New York City Council
Meet the new NYC Council members
Eleven first-termers make their debut.
From left: newbies Shanel Thomas-Henry, Shirley Aldebol, Harvey Epstein, Elsie Encarnacion, Ty Hankerson, Kayla Santosuosso and Virginia Maloney. Emily Assiran
Of the 11 new City Council members joining the body over the past year, six are former staffers for other elected officials, two are former elected officials themselves and one is the daughter of a former elected official. So as a group, they are not exactly breaking the mold of New York’s political world. But there is still little doubt this council will operate much differently from the previous one. A new speaker and mayor will make that inevitable. And though they have been around the political scene, these new members are bringing lots of fresh ideas. This year’s new class comprises nine people elected in November and two who took office in 2025 after their predecessors stepped down early. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Harvey Epstein
District 2 Manhattan neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Union Square, Gramercy and Murray Hill
Hometown: I grew up in Wantagh and spent my whole childhood on Long Island.
Where do you live now?: There’s a debate over whether I live in the East Village or the Lower East Side. You could choose a side of that debate if you wanted to – not that there’s a winning side.
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
There’s so much to do here. It’s crazy ridiculous. There’s so much local theater – on Fourth Street alone even, the Fourth Arts Block, the history of like La MaMa. There’s so many great art establishments.
Favorite NYC sports team: The Mets is probably my hometown favorite team.
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
We have a great dog parade down here, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. That’s a local parade, but we really need to blow it up. There’s so much love for our animals – I love my dog you know? We do a lot of parades as a city, but something to showcase our companion animals would be great.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
I loved all my council members – I could go back to Margarita López, I love Margarita. She’s the OG of progressive politics in this neighborhood. She created our local political club, got it organized and moving. She really went against the political machine and won by 200 votes. She’s really a bad ass force of nature.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
I don’t love raising money and asking friends and family to give you money. That’s probably my least favorite part of it.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
I’d love to do a city (extended producer responsibility) bill, something environmental-related to reduce our waste. Half our sanitation budget is spent on hauling our garbage out of New York City. We are responsible for so much waste. We really just have to hold corporations responsible and reduce waste.
Virginia Maloney
District 4 Manhattan neighborhoods of Midtown South, Times Square, Stuyvesant Town, Murray Hill and the Upper East Side
Hometown: Upper East Side
Where do you live now?: Upper East Side
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
I love to take advantage of the arts and culture in my district. So whether that’s popping into a museum to view a new exhibit or seeing a show. The last time I had a free hour, I went to see David Sedaris at Town Hall. In warmer weather, I’ll take any excuse to be outside, so taking a walk around Stuy Town waterfront or stopping by St. Vartan Park.
Favorite NYC sports team: New York Liberty
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
The Disability Pride Parade exists, but it’s currently in October, and many disability advocates would rather see the parade in July, aligned with Disability Pride Month. So that’s a change I’d advocate for. And if I have to add a new parade, we can say ticker tape parade for the Liberty when they win the WNBA championship.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
I’m not biased here, but Carolyn Maloney. I’m grateful for her service in the council, and paving the way for future generations of women.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Having to ask your friends and family for financial contributions.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
We just passed the GUARD Act at the City Council level and the RAISE Act at the state level. I’d want to build on that by updating Local Law 144 so that it covers more systems that New Yorkers touch: Housing Connect, AccessNYC, NYCHA. So you could extend some of the protections to ban fully automated denials for critical services.
Elsie Encarnacion
District 8 East Harlem in Manhattan, Roosevelt Island and South Bronx neighborhoods including Mott Haven and Port Morris
Hometown: East Harlem
Where do you live now?: East Harlem
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
I’m probably heading over to La Marqueta, hanging out with some of the vendors there, getting some food.
Favorite NYC sports team: The Mets
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
I would say probably, like, a History of Hip Hop Parade. We’re the birthplace of hip-hop, New York, you know, get some break dancers. Then you have to end it with a massive block party.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
Melissa (Mark-Viverito) and Diana (Ayala) my mentors, but I’ve gotten to know so many of the council members throughout my career, it’s been just a blessing. Like all of them have really been gracious with their time, their energy, their support. So it’s been dope. But obviously the two that have mentored me and supported me through this whole journey, Melissa and Diana, and also just really rocked out in City Hall, you know. So I have some big shoes to fill.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
I come from a district that’s majority low-income. I don’t come from a wealthy family. I don’t have a lot of friends with money. And so asking people to donate, even if it’s 10 bucks, it’s tough.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
I have been playing around with this idea of a participatory legislation where I gather information and go through kind of like the legislative process with my community members. So I don’t know the exact bill, but I would want that bill to come from my attempt to do that process with my community.
