The council’s newest member Carl Wilson says it’s all ‘a little surreal’

New York City’s newest council member is not so new to the City Council.

Democrat Carl Wilson, who coasted to victory in last month’s special election for a seat on Manhattan’s west side, served as chief of staff to Erik Bottcher, who vacated the District 3 seat to run for state Senate. Wilson was endorsed by City Council Speaker Julie Menin, two former speakers and seven more current members.

But Wilson, who was officially sworn in this week, may still have a whiplash-inducing introduction as a full-fledged member of the legislative body. In the next six weeks, the City Council must pass its first budget with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and navigate its first potential veto override vote. Plus Wilson will have to be reelected in the June primary election. (He’ll be golden after that, as District 3 is a deeply blue seat with no chance of a competitive general election in November.)

City & State caught up with Wilson the day after his swearing in to talk about his priorities for the district, the upcoming budget and potential veto override vote, and the legacy of Council District 3 as a gay seat.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Can I officially call you Council Member? You were sworn into office on Tuesday, right? 

Yes, it was a little surreal. I was feeling really reflective and emotional, a little bit, when I was walking up the steps in the rotunda. Given just my journey there, you know, from a small staffer to this. It’s just been a wild ride.

It’s been a couple weeks that you’ve had to reflect on the special election victory now. What do you think put you over the edge?

At the end of the day, the voters in District 3 knew who I am. They know me from my near-decade of service already in the district. They know that they can trust me. I’ve spent my career working every day, block by block, issue by issue, working to use the mechanisms of government to solve problems. I think what mattered the most to the voters was who’s ready to go.

This race attracted a ton of attention outside the district. A PAC that supported you was backed by allies of Andrew Cuomo and a group focused on opposing DSA and Mamdani-backed candidates. Mamdani of course endorsed Boylan, your opponent in the special. Do you think this will create tension between yourself and the mayor? Have you spoken to him since your victory?

I have. The mayor and I focused our conversation on partnership and how we’re going to be able to work together to deliver for folks. I know that the mayor believes what I believe, which is that government is a force for good in people’s lives. So to me, and I think to the mayor, the election is done. And now we have to work together to deliver for not just my district, but the city. And I’m eager to have that partnership with the mayor.

The same day you were being sworn in, Mamdani was presenting his executive budget proposal. What was your reaction to that?

I think it’s a big win for the city, and I want to give props to Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin for their leadership on a really challenging budget. I think the ability to close the budget gap without raising property taxes or raiding the budget reserves or cutting critical services is a big win for the city. And I’m excited to be able to come into the council and further work on this with them.

Will you have a chance to serve on the Budget Negotiating Team?

I don’t know yet. I’m certainly open to it if they would like me to be, but that team has been working together for months. If not this time, then in future budget cycles.

Are you planning to join the council’s Progressive Caucus?

I am really going to be focused on my primary right now in June, and so that’s really where I’m going to be looking to be spending a lot of my time over the next six weeks. I’m eager to discuss with the Progressive Caucus members, and I’m open to it.

You’re open to joining but not jumping in right now?

Not at the moment. I’m going to be focused on securing my place here. I will be on other caucuses, I hope, like the LGBTQ caucus. I’m eager to join that one and start to work there.

Is there a reason to join the LGBTQIA+ Caucus and not the Progressive Caucus right away? Are there hesitations that you have about the Progressive Caucus?

Well, in my previous role, Erik was the co-chair of the (LGBTQIA+ Caucus), it’s just one whose work I was really engaged in. And I want to get back in there to resume the kind of work we were doing. Like I said, I’m going to be having conversations with my colleagues and open to joining others, but that’s just one I’m really familiar with.

There is obviously a major discussion about a potential move for the City Council to override Mamdani’s veto of a bill that would establish buffer zones outside protests at educational facilities. If you had been in the council when that was up for a vote how would you have voted on it? 

I would have voted with the majority of the Council colleagues in supporting that bill.

This was a couple weeks ago now, but The New York Times reported you had changed your position on supporting a veto override and that you want to see the bill amended to address the concerns of free speech advocates. But then they said in an update that you would in fact vote to override the veto. Can you explain what happened there? And can you confirm what your vote would be if an override vote comes to pass?

Yeah, my position hasn't changed. I believe we’ve seen a real need to have transparent plans about how we can ensure the right to protest safely and also manage them safely at sensitive locations like schools or houses of worship. So I do support the bill under consideration. But you know, look, should there be future conversations about how we best address those concerns and balance the very important needs of those varying interests, I’m eager to be part of that with my colleagues at the council.

Is that a preferred path that you think that the Council should take right now – to talk about tweaking the bill – or to override the veto?

I really want to understand where everybody is on this. And I’m looking forward to speaking with them about it. 

But you yourself, what do you think should be done?

I really want to get a better take of where all of my colleagues are on this. But right now, should there be a veto override vote, I will vote to override the veto.

There was some discussion during the campaign over whether District 3 should be a gay seat. Is it important to you that that legacy continues beyond your time in office? And what did you make of that discussion as it came up on the campaign trail?

I was really proud to run openly in the race. I was very proud to run as a queer candidate, and I do think it’s an important perspective, but I don’t think it’s the only perspective. And at the end of the day here, I think voters had considered that. But I think they considered a lot of other things too, like, who’s ready to go on day one, who has the record, who’s going to be able to get things done for them and who is going to be able to tackle problems like housing affordability and transit improvements and protecting our neighborhoods and our immigrant neighbors from assaults from Washington. So yes, it’s important, but it’s not the only defining feature.

Do you think being the only out candidate in the special helped to any degree or not?

I think that it is a legacy that people did consider. It is the birthplace of the modern movement and has Stonewall. So I think that that point of view is important. And yeah, I think it did help. It certainly didn't hurt.

Finally, I know you came to New York to be an actor. Is there anything you’ve seen on stage recently that you’ve loved? 

Broadway and the theater community is really near and dear to me. I’ve seen two Broadway shows since the election. I had the great privilege to see Death of a Salesman, which is incredible. And I also saw the Rocky Horror Show this weekend. So from one side to the other in terms of seriousness and drama, but both equally entertaining and great nights at the theater.