Shahana Hanif Likely Winner In 39th District City Council Race

Park Slope NY

06 July, 2021

10:33 AM

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PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Shahana Hanif has declared victory in Brooklyn's 39th District City Council race after ranked-choice voting results revealed a likely insurmountable lead over her opponent. Hanif, who held a 10-point lead on election night, was left with a more than 3,900-vote lead over second-place candidate Brandon West in the updated final round of ranked-choice voting, which eliminated the other five Democratic candidates after six rounds. She held 57 percent of the vote, while West earned 43 percent, numbers show. The race, like all in the June primaries, won't be officially certified by the Board of Elections until at least July 12. But the updated results, released late Tuesday, further cement that Hanif will be declared the winner. They include a preliminary count of absentee ballots, which increased Hanif's lead by around 300 votes, according to the numbers. The in-person ranked-choice vote tallies had been released Friday. Hanif declared victory over the weekend, Tweeting "WE DID IT BROOKLYN!" shortly after the in-person results revealed she had an insurmountable lead over West. WE DID IT BROOKLYN! pic.twitter.com/ZIJklsyaQ3— Shahana Hanif for City Council (@ShahanaFromBK) July 3, 2021 Westcongratulated Hanif in a statement Saturday. "While the numbers aren't yet certified, it appears the result of this race will not be what we were hoping for," he wrote. "Though I won't be continuing this fight from within City Hall, I want to congratulate Shahana Hanif on her victory and for running a hard-fought, honorable campaign." The district's current city council member, Brad Lander, also offered Hanif his congratulations over the weekend. Hanif worked as Lander's director of organizing and community engagement, which includes running the Participatory Budgeting program. She was one of seven candidates on the ballot to replace the term-limited council member, who is in the lead to become the city's next comptroller. The 39th District spans Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, the Columbia Waterfront District, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park and Kensington.