Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin claimed victory Wednesday in the City Council speaker’s race after saying she’s secured commitments of support from a super majority of her colleagues, putting an early end to the contest and teeing up potential tensions with incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Menin’s grip on the powerful post wouldn’t be formalized until early January, when the Council’s 51 members will vote to elect the body’s new speaker.
But Menin, an Upper East Side Democrat who has positioned herself as the moderate candidate in the speaker’s race, rolled out a press release Wednesday declaring she has locked in support from 35 of her fellow Council members, putting her above the 26-vote threshold required for victory.
Among the members backing Menin were all of the Council’s five Republicans as well as some progressives, including Manhattan Councilman Chris Marte, who was himself campaigning for speaker.
“As speaker, my top priority will be supporting all members of the Council as they work to serve their constituents; providing them with the resources they need to advocate effectively for their districts and working to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers,” Menin said in a statement. “In the weeks ahead, I look forward to continuing the conversations we have already begun about the affordability agenda we will put forward and the shared priorities we will advance ahead of the new session in January.”
New York City Council Member Julie Menin delivers remarks as 32BJ SEIU and Power to the Patients rally outside of New York-Presbyterian Hospital for more affordable and honest healthcare, Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in New York. (Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Power to the Patients)
If elected, Menin will become the first Jewish speaker in City Council history. The other leading candidate in the speaker’s race, progressive Brooklyn Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, did not immediately provide comment on Menin’s announcement.
Menin did not endorse Mamdani for mayor and has in private pitched herself as someone who could as speaker serve as a credible check on the incoming democratic socialist mayor, unnerving some of the body’s progressive members, as reported by the Daily News this week.
Still, in her statement, Menin said she plans to work closely with Mamdani, noting her broad coalition of Council supporters include left-wing allies of the mayor, such as incoming Manhattan Councilman Harvey Epstein.
“With this broad five borough coalition,we stand ready to partner with Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s administration and deliver on a shared agenda that makes New York more affordable through universal childcare, lowers rent and healthcare costs, and ensures that families across the City can do more than just get by,” Menin’s statement said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams shakes hands with City Council Member Julie Menin at City Hall on Friday, June. 23, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/AP Images for Power to the Patients)
For the Republicans supporting Menin, though, they are likely to look for her to be a resource in pushing back against Mamdani’s left-wing agenda.
“We will undoubtedly face challenges in the coming term, but I know that with Julie Menin leading this body, we will have someone who listens and understands all perspectives and will work to bridge the issues which have too often divided us,” Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, one of the body’s most right-wing members, said in a statement included in the Menin team’s release. “I look forward to a fruitful working relationship serving the people of this city.”
A spokeswoman for Mamdani did not immediately return a request for comment.