City Councilmember Keith Powers has filed to run for Manhattan borough president. 

Powers' entrance into the race comes just days after current Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine announced his interest in running for city comptroller next year. 

“I’ve called Manhattan my home my entire life. I’m a born and bred Manhattan resident. I’ve had the honor the last seven years of serving the community that I live and was raised in. And I’m excited to bring that entire experience to the entire borough of Manhattan,” Powers told NY1 on Monday.

“I’m not running against Mark Levine in any scenario. I’m running with a vacancy here,” he added. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to continue work that I really care about. That has been predominately around land use issues, housing issues, fixing quality of life issues.”

Powers was first elected to represent City Council District 4 in 2017, which covers much of Midtown and the East Side of Manhattan. He is term-limited at the end of 2025. 

One of the top issues Powers is prioritizing is housing. 

The city is facing a housing crisis that Mayor Eric Adams has made a priority for his administration, which includes a plan to convert many offices in Manhattan to housing units. 

“In our borough, we’re continuing to see rents soar to out of control places. We have to take measures to add more housing to our great neighborhoods in Manhattan while also making sure that we’re fighting to protect the tenants who are facing insecurity,” Powers said.

Powers pointed to his efforts to rent-stabilize apartments in Stuyvesant Town, and his work creating new affordable apartments in Midtown. 

Powers also said he plans to focus on small business, noise and everyday quality of life issues. 

“We hear about these pesky issues on everyone’s block, whether it’s trash or scaffolding. We’ve done a lot of work at the City Council to address those issues,” Powers said.

With the primary 10 months away, Powers said he looks forward to getting his message out to all Manhattanites.

“What my job today has taught me is that all districts have the same issues: it’s security around our housing, it’s having a safe and clean neighborhood, it’s making sure they have a vibrant neighborhood with good small businesses and that government is being responsive to their needs,” Powers said.

“I’m really excited to get out there and talk to voters at every subway station and every event I can get to,” he added.