State Senate District 17 Election Preview: Iwen Chu Vs. Steve Chan

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn's State Senate District 17 has been represented by Democrat Iwen Chu since 2023, but voters on Nov. 5 will decide if a changing of the guard is needed as Chu faces Republican challenger Steve Chan.

Chu was the first Asian woman elected to the New York State Senate, narrowly beating Republican challenger Vito LaBella in 2022 by just 215 votes out of more than 35,000 votes cast.

State Senate District 17 represents parts of Sunset Park, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Gravesend and Kensington.

The district has more than 68,000 registered Democrats and more than 18,000 registered Republicans, according to New York state data from February.

But, more than 41,000 voters in the district aren't registered with either party, so it's hard to predict the election's outcome.

"I am in this for the people, and have seen every side of life in this district–from arriving as an immigrant, to working as a reporter, to serving as Chief of Staff to the local Assemblymember, and then being a State Senator," Chu, who was elected in 2022 when her State Senate district was created in a rare redistricting process, told Patch.

Chu, who moved to Dyker Heights from Taiwan two decades ago, is endorsed by the Working Families Party.

Chu told Patch her priorities if re-elected would be to improve public safety, street safety and e-bike safety and regulations. In her campaign, she's also rallied voters around fighting hate crimes and funding public education.

"Through community outreach and stakeholder partnerships, I am proud to have championed an e-bike safety package to ban riders on sidewalks and help stop lithium-ion battery fires. We’ve applied this same model to addressing SNAP fraud, the housing court backlog, and hate crimes within our community," Chu said.

Read Chu's full profile here.

Chu faces fierce competition from Chan, an ex-marine and retired NYPD officer who served for 27 years. Chan, who moved to Bay Ridge from Hong Kong as an 11-year-old, is backed by the area's congresswoman, Nicole Malliotakis.

"I've lived intimately with our community in the neighborhood for 47 years," Chan told Patch over email. "My decades of public service is proof that I'm here for the people of our community. I'm not a politician. I can work with all parties. I know what the police need, I know what our schools/ teachers/ students need. I know what our small business owners/ homeowners need. I'm not looking for a job, I'm looking to represent us."

Chan told Patch that, if elected, he would focus on improving public safety and working with the city to provide services for the homeless while keeping a controversial homeless shelter from opening in Bensonhurst.

"We have to give back to the police the tools and laws that they need to do their jobs," Chan said. "There are other places where [homeless shelters] can be built with less of a community to be affected. Programs have to be revamped to help the homeless get on their feet."

Read Chan's full profile here.

Early voting will take place from Saturday, Oct. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 3. Here's where to vote early in Brooklyn.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Find your poll site in Brooklyn here.