Shirley Aldebol
District 13 Bronx neighborhoods of Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, Van Nest, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Bay, Throggs Neck and City Island
Hometown: I was born in the South Bronx and then we moved to the Soundview/Clason Point section of the Bronx where my parents had a bodega. They bought a home here in Throggs Neck about 45 years ago.
Where do you live now?: Throggs Neck
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
Depending on the weather, I’m probably walking my dog in one of the parks here – either Veterans Memorial Park or Pelham Bay Park. If I want to take a hike, Hunter Island, which is beautiful.
Favorite NYC sports team: I’m not really a big sports person, but – this is going to sound terrible – I grew up in the Bronx so my father made us be Mets fans.
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
I’m not sure honestly.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
I want to say Nydia Velázquez, who is actually the first Puerto Rican woman to serve on the City Council. She opened the door for more Latina women to be in politics in New York City and I admire her for many reasons. She’s been a pro-worker advocate and obviously her work around issues for the people of Puerto Rico – both here and on the island. Nydia Velázquez deserves big props.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Some of it definitely has to be the negativity that comes out, but overall I love campaigning. You know I’ve been an organizer most of my career. I love it and I approached this campaign as that. I never thought of myself as someone who would enter politics, but I love engaging with people and talking with people and listening to them. I think you have to start by loving people.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
Anything we can do to tackle this affordability crisis. I think universal child care is super important. As is anything having to do with making working people’s lives better – whether that’s raising wages, protecting workers. Anything that accomplishes that will hopefully not be a dream – hopefully we can actually make it a reality in the next four years.
Justin Sanchez
District 17 South Bronx neighborhoods including Longwood, Morrisania and Hunts Point
Hometown: South Bronx
Where do you live now?: South Bronx
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
Finding a new restaurant.
Favorite NYC sports team: The Rangers
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
Yes, actually, there should be a parade for the Battle of Pell’s Point. The Battle of Pell’s Point is actually why we are the United States of America. It is the battle that held the British off and allowed George Washington and the rest of the troops to pull all of the ammo and stuff back. And if it wasn’t for (a few hundred) men, we would not be here at all.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
Tish James. She broke the mold in her elections, and now we see the great attorney general that she has become. So if it wasn’t for the City Council, where would Tish be? And so I’m very grateful to have had Council Member Tish.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
The lack of healthy food options. You always end up going for something quick and easy. And the quick and easy stuff is not always the best. There’s lots of pizza.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
I would love there to be a resolution passed – I mean, that’s a very easy bill, that’s not a dream – a resolution passed to support starting a state insurance for buildings that have affordable housing units.
Shanel Thomas-Henry
District 21 Queens neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights
Hometown: I was born in Flushing, Queens, and grew up in Corona and East Elmhurst.
Where do you live now?: East Elmhurst
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
If it’s an hour where I’m introducing someone to the district for the first time like say nine years ago when my husband flew into town before we got married for 24 hours to put up my Christmas tree. Within that, I showed him all five boroughs, but most specifically we went around to see some of the cultural institutions in the district – anywhere from Malcom X’s house that was bombed, Ella Fitzgerald’s home, the Louis Armstrong Museum. You always have to go by the Unisphere. Wherever I go, even when I would come home for college, I always had to stop at my local bodega for the hero. Taking time to take in all the culture of the district.
Favorite NYC sports team: I have to say the Mets. Literally I could look out my window and see Citi Field growing up. Usually for my mom’s birthday, she was born on the Fourth of July, that was something we would do quite often. My favorite sport is basketball so I’d also have to say the Knicks.
