Chi Ossé Maintains Bed-Stuy City Council Seat: Election 2023

BROOKLYN, NY — Polls closed at 9 p.m. in Brooklyn, and Chi Ossé maintained his City Council seat representing Bed-Stuy in an uncontested race.

Even still, many supporters of Ossé came out to vote to show their support for the Council Member first elected in 2021. With 95 percent of votes counted, Ossé garnered 9,031 votes Tuesday, according to the city's Board of Elections.

One voter told City Limits she came out to show support for Ossé's calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"It’s important to show support locally for that,” Simi Mahtani told City Limits.

Early tallies Tuesday showed low voter turnout across New York City, CBS News reported. Some 140,629 Brooklynites had checked in to vote by 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to New York City's Board of Elections.

But in the 47th District covering Bath Beach, Bay Ridge and Gravesend, voters were eager to weigh in on a hotly contested race between Democrat Justin Brannan and Republican Ari Kagan.

"Everybody’s out voting today, especially bay ridge,” one local told NY1.

With 97 percent of votes counted, Brannan held the lead with 58.20 percent of the vote or 11,140 votes, according to the city's Board of Elections. Kagan trailed behind with about 41.28 percent of the vote or 7,902 votes.

The contenders fought a fiery public campaign to represent the borough's 47th District.

Elsewhere in Brooklyn, Democrat Susan Zhuang faced off with Republican Ying Tan and Conservative Vito LaBella fought for for the District 43 seat covering Bensonhurst, Sunset Park and Dyker Heights.

With 92 percent of votes counted, Zhuang held the lead with 58.79 percent of the vote, or 4,532 votes. Tan trailed behind with 26 percent of the vote.

In North Brooklyn, Jennifer Gutiérrez was fighting for re-election to the council's 34th District, as was Lincoln Restler in the 33rd.

With 85 percent of votes counted, Restler led with over 86 percent of the vote by 9:20 p.m., according to the Board of Elections. With 88 percent of the vote counted, Gutiérrez led with 94.61 percent of votes.

“Send me back to City Hall so I can keep fighting for affordable housing, out schools, senior services and universal child care,” Gutiérrez said in an Instagram post earlier Tuesday.

Sandy Nurse was also fighting to maintain her seat covering Brownsville, East New York, Ocean Hill and Cypress Hills. With about 90 percent of votes counted, Sandy Nurse led with over 88 percent of the vote, according to the city's Board of Elections.

With 96 percent of votes counted, Rita Joseph led Brooklyn's 40th District with 96 percent of the vote, or 10,282 votes, according to the city's Board of Education.

Inna Vernikov, who was recently arrested on gun charges, was projected to win her race for Brooklyn's 48th District, NY1 reported.

To view city election results, visit this link.

Uncontested & Judicial Races, Ballot Measures

Democrats Darlene Mealy, Chris Banks and Crystal Hudson also ran uncontested and maintained their seats on City Council covering large chunks of Brooklyn.

“This is part of the generational change that was needed,” Banks told NY1 Tuesday night. “We’re just so thankful. … We are standing strong, united, ready for the great work ahead of us.”

Judicial elections will also appear on Brooklynites' ballots, including a crowded race for Supreme Court seats. Seven candidates face off for six spots on the Supreme Court, Second Judicial District.

Six Democrats led the race for the open justice spots: Rachel Freier, Sharon Clarke, Joanne Quinones, Caroline Piela Cohen, Heela Capell and Saul Stein, according to the Board of Elections.

Two proposals concerning debt were also on the ballot statewide.

With 95 percent of votes counted, 72 percent of voters voted yes on a ballot measure to remove a debt limitation on small city school districts, according to the city's Board of Elections. Some 75 percent of voters voted to allow cities, towns, villages and counties to remove debt limits for sewage facilities.