NYC City Council Elections: Everything You Need To Know In District 2

EAST VILLAGE, NY — The race for the next City Council rep from District 2, which includes the East Village, will be one of the most closely watched in the 2017 elections.

Current Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, a Democrat, is term-limited, leaving a completely open race for her successor. The Democrats vying for her seat have raised considerable cash in their bids, and with small-time candidates running in other parties, whoever wins the primary on Tuesday is almost certain to be the next City Council rep for District 2. The district includes part of the Lower East Side, the East Village and stretches to Murray Hill.

Who are the candidates?

Multiple Democrats are vying to be the party's nominee on Tuesday.

The current front-runner is Carlina Rivera, a former Mendez staffer who has been endorsed by her former boss, along with a host of other local representatives. Public advocate Tish James, U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and State Senator Brad Hoylman are all among the politicians who have backed the Lower East Side resident. Rivera also has more campaign funding at her disposal than any other candidate in the race: She's raised $176,142 from private contributions, and received another $95,095 from the city through its matching program for small-dollar contributions, according to the NYC Campaign Finance Board.

Ronnie Cho, a former staffer in the Obama administration, is new to local politics but has raised considerable campaign funds from donors. Cho is currently the head of public affairs at MTV. Cho's lengthy resume has garnered much support from beyond District 2's borders: Obama's longtime aide David Axelrod hosted a campaign fundraiser for his former colleague, and the vast majority of Cho's contributions come from people or groups based outside of New York City, according to the NYC Campaign Finance Board. Of $139,089 in private contributions (not including loans), $90,873 has come from donors outside of New York City, according to campaign finance records.

Mary Silver has also raised considerable campaign cash, netting $100,433 in private contributions plus $162m7458. Like Rivera, Silver also received $95,095 from the city through its matching program. Silver is an attorney and education advocate currently serving on Community Board 6.

Jorge Vasquez and Jasmin Sanchez are also in the running as Democrats.

Jimmy McMillan, the one-time gubernatorial candidate of the "Rent Is Too Damn High Party" fame, is registered to run as a Republican. Donald Garrity is the only candidate seeking the libertarian nomination.

Where can I vote?

To find your polling place, enter your address here.

When can I vote?

The elections take place on Tuesday, September 12. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Patch will be covering the results of the biggest races as they happen. For more information on the election, including results, subscribe to Patch's daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.

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