Vanessa Gibson’s rise in local politics — a journey that started when she succeeded her late mentor Aurelia Greene as a state assemblywoman in 2009 followed by a run as a city councilwoman beginning in 2013 — continued Tuesday as she scored a historic win on election night to become the first female and first Black Bronx borough president.
Gibson, the incumbent District 16 NYC councilwoman, received 79% of the vote while cruising by her nearest challenger Republican Janelle King’s 13% — with 96% percent of scanners reporting — according to the city Board of Elections, just after midnight Wednesday morning. Gibson, a Democrat, said her substantial margin of victory is humbling and a sign of how far women of color have come in making an impact in local politics.
