Democrat Shirley Aldebol flips only City Council seat to change parties

Following Republican Kristy Marmorato’s upset win in 2023 that made her the first Republican to hold office in the Bronx in two decades, New York City Council District 13 has flipped back to blue as Democratic nominee Shirley Aldebol won one of the closest races on election night. It was also the only City Council seat that changed parties.

More than an hour after the polls closed, it became clear that Aldebol was the winner, albeit narrowly, with the Bronx native securing 51.5% of the vote to Marmorato’s 46.2%, when over 95% of scanners were reported. The race was one of the few competitive City Council races during the general election.

While Marmorato appeared to have the upper hand in recent months and holding greater name recognition, Aldebol gained traction during her campaign, as Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s progressive populism swept the city on election night.

With deep ties to unions, serving as a vice president of the influential 32BJ SEIU union, Aldebol clinched the support of much of the district’s working class during the Democratic primary in June, winning the nomination over five other candidates.

Following her narrow victory, Aldebol wrote in a statement to City & State, speaking to her constituents, “As an organizer I know that this is truly your victory.”

Adding: “I promise the people of the East Bronx that I will be a representative for us all, I’ll listen, and I’ll fight like hell for safe streets, quality schools, affordable housing, and economic opportunity for every resident. There is much work to do, but tonight I am hopeful and optimistic that brighter days are ahead for our communities.”

Marmorato expressed skepticism, however, that Aldebol would represent for all in the politically diverse district.

“I just hope that the council member-elect is good to every pocket of the district, and that she shows attention to everybody,” Marmorato told City & State at her watch party, following the results of the close election.

The outgoing City Council member conceded the race during her watch party in Throggs Neck on Tuesday night at around 10:05 p.m. She told a crowd of supporters that she was “proud” of their support but that “the numbers weren’t there for us.”

While the Bronx has remained a largely blue borough, District 13 became about 10 points redder during the 2024 presidential election, compared to 2020. As Mamdani won big, many in the room supporting Marmorato expressed fears about the future of the city, and their district, under both Mamdani and Aldebol. Many Curtis Sliwa supporters were also in attendance, cheering on Marmorato.

Marmorato, who had ties to prominent supporters of President Donald Trump, previously said that if Mamdani was elected she would likely support federal troops being deployed in the city by Trump. She told City & State on Tuesday night, however, that she “has no feelings” about Mamdani’s win.

Despite their differences, both Aldebol and Marmorato are first-time politicians. Marmorato, a former X-ray technician, flipped her district red in 2023 through a campaign that emphasized public safety and sought to block developments in the district.

Aldebol’s campaign focused on expanding affordable housing and increasing “good jobs.” Aldebol has been backed by pro-housing groups, such as Open New York, for her commitment to building more affordable housing in the district.

On the other hand, during her City Council term, Marmato delivered on her campaign promises of rejecting controversial housing and development projects in her district. Notably, she opposed a housing project to serve formerly incarcerated people, known as the Just Home project, and the Bally’s Corp.’s casino proposal. Both, however, were overridden by her City Council colleagues. Similarly, Marmorato had urged her constituents to vote “no” on the controversial housing ballot proposal that sought to fast-track building affordable housing in the city, arguing that the proposal takes away local input in building these projects. The proposal was passed by voters Tuesday night.

As Marmorato’s time in the council comes to an end and other Republicans lost their competitive races Tuesday night, including Alicia Vaichunas of Queens, there will be fewer Republicans in the City Council come January. But in both their closing messages of the night Marmorato and Aldebol thanked their supporters. “I want to thank every voter who supported me, and every volunteer who knocked on doors, made phone calls or handed out lit at a train station,” Aldebol wrote in her statement, highlighting the success of her grassroots campaign.