Historic Election for Women Candidates
July 7, 2021 – New York, NY – For the first time in NYC history, women will make up the majority of the City Council when newly-elected members take the oath of office in January 2022, ushering in a new era of women’s leadership.
“Women are running for office in huge numbers, and they are winning,” said Sonia Ossorio, executive director of NOW-NYC. “In NYC the results are dramatic with a wholesale women-led overhaul of the power structure of the City Council.”
Women will likely win 29 of the 51 council seats, increasing women’s leadership participation to 57%. This is a dramatic change for a City Council which for years had only 11 out of 51 seats filled by women. (The current count stands at 14.)
Women of color have taken a prominent role, getting elected throughout the city.
“The surge in women of color running for office and going on to win is historic. This is transformational change at its core,” Ossorio said. “This is an important victory for our members.”
NOW-NYC launched its Women Front & Center campaign to harness women’s significant political power, elect more women leaders, and to center our issues in the debate on the future of NYC.
”On the heels of a pandemic that has disproportionately harmed women and communities of color, NOW-NYC-backed leaders are ready to remake our city,” Ossorio said. “On day one, we are ready to work with them to improve women’s job opportunities and childcare options and to reduce sexual violence and healthcare disparities.”
NOW-NYC ignites change for the women and girls of New York. We advance laws, promote women in politics, fight for reproductive justice, challenge discrimination and violence against women, and act NOW.
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NOW-Endorsed City Council Primary Winners
District #5 – Manhattan – Julie Menin
District #6 – Manhattan – Gale Brewer
District #8 – Manhattan – Diana Ayala
District #13 – Bronx – Marjorie Velázquez
District #16 – Bronx – Althea Stevens
District #18 – Bronx – Amanda Farias
District #25 – Queens – Shekar Krishnan
District #28 – Queens – Adrienne Adams
District #29 – Queens – Lynn Schulman
District #45 – Brooklyn – Farah Louis
District #51 – Staten Island – Olivia Drabczyk
See our Complete 2021 City Council Voter Guide
Get the full 2021 Primary Election results here