Levine KOs Brannan in Dem Comptroller Primary

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine cruised to a victory in the Democratic primary for NYC comptroller on Tuesday night. With over 96 percent of the vote counted, Levine earned 48.09 percent, nearly 15 percentage points higher than rival Justin Brannan, who is a Brooklyn City Council Member.

Brannan conceded on primary night, even though the results would not be official until the tabulation of second-choice votes on July 1 that will doubtless push Levine over the 50 percent threshold in the two-man race.

Much like the race for NYC mayor, where former Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded to Zohran Mamdani, City Council Member Justin Brannan conceded the race to Levine just hours after the polls closed, clearing the short path for Levine’s victory. Two other candidates, Ismael Malave and Kevin Parker, earned only a combined 18 percent of the total vote.

“I called to congratulate Borough President Mark Levine on his win and I wish him the best as he takes on this extremely important role at this critical time,” Brannan said in his concession statement.

Ranked-choice voting, however, requires candidates to win a true majority of the vote, not simply a plurality. But with Brannan’s concession and only 2 percent needed to cross into the area of true majority, the July 1 ranked-choice voting will likely confirm Levine’s Democratic nomination.

“To every single one of you who hit the phones, hit the streets, and hit the tweets, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU,” Levine posted on X on primary night, June 24.

Unlike many political races today—including those within a single party—stark ideologies did not divide the two candidates. They had disagreements but generally found common ground on issues such as resisting President Trump, affordability, and healthcare. Despite this, Brannan positioned himself to the left of Levine, but not as far left as Mamdani.

As a Brooklyn City Council Member with a passion for punk rock, Brannan ran a solid campaign that fell short. He had endorsements from the New York Working Families Party, cross-endorsers with Mamdani, and even Senator Bernie Sanders (which he proudly displayed on the front of his campaign website).

So, when Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, swept the city off its feet, why was the more moderate Levine able to lock down the race for comptroller?

Levine’s impressive coalition-building just may be what gave him an edge over Brannan. He received endorsements from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens borough presidents, and a diverse assortment of congressmen, city council, and state assembly members, from across all five boroughs.

“We built a wide and diverse coalition, spanning every borough, every background, and every corner of the city. We built a campaign rooted in the belief that city government can work better for everyone,” Levine said in a campaign statement.

Levine doubled Brannan’s votes in Manhattan and the Bronx, won by at least 15-percentage-point margins in Queens and Staten Island, and dropped Brooklyn—the borough Brannan hoped to win resoundingly—by only 6 percentage points. As the more moderate Democrat, the trilingual Levine was able to find common ground among large swaths of the city.

The two greatest challenges Levine will face as comptroller are how he plans to protect the city from federal budget cuts, and how he plans to manage NYC’s fiscal stability and work alongside the mayor. Mamdani was the upset winner in the Democratic primary, and if he prevails in November, he has promised higher spending on city services on everything from healthcare to free city buses.

“This agenda will require standing firm against attacks on our values from Washington DC, managing our $280-billion pension system with integrity and efficiency, using billions of dollars to invest in affordable housing with strong returns for retirees . . . and pushing for investments in mental health, public safety, transit, and climate resilience,” Levine said.

Levine will likely face off in November against Peter Kefalas, who won the Republican primary. Levine as the Democratic nominee in a city where 70 percent of voters are registered Democrats is expected to win the race soundly.