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
You are talking about someone in District 21 where we have the Pride Parade, the Colombian parade, the Ecuadorian parade, the Dominican parade. The list goes on and on. Something I would like to see is more of a cultural fest than just your typical parade like a block party. That’s something that really brings the community together. You know, bringing the culture and history together, promoting our local businesses and allowing them to be highlighted. My grandfather owned a hot dog stand when I was growing up. They migrated from the south. When we think about our small-business owners, we really think about the fabric of New York City.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
Helen Marshall was my first introduction to politics. She lived a block away from my grandmother’s house. They served on a block association together so whenever I would walk from home to my grandparents house I would run into Helen Marshall. She was like the mayor of our community. She was someone who led with passion and drive. It was about doing better for neighbors. It was about creating systems and institutions that would build up a bigger, stronger community. Even during my race, I’d say I was following in her footsteps. My campaign office was her first Assembly office. She was the first one to put me on a community board, which was my first introduction to New York City government.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Being away from my babies. I have two small children, 4 and 6, and we had to be out there, we had to be on the grind. What was interesting to see was the passion and the drive they had. Literally in church, my 4-year-old took the mic and said, “My mommy is running for City Council.” They would say, “Mommy, when are we going to knock on some doors?” Being able to include them was a great part, but when I had to be away from them it was the hardest part.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
I can’t pinpoint the exact bills right now, I’m trying to pull it all together. But what I will say is my dream goal overall is to ensure the district becomes safer and more affordable and with that, that I’m driving solutions that are grounded in data and community input.
Ty Hankerson
District 28 Queens neighborhoods including South Ozone Park, Jamaica, Baisley Park, Springfield Gardens, Rochdale Village and Brookville
Hometown: Born in South Ozone Park, raised in South Jamaica
Where do you live now?: South Jamaica
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
(Eating at) either The Door, or potentially going to one of our many restaurants on Liberty Ave. I’ll probably make some visits, I like to pop in on people.
Favorite NYC sports team: New York Knicks
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
This would probably be the emptiest parade ever: The politicos parade. All of us weird people can march together.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
Adrienne Adams and Tom White. He focused on ensuring that, particularly in Black and brown communities, there was a safe haven for those who were struggling with addiction. His legacy is so strong in the district. Even my family members, before I was born, they talk about Tom White. He gave some of them their first jobs, he mentored some of them.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Waking up to negative videos about you from your opponents.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
I’d love to introduce a bill that would hold certain contractors accountable when doing work in residential neighborhoods. We realized that a lot of the illegal dumping that we see, particularly in Southeast Queens, had come from contractors that were doing work in residential neighborhoods.
Phil Wong
District 30 Queens neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village, parts of Rego Park, Glendale, Ridgewood and Elmhurst
Hometown: Born in Hong Kong, moved to Manhattan Chinatown at 6, then Elmhurst at 8
Where do you live now?: Elmhurst
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
I like to go to Philly’s and then Villa Erasmo and The Nest Fine Dessert.
Favorite NYC sports team: Mets
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
Way back, there used to be a parade for the British retreating, like leaving America. They stopped doing that. “Evacuation Day.” I think they should bring that back. I think that was something that’s very meaningful that gets our kids to learn American history.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
I think that will be the council member that I met in Chinatown, Kathryn Freed. That was 1992 to 2000. She served eight years. She went on to become a judge. Now she’s retired. She’s not Asian, but she bent backward to help Chinatown. Regardless of race, she took care of the issues, and I learned a lot from her.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
I think the standing for hours got to me. I cannot have a chair, you know, so when you’re tired, I can only lean on a lamppost.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
It’s very unfortunate that there were a whole series of veteran bills that did not even have a chance to get a vote. And the veteran bills, they all deserve a vote.
Simcha Felder
District 44 Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park, Flatbush, Gravesend, Mapleton and Midwood
Hometown: Borough Park
Where do you live now?: Borough Park
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
I am usually exhausted, I go to sleep. If I’m not exhausted, then I like spending time with my grandchildren.
Favorite NYC sports team: I do not. And that’s not because I don’t want to offend anyone. It’s because I just don’t follow sports.
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
Are you kidding? Hold on a minute, more parades? We should have one parade: the New York parade. Everyone talks about New Yorkers getting together and being united. Let’s have one parade, maybe on July 4 or something, and every parade should be consolidated and celebrated on that day.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
Gale Brewer. I have never, ever come across anybody that works that hard – and can carry that much material at one time. There are rumors that she’s an alien, because she’s working all the time. She’s either that or she’s an angel.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Having to smile at people – even at those that I don’t want to smile at. I don’t mind smiling, by the way. But I would prefer not having to smile at people I don’t want to.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
To mandate that every playground in the city must have 50%, at minimum, accommodations for disabled children.
