Who’s Running for Borough President — And Why You Should Care

This year, elected offices across the city are up for grabs: all 51 City Council seats, comptroller and mayor. New Yorkers in each county also have the opportunity to select their next borough president, a role that’s something like a local mini-mayor.

BPs, or “beeps” for fun, have a lot less power than the mayor, but they act as cheerleaders for their borough, and have a lot of sway over appointments to various civic boards, land use decisions, how money is allocated to community projects, and more.

“If you care about the identity and community of a borough, if you care about the resources going into your community — you’re going to care who your borough president is,” said Sharon Lee, who served as interim Queens borough president in 2020. 

We spoke to Lee and former Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (now a Council member) about what a borough president is and why you should care — and at the end, a brief guide on who’s running for the office in each borough:

What a borough president does 

If you care about what gets built in the city — and how — you should care about your borough president. Development, zoning, real estate — “it’s the main issue, to be honest with you,” said Brewer, especially in Manhattan.

The borough president officially weighs in on land use proposals with an advisory vote and a written decision. While their input isn’t binding, it can be quite influential to the City Council members who have ultimate say.

The BP’s sway trickles down through the community boards via their appointments of those groups’ volunteer members. BPs handle the community board application process, from creating the form, to interviewing, selecting and appointing candidates.

This gives them significant power to shape the boards according to their goals, and it can have a big impact on neighborhoods. For example, as THE CITY has reported, Borough President Mark Levine has appointed many pro-housing members to Manhattan’s community boards in recent years — much to the chagrin of some preservationist members who have not been reappointed.

And it’s not just the community boards. BPs also appoint people to many other civic groups. “There are a number of hospital boards, library boards — all these different roles of civic engagement,” said Lee. “So discerning who are the right people to serve in those roles, and to amplify voices of all the communities, as diverse as they are, I think that’s really important.”

Borough presidents also have the time and the know-how to bring different groups together to tackle specific issues: Former Manhattan Deputy Borough President Adrian Bonilla told THE CITY in 2021 that he thought of the role as the “convener in chief.”

Brewer agrees: “You’re the convener — you’re the Manhattan person who knows all 12 [community] boards, all the neighborhoods, the problems that needed to be addressed,” she said. During her tenure, Brewer created multiple task forces: from help for struggling churches being pressured to sell real estate, to ways to improve construction safety and study small businesses. 

“We had materials or legislation that came out of every single one,” she said.

The BPs also have 5% of the city expenses budget at their disposal to fund local initiatives, like buying technology for public schools, renovating local parks or spearheading community health outreach.

What to look for in a borough president candidate

To Lee, the borough president needs to be someone you can trust to make decisions for what resources go where. 

“Knowing that resources are not unlimited and how to allocate them in the fairest way, and an equitable way, requires discernment,” she said. 

Both Lee and Brewer agreed that a good borough president prioritizes listening to their constituents. During her tenure, Brewer moved the BP’s offices to street level so people could just walk in and talk with her staff. “We did a ton of constituent work — at that time we were the only elected official in Harlem on the street, everybody else was in that tall building,” she said, referring to the state office building.

Lastly, since the BP’s role is mostly advisory, there’s a lot of flexibility in what projects they take on. “There are charter-mandated things that we have to do, but there’s also a lot of leeway in terms of what priorities and what agenda an individual borough president wants to take in her or his tenure,” Lee explained.

So, when voting, look for someone who has a track record of getting things done, and whose priorities align with yours. 

“People think they’re not relevant and I understand that,” said Brewer of the role. “But I can tell you, you have to fight for your borough. There is nobody else doing that fighting.”

Who’s running?

THE BRONX

Vanessa Gibson (D)

Vanessa Gibson was elected in 2021 as the Bronx borough president. Before that, she was a member of the State Assembly and the City Council. 

During her tenure, she’s partnered with local farmers markets to combat food insecurity, worked on maternal health and public safety initiatives, and assisted with the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory.

