2021 NYC primary results roundup

View this email in your browser

Hi All,

As many of you know, on June 22nd, NYC held its primary for all city elected offices, and in the weeks that have followed, rounds of updates with the first citywide use of ranked choice voting have now given us nearly complete results on the races. In NYC, where the voter base is overwhelmingly Democratic, the primaries virtually confirm the next body of representatives in City Hall and the City Council.

As leaders in Tech:NYC’s member companies, we wanted to pass along the latest results for all races here, plus our takeaways as we look ahead to the general election in November and the swearing in of new officials in January.

If you have additional questions about the elections or would like more information about any race or candidate, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best,Ryan

NYC's Next Mayor: Eric AdamsCurrent Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will be sworn in as NYC’s next mayor in January, earning 50.4 percent of the vote after eight rounds of ranked choice voting tabulations.

• Between now and then, he’ll face the Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, in the November general election, but with the city’s heavily Democratic voter base, Sliwa has virtually no chance of winning. Sliwa is a television personality who created the Guardian Angels in the 1980s, always wears a red beret, and is known for living in a studio apartment with 15 rescue cats. 

Adams’ “100 Steps Plan” includes several tech-related proposals he intends to bring to City Hall, including:

• Provide financial and zoning incentives for start-ups and the life sciences industry

• Expand micromobility and expedite congestion pricing (he’s an avid cyclist)

• Allow building inspections by drones

• Increase job training for tech and life science careers

• Create one digital platform to analyze all city data and create one app for all city services

• Universal broadband access

• A data tax on “big tech companies” (NYC cannot raise or lower its own taxes and this would require action at the state level)

He, of course, will prioritize ongoing COVID relief and recovery efforts, public safety measures, and transportation issues. Learn more here.

NYC’s Next City CouncilCity Council races were also closely watched this year, with 35 of the 51 seats becoming open to new leadership due to term limits. Of the current 51 Council Members, 48 are Democrats and 3 are Republicans. The results could bring in some history-setting shifts to the body:

• 29 women will join the Council next year, the first ever female majority (there are currently 14). Learn more here. The Council will also welcome its first Muslim woman, openly gay Black woman, Korean member, and South Asian members.

• Slightly more than half of primary winners were endorsed by progressive organizations, and eight districts represented by traditional Democrats flipped and will be replaced by more progressives officials.

• The Chair of the Council’s Committee on Technology, Robert Holden, a strong supporter of the city’s tech ecosystem, was reelected to his seat.

Some of the legislative issues we’re closely watching include:

• Support for micromobility options and other transit accessibility measures, including the addition of more bike lanes in all five boroughs; expanding the e-scooter pilot outside of the Bronx; and permanently converting more streets for cars to public use.

• Using tech to modernize and improve the delivery of city services.

• Support from in-district Council Members for large economic development projects requiring zoning changes will likely remain difficult to obtain without significant community investments. Council Members have veto power over these projects, like the Industry City expansion and rezoning in Sunset Park.