For Immediate Release
Contact- Jake Oliver, jake@anatgerstein.com, 347 361 9983
Good government group evaluated the race for an open Council seat in Upper Manhattan and offered no preference
To view Citizens Union’s Voters Directory, click here
New York, N.Y. (June 6, 2023) – Today, Citizens Union announced its preferences in four contested primary elections for New York City Council.
After undertaking a rigorous evaluation of 15 candidates running for office, Citizens Union prefers Susan Lee (District 1, Manhattan- Chinatown, Financial District, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, NoHo, SoHo, South Street Seaport, TriBeCa & Washington Square), Susan Zhuang (District 43, Brooklyn- Bensonhurst, New Utrecht, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park), Julie Won (District 26, Queens- Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria, Dutch Kills), and Lynn Schulman (District 29, Queens- Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill), in their respective City Council races.
In the race for an open seat in District 9 (Central Harlem, Morningside Heights, Upper West Side, East Harlem), the organization issued no preference.
“In this year’s primary election, a number of City Council seats are up for grabs. Voters have the opportunity to pick a new representative for their recently redrawn districts or reelect incumbents serving shortened two-year terms. It is important that voters know who is running to represent them and where candidates stand on important reform issues. Citizens Union is proud to support Lynn Schulman, Susan Zhuang, Susan Lee, and Julie Won in their respective primaries for City Council. Each of these candidates are deeply committed to advancing a strong reform agenda at City Hall,” said Betsy Gotbaum, executive director of Citizens Union.
Support for Citizens Union’s reform agenda is the primary criterion used in deciding whether or not to support a candidate. Other criteria considered in evaluating candidates and campaigns:
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A record of ethical integrity;
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Commitment and ability to advance CU’s goals, if elected;
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For incumbents: demonstrated support for CU’s issues while in office;
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Evidence of ability to wage an effective and competitive campaign;
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Reliance on small-donor, local financing of the campaign;
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Candidates’ grasp of issues specific to the race’s jurisdiction, and whether they propose thoughtful solutions to represent constituents’ interests.
In the Democratic primary for City Council District 1 (Manhattan- Chinatown, Financial District, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, NoHo, SoHo, South Street Seaport, TriBeCa & Washington Square), which is currently represented by Christopher Marte, Citizens Union prefers Susan Lee. Lee is the founder of the Alliance for Community Preservation and Betterment, an organization aimed at improving the quality of life in Chinatown. Citizens Union prefers Susan Lee because she would be a champion of a strong reform agenda, including improving transparency and accountability.
In this race, Citizens Union ranked Ursila Jung second and Christopher Marte third.
In the Democratic primary for City Council District 43 (Brooklyn- Bensonhurst, New Utrecht, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park), Citizens Union prefers Susan Zhuang. This is a newly-created district meant to reflect population changes in southern Brooklyn and provide the growing Asian-American community an “opportunity to elect” district. Citizens Union prefers Zhuang because of her emphasis on constituent work, awareness of district needs and understanding of the interplay between issues like public safety, education challenges, and language barriers.
In this race Citizens Union ranked Stanley Ng second, and Wai Yee Chan third.
Citizens Union has interviewed all candidates running in the Democratic Primary for Council District 9 (neighborhoods), and after carefully considering the pros and cons of every candidate, we have decided to issue an unusual No Preference decision.
In the Democratic primary for City Council District 26 (Queens- Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria, Dutch Kills), Citizens Union prefers incumbent Julie Won. Won supports decoupling New York City Board of Election appointments from party politics, utilizing restorative justice practices to direct resources to stem repeated violations by the NYPD, addressing the City Council’s inefficiency by recruiting staff from boroughs with high unemployment. Citizens Union prefers Julie Won because of her proven track record, detailed knowledge of city operations, and specific plans to address shortcomings and other inefficiencies.
In the Democratic primary for City Council District 29 (Queens- Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill), Citizens Union prefers incumbent Lynn Schulman. Schulman has been involved in the civic affairs of her community for more than a quarter century. Citizens Union prefers Lynn Schulman in this race due to her established track record as a public servant and strong support of reform, including the importance of conducting oversight of government agencies.
Primary Election Day for City Council races is June 27, with Early Voting running from June 17 to June 25. To find your early voting location, hours, and election day poll site, visit findmypollsite.vote.nyc.
Citizens Union June 2023 preferences:
City Council District 1 (Manhattan- Chinatown, Financial District, Little Italy, the Lower East Side, NoHo, SoHo, South Street Seaport, TriBeCa & Washington Square)
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Susan Lee
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Ursila Jung
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Christopher Marte
City Council District 9 (Manhattan- Morningside Heights, Upper West Side, East Harlem)
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No preference
City Council District 26 (Queens- Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria, Dutch Kills)
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Julie Won
City Council District 29 (Brooklyn- Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill),
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Lynn Schulman
City Council District 43 (Brooklyn- Bensonhurst, New Utrecht, Dyker Heights, Sunset Park)
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Susan Zhuang
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Stanley Ng
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Wai Yee Chan
For follow up, please contact Jake Oliver at Anat Gerstein, Inc. at
jake@anatgerstein.com or 347-361-9983
About Citizens Union
For 125 years, Citizens Union has been a force for transparency, accountability and ethics in New York’s City and State governments. A nonpartisan organization, some of our current initiatives include a new agenda for police accountability, monitoring the City Council’s redistricting process and increasing civic engagement. Learn more at www.citizensunion.org.
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