Manhattan Borough President Results: Mark Levine Wins

Last updated 11:19 p.m.

NEW YORK, NY — Mark Levine was elected borough president of Manhattan on Tuesday, as the Democratic City Council member defeated two general election opponents to win the open seat.

Levine, a lawmaker from Upper Manhattan, was up against Republican Louis Puliafito and Libertarian Michael Lewyn. The three candidates were seeking to succeed Gale Brewer, who has served as borough president since 2014 but was prevented by term limits from running again. (She is instead seeking to reclaim her old City Council seat on the Upper West Side).

With about 92 percent of scanners reporting after 11 p.m., Levine was way ahead, with about 85 percent of the vote. Pulafito trailed with 13 percent, followed by Lewyn at 2 percent. Levine's victory was called by NY1.

Levine, 52, has represented Upper Manhattan's District 7 in the City Council for the past eight years. He was heavily favored in Tuesday's general election for borough president, given Manhattan's strong liberal leanings.

While partly ceremonial, borough presidents' duties include issuing recommendations on land use proposals that can influence their fate. They also control a sizable budget that they can use to fund local projects.

THANK YOU MANHATTAN!! pic.twitter.com/Yx5UQg6TLD
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) November 3, 2021

To reach Tuesday's general election, Levine had to prevail in June's competitive Democratic primary, where he defeated six other candidates. During that race, Levine expressed slightly more pro-development views than his rivals — indicating, for instance, that he was open to the proposed SoHo rezoning that has stoked some neighborhood opposition.

Levine told Patch that he would use the borough president's office to push for the contruction of affordable housing, invest in education spending and COVID-19 safety measures in schools, and support Manhattan's small businesses.

Pulafito said his top priorities included public safety and affordable housing, while Lewyn devoted his campaign entirely toward advocating for less restrictive zoning, arguing it would facilitate the construction of much-needed housing.

As chair of the Council's health committee, Levine has risen to prominence during the pandemic, using his Twitter account to spread the word about testing and vaccinations, push for more data transparency from the city, and occasionally criticize Mayor Bill de Blasio's handling of the virus.

Previous coverage:

• Manhattan Borough President Race: Mark Levine Candidate Profile
• Manhattan Borough President Race: Lou Puliafito Candidate Profile
• Manhattan Borough President Race: Michael Lewyn Candidate Profile
• Mark Levine Wins Manhattan Borough President Primary Race