Riding on a huge voter turnout, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani swept to the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York. Meanwhile, Caribbean Democratic legislators in New York easily won re-election in Tuesday’s General Elections.
With 90 % of the ballots counted, New York City Democratic Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, received 1,362,196 votes, or 72.9 %; Republican Gonzalo Duran received 465,113 votes, or 24.9%; and Independent Martin Dolan obtained 42,314 votes, or 2.3%.
In District 46 in Brooklyn, with 88 % of the ballots counted, Haitian-born, New York City Democratic Council Member incumbent Mercedes Narcisse received 24,622 votes, or 67.9 %; Republican Athena Clarke received 10,012 votes, or 27.6 %; and Guyanese-born Dimple Willabus, running as a Conservative, received 1,643 votes, or 4.5%.
In District 45 in Brooklyn, with 88 % of the ballots counted, New York City Democratic Council Member incumbent Farah Louis, the daughter of Haitian and Bahamian immigrants, garnered 31,611 votes, or 84.7 %; Republican Joshua received 4,248 votes, or 11.4 %; and Hatem El-Gamasy, running as the “Other” candidate, received 1,464 votes, or 3.9 %.
With 88 % of the ballots counted in District 35 in Brooklyn, Democratic New York City Council Member incumbent Crystal Hudson, whose grandmother hailed from Jamaica, received 53,011 votes, or 93.0 %; Conservative Benny Rosenberger received 3,056 votes, or 5.4 %; and Hector Robertson, running as “Other” candidate, received 933 votes, or 1.6%.
In District 42, also in Brooklyn, incumbent New York City Democratic Council Member Chris Banks, whose mother hailed from Trinidad and Tobago, received 22,277 votes, or 95.8 %; and Davon Phillips, running as “Other,” received 975 votes, or 4.2%.
“I’m grateful to the over 2 million New Yorkers who made their voices heard at the polls today, setting a new direction for our city,” Williams told Caribbean Life after he was projected winner late Tuesday night. “I am ready and eager to be a steward of it.
“Even as we face constant challenges and threats— many from our own federal government — I find hope and even optimism in the people of our city and the leadership they have chosen today,” he added. “This is an opportunity to admit that many of the systems of government and styles of politics in our city have failed the people we are meant to serve. It is a moment to honestly confront the way’ things are done’ and create something new – not sheer idealism, but progress rooted in and driven by our ideals.
“New Yorkers voted their values today, and we must govern guided by those values,” Williams continued. “As Public Advocate, my role and responsibility are to hold the powerful to account, to serve as the voice of people navigating our city, to stand with New Yorkers in need. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly in a moment when too many feel unheard or are being silenced.”
Williams said he was “honored and humbled that so many New Yorkers have continued to place their trust in him to fill that role in this moment of change.
“I am ready to drive that change together with my partners in government — supporting when possible and speaking out when necessary,” he said. “That is the job my office and I have always worked to carry out, and one I’m invigorated to carry forward.”
New York City Council Member Narcisse, a registered nurse by training, said she was also “deeply humbled and grateful to the people of the 46th District for once again placing their trust in me to serve as their council member.
“This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to every resident, volunteer, and supporter who stood with me, who believed in our message, and who knows that hard work and compassion still matter in public service,” she told Caribbean Life.
Narcisse acknowledged that it was “not an easy campaign,” stating that there were “challenges, there was politics as usual, and there was negativity.
“But we never lost focus,” she said. “We stayed true to our values and kept delivering our message of progress, work, and community.
“As a nurse, I’ve spent my life caring for others, and that same spirit guides how I serve,” Narcisse added. “Over the past four years, I’ve fought to bring resources to our schools, improve our parks, strengthen our hospitals, and uplift families across District 46.
“I’m honored to have another four years to continue this work, to keep fighting for fairness, equity, and opportunity for all,” she continued. “Together, we’ve proven that, when you stay grounded in community, work hard, and are committed to results, the people will always stand with you.”
Louis told Caribbean Life that she was “deeply grateful to the residents of the 45th Council District for entrusting me with another term to continue our fight for affordability, public safety, and quality of life.
“I look forward to working tirelessly on their behalf over the next four years,” she said. “It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Council District 45,” she said. “As I seek my final term, I am more energized than ever to continue delivering real results for our neighbors.
“The work we’ve accomplished together is just the beginning, and I will not stop until we’ve built a foundation for lasting change in our district,” Louis added. “Throughout my tenure, I have been a tireless champion for the most vulnerable members of our community and New York City, while fighting relentlessly to improve the quality of life for all District 45 residents.”
New York City Council Member Rita Joseph, the Haitian-born representative for the 40th District in Brooklyn, stated that she did not have a challenger in the General Election.
She, however, thanked voters again for trusting her to be their representative at City Hall.
“It is an honor and a responsibility that I do not take lightly and one that I will continue to work tirelessly to fulfill so that we can have a district where everyone thrives,” Joseph told Caribbean Life. “I hope that all we have accomplished and all we will accomplish makes you proud to be a member of our community.”
Joseph said that, during her first four years and in her time as chair of the Education Committee in the City Council, she has “done so much to improve our schools.
“Whether it’s protecting hundreds of millions of dollars in funding cuts, expanding afterschool and summer youth programming, improving school infrastructure and technology access, or ensuring that our students have access to mental health services, I’m proud of what we’ve been able to get done for our students,” she said. “But I also know we’re just getting started.
“Alongside the new administration and Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, I know we have a lot more work to do to make our district, our borough, and our city more livable for everyone,” added Joseph, stating that she also stands ready to work with Mamdani and her City Council colleagues “to defend our city from President Trump, and an increasingly hostile and incompetent federal government.
“Together, we can improve our city in a multitude of ways,” she continued. “We need to take on our housing crisis by bringing down the cost of rent by increasing our housing supply to ensure affordability, particularly for our communities. We need to keep our neighborhoods safe by investing in holistic approaches to public safety and providing the necessary resources, comprehensive training, and real accountability that reflect the unique needs of every community. We need to keep our streets clean by allocating the proper resources to mitigate trash, rats, and other issues.
“We need to take real, actionable steps to continue to prepare our city for the ongoing climate crisis through flood prevention and storm readiness,” Joseph said. “And we need to ensure that every New York City resident can access quality, affordable health care on demand.”
She said all of this is possible “when we work together and hold each other accountable.
“I hope, over the next four years, my colleagues and the new administration will first and foremost be accountable to you, and that I can count on your continued support,” Joseph urged constituents. “I’m here to work for you each and every day. I thank you again for your votes and your continued faith in me to represent you.”