She’s racked up powerful endorsements so far this year: the Bronx Democratic Party, unions like 1199 and 32BJ SEIU, the Working Families Party and other elected officials in The Bronx. 

But despite being “well-liked,” as described by City Limits, she’s facing a rare competitive challenger: Rafael Salamanca.

Rafael Salamanca (D)

City Councilmember Rafael Salamanca is running to unseat Gibson, and he’s making a powerful go at it: He’s currently raised $762,724 according to Campaign Finance Board records, nearly double the amount that Gibson has (though he has fewer weighty endorsements).

He’s currently chair of the City Council’s Land Use Committee, where he sponsored a bill requiring developers looking for city subsidies to set aside 15% of units for people experiencing homelessness. 

“I’m a product of the South Bronx, I was born and raised here and I’m currently raising my 10-year-old son here,” Salamanca said in a forum at Lehman College in early May. “I run for borough president because Bronx families deserve leadership that fights for them, delivers results and ensures that our borough remains a place where Bronx residents can raise their families and thrive.”

BROOKLYN

Antonio Reynoso (D)

Antonio Reynoso was elected Brooklyn borough president in 2021. He was raised in a Dominican family on the south side of  Williamsburg where he still lives today, according to his campaign. He was previously on the City Council, where he chaired the Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee.

He has earned a large slate of endorsements, from elected officials like Rep. Nydia Velasquez (D-NY), Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the WFP, and unions like 32BJ SEIU and the United Auto Workers.

During his tenure, Reynoso has focused on health, allocating $40 million in 2023 to build maternal health facilities in Brooklyn’s three public hospitals. He also unveiled an ambitious plan for the borough called “a proposal for a different way to manage the city,” which included adding more bike lanes and parking fees to pay for them, planting more trees, and rezoning to expand housing.

Brooklyn Borough President candidates Khari Edwards, left, Janine Acquafredda and Antonio Reynoso Credit: Khari Edwards/facebook, Janine for Brooklyn Borough President/Facebook, Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY

Khari Edwards (D)

Khari Edwards is the head of corporate responsibility at Ayr Wellness, a cannabis company. He lost to Reynoso in 2021, and has not held elected office before. 

Born in Crown Heights, Edwards is a community advocate, and founded the initiative to reduce gun violence “It Starts Here.” As borough president, he pledges to prioritize education and job training, focus on constituent services, and further his work to prevent gun violence. 

He’s been successfully fundraising, and with public matching funds has $469,835 in his campaign coffers. (Reynoso has $756,296, according to the last disclosure.) Edwards has also been endorsed by prominent buildings workers union DC37.

Janine Acquafredda (R)

Janine Acquafredda, a conservative candidate for borough president, is a real estate broker. She was born and raised in New York.

Acquafredda has raised a little under $4,000, and has not yet qualified for public matching funds. She says she’s focused on improving public safety, expanding opportunities for first-time homebuyers and advocating for New Yorkers who drive. 

“I’m not ashamed to say it: I have a car. And I pay for these streets,” Acquafredda said in a speech to the Brooklyn Republican Club in early May. “Why is Citi Bike — who’s actually owned by Lyft — why are they profiting off of putting their bikes in my parking spots?”

As the only Republican running in Brooklyn, Acquafredda faces no primary challenge and will be on the ballot in November.

MANHATTAN

There is no incumbent in the Manhattan race (current Borough President Mark Levine is running for comptroller), so the path is cleared for three Democratic candidates in the race.

Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D)

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal’s website boasts that in the 12 years since he was first sent to Albany he has passed over 350 bills “focusing on a range of issues, including housing access, affordability, public safety, LGBTQ+ rights and education.”

He’s won the endorsements of former Manhattan borough presidents Brewer and Ruth Messinger, Manhattan Democratic Party Chair Keith L. T. Wright, Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-Manhattan), and healthcare workers union 1199. Hoylman-Sigal currently has $960,906 in the bank, according to the latest campaign disclosures.

