There is little question the marquee matchup in Tuesday’s general election is a hotly contested City Council race in southern Brooklyn.

The race features two sitting councilmembers — Republican Ari Kagan and Democrat Justin Brannan.


What You Need To Know

  • Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

  • The spotlight will be on City Council races, with all 51 council seats on the ballot

  • Three candidates are competing for the newly drawn, majority-Asian District 43: Democrat Susan Zhuang, Republican Ying Tan and Conservative Party candidate Vito LaBella

  • Three district attorneys are up for re-election. Voters will also decide on judgeships and two statewide constitutional amendments regarding debt limits

 

Your Voter Guide on the Spectrum News App

 

During last year’s redistricting process, both men were drawn into the newly configured District 47, from Bay Ridge all the way to Coney Island.

Southern Brooklyn has been trending increasingly Republican, so Democrats like Brannan have positioned themselves as moderates.

The same goes for Democrat Susan Zhuang in the neighboring District 43, which includes parts of Sunset Park, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Gravesend.

In fact, Zhuang, at times, has sounded much like her Republican opponent, Ying Tan.

They are running to represent a newly drawn, majority-Asian district that has no incumbent. The presence of a third candidate, Conservative Party nominee Vito LaBella, adds an element of unpredictability to the race.

In the northeast Bronx, Democratic incumbent Marjorie Velázquez is also tacking toward the center as she seeks to fend off Republican challenger Kristy Marmorato.

In northeast Queens, meanwhile, Republican firebrand Vickie Paladino finds herself in a rematch against Democrat Tony Avella, who lost to her by fewer than 400 votes in 2021.

But many councilmembers are running unopposed or face only token opposition.

Similarly, of the three district attorneys running for re-election.

Only Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz has any opponents. Bronx DA Darcel Clark and Staten Island DA Michael McMahon appear on the ballot unopposed.  

There are also judgeships on the ballot, and voters statewide will decide on two constitutional amendments, both regarding debt limits. One would allow small cities to borrow more money for school construction projects; the other would make it easier for localities to build sewage infrastructure.

Election Day is Tuesday, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.