Kamillah Hanks’ challenger fights to stay on the ballot

The New York City Board of Elections has published its list of candidates on the ballot in this June’s primaries, but a handful of remaining court challenges – last-ditch efforts for booted candidates – remain.

Among them is Jozette Carter-Wiliams, a (hopeful) primary challenger to Council Member Kamillah Hanks, a moderate Democrat who represents Staten Island’s North Shore. Carter-Williams was knocked off the ballot last week in a ruling by the Board of Elections after representatives for Hanks’ campaign challenged Carter-Williams’ petitions, citing insufficient signatures among other issues.

But Carter-Williams is making a last-ditch effort to validate her petitions in court, with both her campaign and Hanks’ set to appear in Richmond County Supreme Court on Tuesday morning on the issue. 

Carter-Williams’ late ex-husband Gerard Carter was an NYPD officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1998. Last month, Carter-Williams was endorsed by the New York City Police Benevolent Association.

Hanks ran for reelection unopposed in the Democratic primary in 2023. This year, she has three additional challengers who already made the ballot: Abou Diakhate, Telee Brown and Sarah Blas. Hanks has so far outraised them all easily, but both Blas and Diakhate have received matching funds – though still less than half of what Hanks has received in public funds payments.

Carter-Williams isn’t the only hopeful City Council candidate making a final bid for the ballot. Former City Council Member and state senator Hiram Monserrate has been fundraising to run in the crowded Queens race to replace Council Member Francisco Moya, but was kicked off the ballot last week. He and his supporters are challenging a law that prevents people who have been convicted of corruption (as he has) from running for City Council.

Monserrate’s campaign told City & State they expect to have a court hearing in the next 10 days.