Hoylman-Sigal lives with his husband and two daughters in the West Village, and would be the first openly gay person to hold the position.

Manhattan Borough President candidates State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, left, Dr. Calvin Sun and Concilmember Keith Powers. Credit: Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY, sun4nyc.com

Keith Powers (D)

Keith Powers, the term-limited Council member representing parts of the east side of Manhattan, is running a campaign centered on land use policy and affordable housing. He’s a third-generation resident of Peter Cooper Village and StuyTown. 

Powers has narrowly outraised Hoylman-Sigal with $1,027,402 currently in his campaign coffers. He also boasts a large slate of endorsements including from Reps. Nydia Velasquez (D-Brooklyn) and Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan), along with union 32BJ and the Teamsters. 

“If you want big ideas and if you want common sense, then I really believe that I am your candidate for borough president,” Powers said at an uptown forum in March.

Calvin Sun (D)

Calvin Sun is an emergency medicine doctor and “lifelong New Yorker” who has not held public office before. Sun’s campaign is focused on healthcare for all, improving the cost of living and education, according to his website.

Sun has raised a large amount of money at $377,084, but significantly less than his opponents, who are currently working with around a million each.

Sun’s background in medicine, and his work on the front lines during the Covid-19 pandemic, inform his approach to policymaking. “People are forced into ERs because they can’t afford preventive care, or worse, they end up on the street, turning their housing crisis into a healthcare crisis,” he said to the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association about the importance of affordable housing, and how it relates to the migrant crisis and homelessness. 

STATEN ISLAND

Since both of these candidates are running unopposed within their parties, Staten Islanders will be able to cast their votes in the November general election.

Vito Fossella (R)

Vito Fossella is the current borough president of Staten Island. During his tenure, Fossella has sued the city to try and overturn congestion pricing, a law passed allowing non-citizens to vote in city elections, and City of Yes.

His run in 2021 was endorsed by President Donald Trump, which marked his return to politics after a drunk driving scandal in 2008 that revealed his secret second family. So far, Fossella’s campaign has $77,304 to its name, and no public matching funds.

Michael Colombo (D)

Michael Colombo is a Democratic challenger for Staten Island Borough President. His priorities as borough president would be affordable housing, improving public transportation (the Staten Island buses are notoriously slow) and public health, according to his campaign website.. 

Though Colombo is a Democrat, he’s stressing his identity as a working-class Staten Islander above all. “I don’t give a damn about party politics. I care about my home. I care about our families, our neighborhoods and our future,” he said at his campaign announcement.

So far, Colombo has $67,805 in his campaign coffers, and has not been awarded any matching funds.

QUEENS

Like Fossella and Colombo, the Queens borough president candidates are not part of the June primary. They will face off in November’s general election.

Henry “Ike” Ikezi (R)

Henry Ikezi works in real estate, and says on his website that through that work he has “revitalized distressed neighborhoods, creating over 1,000 homes and improving countless lives.”

Ikezi’s top issues are job training, affordable housing and public safety with increased NYPD presence. 

He’s raised over $15,000, but is now left with only $974 after spending on fundraising and consulting services, the latest campaign finance records show. 

Donovan Richards (D)

Donovan Richards is the current borough president in Queens. In office, Richards has allocated funds to bolster hospitals, affordable housing, clean energy and local nonprofit organizations.

During his time on the City Council, where he was elected in 2013, Richards was chair of the subcommittee on zoning and franchises, where he supported a significant rezoning in the Rockaways to spur housing development. He was later chair of the committee on public safety, where he “stood up to the NYPD.”

Richards raised nearly $260,000 but seems to have spent more than $270,000, leaving his campaign currently $11,296 in the red. According to campaign disclosures, he’s paid $90,418 to Dynamic SRG, a Peekskill-based campaign consultant.

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