DID Endorsements for the June 24, 2025 Primary

Critical New York City elections will be held in 2025, beginning with the Party Primary on June 24, 2025. DID conducted candidate forums for City Council Districts 1, 2, and 3, Manhattan District Attorney and Manhattan Borough President. Over 200 people attended these forums.

DID, as a member of the United Coalition of Downtown Democratic Clubs, hosted forums for Comptroller and Public Advocate on February 6th and Mayor on February 11th. Over 500 people attended the mayoral forum.

Candidate questionnaire responses, websites, forum recordings, and statements are available below.

Endorsements

New York City Council

District 1 – Christopher Marte

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Christopher Marte was born and raised on the Lower East Side, where his father owned a bodega and his mother worked in a garment factory before becoming a home attendant. Professionally, Christopher started his career managing IBM’s retirement funds while paying off his student loans. From the beginning of his political career, his desire was to unite people across the district and to ensure that all the people of the district had access to and were served by their representative.

As Council Member, Chris opened a store-front office with multi-lingual staff in the Chinatown section of the district to ensure that his diverse constituents had a place to go when they needed help. He secured major budget victories for his constituents, funding among other things:

  - A new headquarters for the Lower East Side Ecology Center in East River Park;
  - The first new playground in JHS 56 / Corlears Complex for students at University Neighborhood Middle School and other schools in the building; and,
  - An olympic-sized pool for the Harbor School on Governor’s Island.

Legislatively, Marte worked with his colleagues to expand SCRIE and DRIE rental assistance for renters in former Mitchell-Lama buildings, including Gateway Plaza in Battery Park City, Independence Plaza in TriBeCa and Knickerbocker Village on the Lower East Side. Marte also worked to pass legislation to create and map the Freedom Trail to track the abolition of slavery in New York City, with many sites in lower Manhattan.

On the housing front, Marte helped open over 200 units of permanently affordable housing on Grand Street in the lower east side. His office worked to help get people moved from shelters into permanent housing and to prevent homelessness, particularly for renters who are victims of landlord abuse and fires.

District 2 - Harvey Epstein

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Harvey Epstein is currently a State Assemblymember. Throughout his career he has focused on key issues such as protecting tenants, preserving affordable housing, reforming the criminal justice system, expanding employment for people with disabilities, improving education, promoting environmental sustainability, and protecting the rights of LGBTQIA New Yorkers. His long commitment to these issues and deep roots in the community were compelling reasons for DID's endorsement.  

Harvey has been a community leader for more than 20 years. Before he was elected to the Assembly, he served on Community Board 3 for 14 years as its board chair, and chair of its Land Use Committee. A public-school parent, Harvey is a former president of the District 1 President’s Council and former PTA president at the Neighborhood School (where his children attended). Harvey has engaged in numerous community struggles to protect low-wage workers, local day-care centers, and diversity in admissions at public schools.

An experienced leader and advocate for the progressive movement, Harvey has introduced and supported legislation that protects the rights of LGBTQIA and non-binary New Yorkers, promotes environmental sustainability, supports public education, and makes voting easier. He has tackled deep inequities in the criminal justice system by fighting to end the excessive use of solitary confinement, to legalize adult use marijuana, expunge records for New Yorkers with marijuana related offenses, reform the parole system, and to make it easier for incarcerated people to earn a college degree. He has also been deeply invested in securing extensive protections for tenants, protecting the environment, saving small businesses, and creating new educational opportunities for people with disabilities.

District 3 - No endorsement

Manhattan District Attorney - Alvin Bragg

Alvin_Bragg.jpegAlvin Bragg was elected in 2022 as the 37th Manhattan District Attorney. A lifelong Manhattanite, he has spent more than two decades fighting to make our communities  safer and our criminal justice system fairer.

Since taking office his has worked with law enforcement to target those driving violent crime and increased gun prosecutions by 20%; launched new mental health and substance use initiatives to get people the help they need and prevent crime; and invested in new programs to give kids positive alternatives like jobs and community service, so they avoid trouble and stay on a path to a bright future.

New crime stats (NYPD Stats) show Alvin's safety vision works: In Manhattan, shootings are down 34%, burglary is down 34%, and overall index crimes are down 16% in the last two years.