Kayla Santosuosso
District 47 Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Coney Island, Sea Gate and parts of Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Gravesend
Hometown: Medina, Ohio
Where do you live now?: Bay Ridge
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing? I’m probably going to browse the BookMark Shoppe, which is a local bookstore, and then I’ll sit at a bar and have a drink – probably Three Jolly Pigeons or Bakers or somewhere else.
Favorite NYC sports team: Mets, but my heart is broken right now.
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
Is there a dog parade? There should be a dog parade. All the dog owners come out and parade with their dogs.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
(With a preamble excluding her former boss, Justin Brannan, about whom she is biased.) Gale Brewer. Gale Brewer showed up to the Met Gala with papers cascading out of a bag. This woman loves to read so much, and loves detail and loves to dig in so much that she did not even have time to prepare for the Met Gala. That’s the level of “I don’t give a shit” – or rather, giving a shit about the things that matter, that you don’t have time for anything else.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Silly season, essentially. When negative mail comes and people start to forget that we share what at the end of the day is a small neighborhood and a small district, and we all need to continue to work together and interact with each other. I had some really gross mail that was mailed out against me in the general (election) that attempted to pit queer communities and Muslim communities against each other. I’m not saying we always have to stay positive and stay above the fray, but when you go negative, it better be on something substantial that actually matters.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
I’m not going to go into details, but there is a very nerdy loophole that I believe I’m going to have the ability to close that, if I do it correctly, has the ability to save the city between tens and hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Frank Morano
District 51 Staten Island neighborhoods of South Shore, including Tottenville, Rossville, Huguenot and Prince’s Bay
Hometown: I was born and raised on Staten Island, and I am determined to live every day of my life – which I hope there are many more ahead – on Staten Island. At my funeral, I am hoping that whoever eulogizes me will say that I spent the entirety of my life on Staten Island.
Where do you live now?: Eltingville
If you have an hour to kill in your district, what are you doing?
If it’s spring or summer, I am visiting Conference House Park. It’s really such a historical treasure, but because it’s the southernmost point in New York state, it’s a real natural beauty as well. I can’t think of any place, not just in my district but the world, that really combines such picturesque natural beauty with real American history. I never tire of going there. Whether I’m playing frisbee, walking around or just staring at the water, if I have an hour I’m spending it at Conference House Park.
Favorite NYC sports team: Unfortunately, I am a long-suffering, die-hard Mets fan. Some people have said “don’t you want your son to be a Met fan like you,” but as fun as it is to watch games with him, I’m hoping he picks another team to root for. Being a Mets fan, you know you are basically signing up for inevitable heartbreak.
“Are there any parades that don’t exist that you think should?”
I would love it if we had a Christmas parade. There’s so much great Christmas spirit. My office just did this contest asking people to vote on social media for different houses that had great Christmas lights and great Christmas decorations and people put so much effort into it. I know Dyker Heights gets all the attention and rightly so – they are kind of next level – but the pride that so many homeowners put into these displays is really extraordinary. I’d love to have a great, big old Christmas parade, ideally in my district, complete with Santa Claus and maybe some international Christmas gift givers – Krampus, La Befana.
Favorite NYC Council member past or present?
It’s very tough because I have two outgoing colleagues who I am going to miss very much: Bob Holden and Kristy Marmorato. I’m really going to miss working with them. There’s a lot that I really love. Peter Vallone Jr., Jimmy Otto, Vinnie Gentile are all certainly near the top. Stephen Fiala, I don’t think there’s a brighter mind in the history of city government. If I had to pick just one it would probably be Vinny Ignizio who is an incredibly close friend, and even though he hates when I say this because he doesn’t want credit for all my wacky ideas, he was very much a mentor to me and was best man at my wedding.
What is your least favorite part about campaigning?
Even with matching funds which does help, it really is never easy to ask people for money. Especially because a lot of my supporters are working-class and middle-class people that were fond of me from the radio. To be able to ask them for $25, $50, $75, I know that maybe means they’re not going out to dinner that week or maybe having a little bit of a tougher time. I hate doing that.
What’s your dream bill to pass this year?
We’re very, very close to having the Staten Island flag being made the official flag of Staten Island. I think that would go a long way toward enhancing civic pride and borough patriotism. I’m also really hoping to move the ball forward on both my IVF legislation and guardianship reform, and even if we can’t get those passed, I’m hoping to increase awareness of what needs to change in the system in both of those areas.
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