Harlem State Assembly Election Is Underway: What To Know

EAST HARLEM, NY — If you haven't paid close attention, you may have missed that a State Assembly race is underway in East Harlem, where two candidates are vying to fill an open seat in a special election that could cement a change in the neighborhood's political foundations.

Voting opened Saturday in the 68th Assembly District, which covers East Harlem and parts of the Upper East Side and Central Harlem. Early voting continues through Sunday, with Election Day set for Tuesday, Jan. 18. (Learn more here about how to vote.)

There are two candidates: Democrat Edward Gibbs and Republican Daby Benjaminé Carreras. Click on each candidate's name to see their profiles, based on questionnaires that Patch sent to both men.

The vacancy in the district was created last fall when Robert Rodriguez, who had held the seat since 2011, was appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Kathy Hochul. When neighborhood Democrats chose Gibbs, who is Black, as their nominee last month, his victory signaled a sea change for a seat that had been mostly held by people of Puerto Rican descent in recent decades.

Gibbs, 54, works as a consultant. In his profile, he said he would focus on housing and public safety if elected to the Assembly, with an emphasis on NYCHA and job programs that would serve as crime diversions.

Carreras, an investment banker, is of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. He told Patch that he would focus on halting gentrification and the loss of affordable housing, with policies aimed at stopping tenant harassment and opposing rezonings.

Another candidate, Tamika Mapp, was recently disqualified from the ballot after initially being listed on the "Action for Change" party line. Though her name may still appear on some ballots, she is now urging supporters to write her in instead.

Gibbs is undoubtedly the favorite, given the district's Democratic leanings. Then again, only 140 people have turned out during the first four days of early voting, according to the Board of Elections — meaning a small margin could decide the eventual winner.

Whoever wins this month's election will need to run for a full term later this year. Several people have already said they plan to run in the June 28 Democratic primary for the 68th District seat, including Mapp, Wilfredo Lopez and Dawn Sanders.

The vacancy in the 68th Assembly District is the latest open seat in the neighborhood. Last summer, Brian Benjamin left his Harlem State Senate seat to be appointed lieutenant governor, ultimately being succeeded by Cordell Cleare.

Profiles for each candidate:

• Edward "Eddie" Gibbs
• Daby Benjaminé Carreras

To learn more about the 68th District election and how to vote, view the official voting guide from NYC Votes.