 in whatever order you choose!

Other names on your ballot: Romeo Hitlall, Ruben Wills, Japneet Singh.

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Queens incumbents who are almost certain to be re-elected:

Council District 19: Vickie Paladino (*I) - Republican district

Council District 20: Sandra Ung (*I)

Council District 22: ⭐️ Tiffany Cabán (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 23: Linda Lee (*I)

Council District 24: James Gennaro (*I)

Council District 25: Shekar Krishnan (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 26: Julie Won (*I) (PC) 🐺

Council District 27: Dr. Nantasha Williams (*I) (PC)

Council District 29: Lynn Schulman (*I)

Council District 31: Selvena Brooks-Powers (*I)

Council District 32: Joann Ariola (*I) - Republican district

Queens Borough President: Donovan Richards (*I)

STATEN ISLAND

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COUNCIL DISTRICT 49:

✅ 1️⃣ Sarah Blas 🐺

Other names on your ballot: Kamillah Hanks (*I) and Abou Diakhate

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Staten Island races with no Democratic party contest:

Council District 50

Council District 51

Staten Island Borough President

JUDGES & JUDICIAL DELEGATES 

Depending on where you live, you might see Judges and/or slates of Judicial Delegates on your ballot. We do not have recommendations on the Judicial Delegates as there are hundreds of candidates and those races are hyper local. We have one candidate for Judge that we are recommending:

Queens 1st Municipal Court District: Judge of the Civil Court

✅ Juliette-Noor Haji

Voter Information

Only voters registered as Democrats can vote in the primary on June 24th.* 

Are you registered to vote in the Democratic primary? Check your voter registration status using the voter look up tool from the State Board of Elections.

• Look for a box titled “Voter Information.” It should have your name, address, and Voter Status & Political Party: if it says Active, you are registered to vote in the general election in November. If it says Democratic, you are registered to vote in the Democratic primary election on June 24

If you need to register to vote:

• Remember to enroll in the Democratic Party, so you’ll be eligible to vote in the Democratic primary election on June 24!
• Apply online by June 14.
• Or apply by mail and postmark your application by June 14.
• Or apply in-person at your borough Board of Elections office by June 23, Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm.

If you need to change your name or address for your voter registration:

• You need to have lived in your current district for at least 30 days.
• Update your address online by June 9.

If you’d like to vote by mail, there are three steps:

1. Request an early mail-in ballot:

• Online by June 14 - available if you are already registered to vote
• In person at your borough Board of Elections office by June 23, Monday-Friday 9:00am–5:00pm.
• Early ballots are available to anyone for any reason. Absentee ballots are available if you’ll be unable to vote at regular poll site hours.

2. Fill out your ballot

3. Return your filled-out ballot:

• by mail, in the envelope that comes with the ballot (no postage needed), postmarked by June 24.
• or in person to your early voting site (remember to check what time it’s open) from Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, June 22.
• or in-person to your election day poll site on Tuesday, June 24 6:00 am–9:00 pm.

EARLY VOTING IN-PERSON: Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, June 22 is early voting! Find your early voting site and hours here. (Note: your early voting site may be different from your election-day polling place).

ELECTION DAY IN-PERSON VOTING: Tuesday, June 24 is Democratic primary election day! Polls are open 6:00 am–9:00 pm. Find your election day poll site at FindMyPollSite.vote.nyc.

*Note: If you are registered without a party, or as an Independent, Working Families party, etc. then you can only vote in the general election in November. We highly recommend that you register as a Democrat because the Democratic primary elections are usually the ones that determine the outcome of elections in New York City. Unfortunately, if you are already a registered voter, but not as a Democrat, the deadline has passed to switch parties (it was in February).

Please share this guide!

If you found this guide useful, please share it widely with your families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. jfrej.org/ballot And if you aren’t yet a member of JFREJ, please join us at jfrej.org/join!