Heard Around Town
Epstein endorses Powers for AD 74
The outgoing Assembly member is backing the outgoing City Council member to succeed him in the Manhattan seat.
City Council Member Keith Powers is running for Assembly. Gerardo Romo / NYC Council Media Unit
Harvey Epstein appears to have landed on who he’d like to succeed him in Assembly District 74.
On Monday, the outgoing Assembly member announced that he was endorsing Keith Powers for the seat, potentially giving the term-limited council member a big boost as he seeks the Democratic county committee’s nomination this month in the special election and later, as he vies for a full-term next year.
“Keith Powers has been a consistent champion for tenants – protecting affordability, fighting displacement and supporting a rent freeze to keep families in their homes,” Epstein said in a statement. “Having represented AD 74, I know how critical strong tenant leadership is. Keith is exactly the person we need in Albany to carry that work forward.”
With Epstein vacating the seat early to join the New York City Council, a special election will determine who will serve out the remainder of the term representing the district, which oversees parts of the Lower East Side, the East Village, Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village, Gramarcy, Flatiron and Murray Hill. Powers is among a handful of candidates hoping to be that person. The special election will take place at some point in early 2026, likely February or the end of January, though Gov. Kathy Hochul has yet to set the official date.
Key to the process is the Democratic county committee’s Dec. 10 vote to nominate the party’s standard bearer. It’s a big deal – in the deep blue district, the Democratic nominee is all but guaranteed to win the special election. And an endorsement from Epstein, the incumbent, could go a long way for Powers in pushing the delegates to nominate him.
While it’s further down the road, Epstein is also endorsing Powers in the June 2026 Democratic primary for a full term.
Nonprofit leader Sarah Batchu, who recently mounted a competitive bid against Epstein for a lower Manhattan City Council seat, is also vying for the Democratic county committee’s nomination. She plans to run in next year’s June primary regardless of the special election’s outcome. Kevin O’Keefe, founder and president of the St. Vartan Park Conservancy, and Marquis Jenkins, a local district leader and director of advocacy for Housing Works, are also in the running. All four candidates participated in a candidate forum on Nov. 18 where they made their respective pitches to the local Democratic clubs on why they should receive the committee’s endorsement.