Robert Jackson Holds Strong Lead In Wash Heights, Inwood Senate Race

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — The race to represent Washington Heights and Inwood's 31st State Senate District wasn't called as of 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, but unofficial results from the Board of Elections and NY1 show incumbent Robert Jackson holds a commanding lead.

The contest is between incumbent Robert Jackson, who has held the seat since 2018, and challengers Angel Vasquez, Francesca Castellanos, and Ruben Vargas.

Here are the unofficial results as of 11:15 p.m., which is 90 percent of expected votes, according to the BOE.

• Robert Jackson: 54.8 percent (8,169 votes)
• Angel Vasquez: 35.4 percent (5,304 votes)
• Francesca Castellanos: 5.3 percent (795 votes)
• Ruben Vargas: 4.3 percent (640 votes)

The NY1 election page has the same vote tallies for the race as of 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, but also did not declare a winner.

Despite no official declaration from NY1 or AP News, the NY Working Families Party, of which Jackson represents, declared Jackson as the winner of the primary around 10 p.m.

"Robert Jackson wins! When we first sent Robert to Albany, he helped break up a cabal of corporate Democrats and delivered tenant protections, fully-funded public schools, and marijuana reform," Working Families Party wrote on Twitter. "We’re sending him back so he can keep fighting and delivering for working New Yorkers."

Again, this is not official as of 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

The race is expected to come down to Jackson and Vasquez, the latter of whom has been endorsed by a slew of uptown elected officials, including Council Members Carmen De La Rosa and Shaun Abreu, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

Vasquez currently works at the United Federation of Teachers union and serves on Community Board 12.

Jackson has also collected a number of endorsements from elected officials, including Council Member Gale Brewer, Assembly Members Jose Rivera and Linda Rosenthal, and State Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Jamaal Bailey, Alessandra Biaggi, Jose Serrano, Gustavo Rivera, Jon Liu, Brad Hoylman, Julia Salazar, and Jessica Ramos.

Jackson has been endorsed by a lengthy list of unions and political clubs, as well.

The complicated redistricting that happened in New York pushed the primary date back for all State Senate races to Aug. 23.

Read More:

• Challenger In Wash Heights Race Receives Major Uptown Endorsements
• Robert Jackson Lands Endorsements In Uptown Race As Sides Form