Gale Brewer Reelected to City Council with Over 81% of vote

Gale Brewer will be serving another term as a member of the New York City Council, after winning Nov. 7’s general election in District 6, which encompasses most of the Upper West Side, all of Central Park, and a small section of Hell’s Kitchen.

Brewer won far in the lead with over 81 percent of the vote, with nearly 98 percent of poll scanners reporting, according to the Board of Elections. Her Republican challenger Diane di Stasio, who also ran on the Clean Up NY/Arts & Culture ballot line, trailed at just over 17 percent. Barbara A. Simpson of the Medical Freedom Party garnered less than 1 percent of the vote.

The council member’s landslide victory is no surprise—in 2018, political reporter Jeff Coltin called her “the most beloved politician in the city.” As a West Side Rag reporter has noted, with over 17,500 votes, Brewer received the greatest number of votes of any city council candidate this general election.

In her reelection campaign, the Democratic incumbent ran on a platform of increasing public education funding and equity, building affordable housing, and enhancing public safety through improving community policing strategies and mental health services. This will be Brewer’s second consecutive two-year term as District 6 Council Member. She is eligible to run for a four-year term in 2025 before she reaches City Council term limits.

Brewer first represented District 6 on the City Council in 2002, serving as a member until 2013. She then served as Manhattan Borough President from 2014 to 2021. She returned to the City Council in January 2022.

“Thank you District 6 voters for your phenomenal support. As an elected official, what really matters is what you do for people, and we have done a lot. That has been my trademark and it has made an impact. What you stand for means something on the street,” Brewer wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the day after the election.

Di Stasio, who frequently campaigned with her daughter Rachelle di Stasio who is the reigning Miss New York USA, shared a statement following her loss. “While not the outcome my team and I hoped for after the 36 weeks of hard work we devoted over the course of this campaign, I congratulate Councilwoman Brewer on her re-election, and look forward to continuing the fight for the causes that propelled me into the race: improving public safety, closing the education achievement gap, reining in reckless e-bikes, and making life on the Upper West Side more affordable for every New Yorker. I still believe in New York City, and remain hopeful for our future,” she said.