Manhattan Borough President - Brad Hoylman-Sigal

Brad_Hoylman-Sigal.jpegBrad Hoylman-Sigal has spent the last decade fighting in the State Senate for a more affordable, safe, and fair New York. During his time in the Senate, he passed over 350 bills focusing on a range of issues, including protecting tenants against eviction, cracking down on dangerous e-bikes, securing funding for mental health, eliminating illegal guns, and fighting bias crimes including antisemitism and anti-LGBTQ hate.

As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brad has been a champion of access to justice. He has worked to reduce court backlogs by successfully advocating for the creation of new judgeships, including additional Family Court judges. He helped lead the confirmation hearings for the Court of Appeals that led to Rowan Wilson being installed as the Chief of New York’s highest court, becoming the first Black person in this position. 

Brad is a longtime grassroots activist, serving previously as a Democratic District Leader and three-term chair of Manhattan Community Board 2. He is the past president of the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats.

Justin_Brannan_headshot_Dec_2017.jpg

NYC Comptroller - Justin Brannan

Justin Brannan - Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Justin’s roots run deep. His mom an early childhood educator, his wife an artist and small business owner, Justin grew up in the same public schools, parks, and playgrounds he now works to improve. Justin believes that before you can change the world, you have to start by making a difference in your own backyard. And since being elected, Justin has done that – bringing back over $250 million to his community through direct investments in the programs and priorities that help neighborhoods thrive.

As Finance Chair in the City Council, he fought to protect and expand the programs New Yorkers rely on most. When the Mayor proposed cruel cuts to libraries, early childhood education, cultural institutions, and after-school programs, Justin said, “Hell no!” and won.

Justin is not your typical politician. He spent his early days touring the world as a tattooed punk rock musician. In the underground music scene Justin comes from, people look out for one another and pick each other up when they fall down – values he has carried into his work as a New York City Councilmember and now as a candidate for NYC Comptroller. 

Jumaane_Williams.jpegNYC Public Advocate - Jumaane Williams

Jumaane D. Williams has served as the New York City Public Advocate since 2019. He is a former member of the New York City Council from the 45th district, which includes East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park, and Midwood in Brooklyn.

Since becoming Public Advocate, the second-highest ranking office in New York City, Jumaane has restructured the office to empower staff to prioritize community engagement, outreach, and service. He has also passed more legislation in office than all previous Public Advocates combined, including key bills that protect New Yorkers in the workplace and those looking for work, shield struggling homeowners from undue tax burdens, increase public safety, and fight discrimination in our housing systems.

Scott_Stringer.jpegNYC Mayor - Scott Stringer

Scott Stringer has spent three decades fighting for New Yorkers. Born and raised in New York, Scott is a proven reformer who has always put people over politics and stood up for this city. Scott has a consistent track record of winning for New Yorkers: protecting Mitchell-Lama residents as a community organizer, ending corrupt practices in the State Assembly, championing affordable housing and accountable government as Manhattan Borough President, and exposing waste and saving taxpayers billions as Comptroller.

Scott has three decades of experience cleaning up government. He conducted the most in-depth and highest-impact audits of any New York City Comptroller, exposing waste and corruption, saving billions in taxpayer dollars. He's replaced patronage with merit-based hiring. He's held bad actors accountable and delivered billions in savings for taxpayers.

Scott said, “I've transformed every office I've held. I know where the problems are at City Hall, and I know exactly how to start fixing them. This isn't the moment for more empty promises, platitudes, or on-the-job training. New York needs someone ready to restore competent government from day one.”

District Leaders

61st Assembly District Part A - Vittoria Fariello and Dennis Gault

65th Assembly District Part B - Magda Napoleon and Ron Thomas

65th Assembly District Part C - Mariama James and Paul Newell

66th Assembly District Part B - Jeannine Kiely and Richard Corman 

Candidate questionnaire responses

District Leader Candidate Statements

Candidate Forum Videos

Candidate Participants

Council District 1

Council District 2

Council District 3

Manhattan District Attorney

Manhattan Borough President

NYC Comptroller

NYC Public Advocate

NYC Mayor