Two political newcomers, one in Harlem and the other in southeast Brooklyn, are on the verge of defeating establishment candidates in the Democratic primaries in their respective districts.
Yusuf Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, has a commanding lead in his quest to win the Democratic nomination for the 9th Council District seat covering Harlem, according to preliminary results released by the Board of Elections.
Meanwhile, first-time candidate Chris Banks is ahead of City Council Member Charles Barron in the Democratic primary for Brooklyn’s 42nd Council District.
The two races were the highlight of an election day, marked by low voter turnout and few surprises. By 6 p.m. Tuesday only 149,484 people had cast their ballots—either on the day or during early voting.