Julie Menin announces she has the support to be the next council speaker

Is this thing over? 

New York City Council Member Julie Menin declared victory in the New York City Council speaker’s race on Wednesday, announcing in a press release that she has secured the votes of 36 members, including herself. The release follows weeks of urgent campaigning to lock up the race early and block a path for any of her four competitors. City & State first reported Menin’s coming announcement Tuesday night.

City & State has so far independently verified 34 of the 36 members were indeed committed to supporting Menin (including Menin herself). The 36 members she is claiming would give her well over the 26 votes needed to win the race. The release included statements of support from all but one of the listed members (Council Member Althea Stevens) and endorsements from the United Federation of Teachers, 32BJ SEIU, the New York City District Council of Carpenters and continued support from the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council. Notably missing on that list of unions is District Council 37, which planned to meet with both Menin and fellow speaker candidate Crystal Hudson on Wednesday morning, according to a source with knowledge of the plans.

Menin’s list of supporters includes a broad array of the council – the entirety of the body’s Republican conference, a handful of Progressive Caucus members, every incoming member, and a former speaker candidate, Chris Marte, who as recently as Monday was included in talks with the Working Families Party about how to coalesce around a progressive alternative to Menin.

The internal, closed-door speaker’s race is typically decided in December with the actual vote held in early January, so Menin’s challenge will be holding her stated coalition together as her opponents – including Hudson, another front-runner – could try to break it down in the coming weeks.

Hudson and her representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday afternoon, and neither did Bronx Council Member Amanda Farías, who is also running for speaker. But Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, a speaker candidate from Queens, released a statement shortly after Menin’s press release went out in which she congratulated Menin. Brooks-Powers did not immediately confirm if that meant she is committed to voting for Menin.

Menin’s declaration of victory comes remarkably early compared to past speaker races, which have been decided in mid-December or early January. Any opponents looking to peel off votes in the coming weeks would face an uphill battle, as multiple members would have to go back on their word to flip from Menin. It’s possible that Hudson or any other candidate will not try.

If her votes hold, Menin will make history as the council’s first Jewish speaker. Menin has long been seen as the front-runner in the race, and she’s been campaigning the longest. For years, she’s been working to build support, including among the institutional power players who hold sway in the race, sponsoring bills friendly to unions, courting county machines and cultivating incoming members. 

Mamdani’s surprise victory in the New York City mayor’s race threatened to derail her plans. The mayor-elect has historically held some sway in the race, and Menin was hardly a Mamdani ally. In fact, she’s reportedly been pitching herself as a check on the lefty incoming mayor. That posturing has apparently been successful with some of her endorsers. In the press release, however, she also stated that she would work with the Mamdani administration. “With this broad five borough coalition, we stand ready to partner with Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s administration and deliver on a shared agenda that makes New York more affordable through universal childcare, lowers rent and healthcare costs, and ensures that families across the City can do more than just get by.”

Mamdani had not publicly weighed in on the race, saving him from a direct defeat with this projected outcome. He had allies on many sides of the race, with 32BJ SEIU and HTC ultimately backing Menin, while the Working Families Party opposed her. 

History shows that an announcement of victory is not always definitive. In 2021, both eventual Speaker Adrienne Adams and Francisco Moya declared they had the votes to win within hours of each other. In that case, though, neither provided a list of names.

There was increasing pressure among the non-Menin candidates to consolidate ahead of Wednesday’s announcement. On Monday, The Working Families Party held a call with Hudson, Amanda Farías, Marte and Selvena Brooks-Powers to discuss strategy and urge them to align behind whoever has the best shot of beating Menin. Hudson, Farías and Marte then met separately on Monday night.