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A Guide To All Those Other Races You'll Be Voting For This Month
By
Patricia Willens
and
James Ramsay
Published Jun 11, 2021
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Scott Lynch/Gothamist
By
Patricia Willens
and
James Ramsay
Published Jun 11, 2021
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This year, Democratic primary voters will not only select their mayoral candidates from the largest field since 1977 — they'll have the option (take it!) to rank their top five individuals from that field. And then there are all those other names on the ballot.
There’s the comptroller, who will oversee how the city spends its massive influx of state and federal funds. Four out of five borough presidents will be elected this month. With term limits pushing a giant wave of City Council members out of office, over two-thirds of the Council contests will go to newcomers. Plus, there are the judges.
To know who’s running in your neck of the woods, check out a sample ballot specific to your location.
Read More: Early Voting Starts Saturday: Here's What You Need To Know
Here, we’ve compiled a tidy list of what positions are on the ballot and who’s running.
Comptroller
The person who holds this job manages the city’s public pension funds — which contain more than $250 billion in assets — and serves as a fiscal watchdog over city agencies and departments. Though few people how to even pronounce the job title, it is considered an important political post — seven of the last eight comptrollers ran for mayor. (Only one won.)
➡️What Does A Comptroller Do, And Who’s Running? Here's our guide.
➡️NYC Comptroller Candidates Vie For The Spotlight In First Official Debate
Public Advocate
The public advocate is largely a ceremonial figure — they don't have a vote in the City Council, for example — but it's still a citywide position with a bully pulpit that commands attention. The public advocate is also technically the second highest-ranking official in New York City, and stands first in line to assume mayoral duties if the mayor can't perform the job.
➡️What Does A Public Advocate Do? Learn more here.
➡️Who’s running? Here's our guide.
Manhattan DA
The office of the Manhattan District Attorney has jurisdiction over the heart of the U.S. financial services industry, a.k.a. Wall Street. They pursue high-profile cases, including the one looking into the business dealings of the former president. And the visibility of the job gives the DA national influence in debates over issues such as police reform and decarceration.
➡️What Does The Manhattan DA Do? Learn more here.
➡️Who’s running? Here's our guide.
Borough President
Considered a borough’s champion and cheerleader, a borough president weighs in on land-use issues, distributes funds, and appoints people to local boards and roles. It can also be a political stepping stone, with the current Brooklyn Borough President and mayoral candidate Eric Adams being a case in point.
➡️What does a Borough President do? Learn more here.
➡️Who is running? Here are our guides by borough:
City Council
This year, there are literally hundreds of candidates vying for a seat in the 51-member City Council, where budgets are set, agencies are held accountable, and new laws are passed. Citywide issues such as police reform are at the center of some races. And many Council districts have a lot of candidates running, so make sure to check out your local ballot ahead of time and research your options.
➡️What does a Council Member do? Learn more here.
Judges
Most of the judges on this year’s ballot are running for open seats in Civil Court where they will oversee cases involving tenant-landlord disputes and small claims of up to $25,000. You'll find our guide to who is running below, and you can also listen to this segment from the Brian Lehrer Show about local judges and what they do.
➡️Who Is Running? Here's our guide.
Tagged
manhattan da
comptroller
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City Council
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Patricia Willens
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James Ramsay
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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