Margaret Chin Claims Victory As Opponent Waits For Final Count In District 1 Primary

TRIBECA, NY — Margaret Chin declared she'd held onto her City Council seat Wednesday, even as her opponent still hoped the tightly contested race would go his way.

In a surprisingly close race for the Democratic nomination for District 1 City Council seat on Tuesday night, Chin, a two-term incumbent, netted just 200 more votes than her opponent Christopher Marte, a 28-year-old political newcomer, according to unofficial vote tallies. The District 1 primary was one of just a handful in which no victor was declared because of razor-thin margins in the citywide primary elections on Tuesday.

Chin's campaign released a statement on Wednesday declaring victory, but Marte has not yet conceded nor has an official victor been determined.

"After months of politically motivated attacks and lies, our vision for a more affordable and equitable Lower Manhattan remains triumphant," Chin said in a statement. "As a result of the support of everyday people, we will have affordable and accessible housing for our seniors, more opportunities for our young people, and a strong advocate for women, people of color and immigrants in the City Council."

The statement made no reference to the sliver-thin lead she had on her opponent. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Marte did not concede on Wednesday, and said that the election could not be officially called until all absentee and affidavit votes were counted.

"We want to make sure every vote is counted. We want to look into some of the irregularities at a few voting sites," Marte said in a statement. "We continue to be grateful for the support from our community."

A spokeswoman for the city's Board of Elections did not respond to phone or email messages from Patch. It's unclear whether the votes will be recounted.

Lead image credit: Slaven Vlasic / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment.