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New York City's 51st City Council district

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New York City's 51st City Council district
Government
 • Councilmember. Joe Borelli
. RAnnadale
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total157,906
Demographics
 • White84%
 • Hispanic9%
 • Asian5%
 • Black1%
 • Other1%
Registration
 • Republican41.9%
 • Democratic30.3%
 • No party preference22.5%
Registered voters (2021) 121,993[2]

New York City's 51st City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been represented by Republican Joe Borelli since a 2015 special election to replace fellow Republican Vincent Ignizio.[3]

The district holds a number of distinctions. It is by far the most Republican-leaning Council district in the city; it is the only Council district to have more registered Republicans than Democrats; and, at 84% white, it is the city's whitest and most politically conservative Council district.

Geography

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District 51 covers the South Shore of Staten Island, including the neighborhoods of Great Kills, Tottenville, Annadale, Huguenot, Rossville, Pleasant Plains, Eltingville, Bay Terrace, Charleston, Prince's Bay, Richmond Valley, Woodrow, Arden Heights, Greenridge, and parts of Heartland Village and New Springville.[4]

The district includes a large number of parks, among them Great Kills Park, Blue Heron Park, Wolfe's Pond Park, Long Pond Park, Conference House Park, Bloomingdale Park, Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, and the southern parts of Freshkills Park and the Staten Island Greenbelt.

The district overlaps with Staten Island Community Boards 2 and 3, and is contained entirely within New York's 11th congressional district. It also overlaps with the 24th district of the New York State Senate, and with the 62nd, 63rd, and 64th districts of the New York State Assembly.[5]

Members representing the district

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Members Party Years served Electoral history
District established January 1, 1992

Alfred C. Cerullo III
(Great Kills)
Republican January 1, 1992 –
February 28, 1994
Redistricted from the 1st district and seated in 1992.
Re-elected in 1993.
Resigned to become Commissioner on Consumer Affairs.
Vacant February 28, 1994 –
April 27, 1994

Vito Fossella
(Great Kills)
Republican April 27, 1994 –
November 4, 1997
Elected to finish Cerullo's term.
Re-elected in 1994.
Retired when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vacant November 4, 1997 –
January 1, 1998

Stephen Fiala
(Eltingville)
Republican January 1, 1998 –
December 31, 2001
Elected in 1997.
Retired.

Andrew Lanza
(Great Kills)
Republican January 1, 2002 –
December 31, 2006
Elected in 2001.
Re-elected in 2003.
Re-elected in 2005.
Resigned when elected to the New York State Senate.
Vacant December 31, 2006 –
February 20, 2007

Vincent M. Ignizio
(Annadale)
Republican February 20, 2007 –
July 10, 2015
Elected to finish Lanza's term.
Re-elected in 2007.
Re-elected in 2009.
Re-elected in 2013.
Resigned.
Vacant July 10, 2015 –
November 30, 2015

Joe Borelli
(Annadale)
Republican November 30, 2015 –
present
Elected to finish Ignizio's term.
Re-elected in 2017.
Re-elected in 2021.
Re-elected in 2023.
Will term out in 2025.

Recent election results

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2023 (redistricting)

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Due to redistricting and the 2020 changes to the New York City Charter, councilmembers elected during the 2021 and 2023 City Council elections will serve two-year terms, with full four-year terms resuming after the 2025 New York City Council elections.[6]

2023 New York City Council election, District 51[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Borelli 8,519
Conservative Joe Borelli 1,589
Total Joe Borelli (incumbent) 10,108 96.7
Write-in 342 3.3
Total votes 10,450 100.0
Republican hold

2021

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Map
An interactive map of District 51

In 2019, voters in New York City approved Ballot Question 1, which implemented ranked-choice voting in all local primary and special elections. Under the new system, voters have the option to rank up to five candidates for every local office. Voters whose first-choice candidates fare poorly will have their votes redistributed to other candidates in their ranking until one candidate surpasses the 50 percent threshold. If one candidate surpasses 50 percent in first-choice votes, then ranked-choice tabulations will not occur.[8]

2021 New York City Council election, District 51[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Borelli 31,621
Conservative Joe Borelli 2,630
Total Joe Borelli (incumbent) 34,251 83.7
Democratic Olivia Drabczyk 6,628 16.2
Write-in 24 0.1
Total votes 40,903 100
Republican hold

2017

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2017 New York City Council election, District 51[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Joe Borelli 25,184
Conservative Joe Borelli 3,690
Independence Joe Borelli 498
Reform Joe Borelli 154
Total Joe Borelli (incumbent) 29,526 80.1
Democratic Dylan Schwartz 6,692
Working Families Dylan Schwartz 579
Total Dylan Schwartz 7,271 19.7
Write-in 77 0.2
Total votes 36,874 100
Republican hold

2015 special

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In 2015, Councilman Vincent Ignizio resigned his seat to take a job in the nonprofit sector, leaving his seat vacant. A special election was called to fill his seat; like most municipal special elections in New York City, the election was officially nonpartisan, with candidates running on ballot lines of their own creation.

2015 New York City Council special election, District 51[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
South Shore First Joe Borelli 9,111 97.9
Write-in 198 2.1
Total votes 9,309 100

2013

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2013 New York City Council election, District 51[13]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Vincent Ignizio 15,157
Conservative Vincent Ignizio 2,434
Independence Vincent Ignizio 734
Total Vincent Ignizio (incumbent) 18,325 73.6
Democratic Chris Walsh 6,540 26.3
Write-in 25 0.1
Total votes 24,890 100
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ "Census Demographics at the NYC City Council district (CNCLD) level". NYC Open Data. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "Council District Summary Report" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. February 21, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  3. ^ "District 51 - Joseph C. Borelli". New York City Council. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "Council Members & Districts". New York City Council. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "NYC Boundaries Map". BetaNYC. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  6. ^ Pazmino, Gloria (January 15, 2020). "Why the Census Means NYC Lawmakers Will Serve 2-Year Terms Instead of 4". www.ny1.com. New York 1. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "General Election 2023 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Rachel Holliday Smith (January 18, 2021). "How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work in New York City?". The City. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  9. ^ "Primary Contest List" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  10. ^ "General Election 2021 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "General Election 2017 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "General Election 2015 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "General Election 2013 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.