The special election for the 45th City Council district might be today, but that is just setting the stage for an even bigger race as a primary election and general election are slated for later this year.
There are currently eight candidates vying to fill the vacant seat left open by now Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who include Farah Louis, Monique Chandler-Waterman, Jovia Radix, Xamayla Rose, Anthony Alexis, Victor Jordan, Rickie Tulloch and Adina Sash.
The district includes East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park, and Midwood. The special election is today, but there will be a primary about six weeks later on June 25.
Due to election laws, according to the NYC Board of Elections, whoever wins tonight’s special election will serve through the end of this year. Then whoever wins the primary will run in the general election slated for this November. That winner will serve starting in Jan. 2020 through the end of 2021.
As there is not likely to be a Republican candidate in the race, which would make the winner of the June primary a shoe-in.
According to Anthony Nasti from the Board of Elections, this could potentially lead to two different individuals filling out the term left until 2021.
Williams was hoping to not set off a special election earlier this year, leading to mix-up on who the Public Advocate was as he had a private swearing in ceremony. However, he also faces a November general election showdown against City Council member Joseph Borelli (R-Staten Island). The winner will serve out until the 2021 election.
All these election rules are per the current city charter – rules that the City’s Charter Revision Commission is looking to possible reform an change.
All eight 45th City Council District candidates currently qualify for the primary next month, which could set up an intense battle royale until the end of the year as tonight’s loser(s) could mount an intense campaign.
Though Louis and Chandler-Waterman are the front-runners going into tonight’s election, both Rose and Radix are close behind with community and local political support.
Rose was supposedly the candidate favored by the Ernest Skinner political club and even got the endorsement from failed candidate Anthony Beckford. While Radix is a product of the Thomas Jefferson club and has been a politically active individual her whole life and whose mother is a well-known judge.
