The Eric Adams era began in earnest this past week, with the Democratic candidate for mayor cruising to victory with 66% of the vote. Big changes in politics ahead in the new year, not only with a new mayor but also with many new faces in the City Council.
Here on the Lower East Side, Christopher Marte easily won the District 1 City Council seat, which is being vacated by the term limited incumbent Margaret Chin. According to unofficial results from the Board of Elections, 15,055 voters chose Marte, meaning he pulled in more than 71% of the vote. Challengers Maud Maron and Jacqueline Toboroff claimed about 14% each.
Marte sought the Lower Manhattan Council seat back in 2017, nearly upsetting Chin in the primary that year. Marte was born and raised on the Lower East Side.
Meanwhile, in District 2, which includes the East Village and some pockets of the Lower East Side near the waterfront, Carlina Rivera won re-election with 16,406 votes (79%), according to unofficial election results. Two challengers, including Allie Ryan, who built her campaign around opposition to the city’s resiliency plan for East River Park, mustered 2,424 votes.
The new Council terms, beginning in January, will only be two years instead of four due to the redistricting process now underway.
