Day: June 24, 2025

Polls are officially open for New York City’s 2025 Primary Election, and Brooklynites are heading out to vote in a packed primary cycle that includes closely watched races for mayor, comptroller, public advocate and more.

In addition to citywide offices, Brooklyn voters will decide who will represent them as borough president, civil court judge, and in the City Council — all under the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

Early voting turnout was strong this year, especially in Brooklyn. According to the city’s Board of Elections, more than 142,000 Brooklynites cast their ballots during the nine-day early voting period — a 118% jump compared to the last mayoral primary in 2021. That’s the highest early voter turnout of any borough this year, outpacing even Manhattan.

Citywide, 384,338 voters checked in early — more than double the 191,197 early votes cast during the 2021 primary.

What to expect today

While the citywide mayoral race has captured much of the spotlight, several local contests in Brooklyn are drawing intense interest — particularly in Southern Brooklyn, where Council Member Inna Vernikov faces a Republican primary challenge from former Democrat-turned-Republican Ari Kagan in District 48. Across the borough, in District 39, incumbent Council Member Shahana Hanif is fending off a challenge from Maya Kornberg, a former researcher at the Brennan Center for Justice, in a race that could test the political mood in Park Slope and Kensington.

Term-limited Council Member Justin Brannan, who currently represents parts of Bay Ridge and Coney Island, is looking to make a leap to citywide office with a run for New York City Comptroller. He’s facing a competitive Democratic primary against Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, State Senator Kevin Parker and others.

The Democratic mayoral primary is wide open, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo facing strong challenges from Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and progressive favorite Zohran Mamdani. With no clear frontrunner, ranked-choice voting and high turnout in Brooklyn could be key to deciding the race.

Brooklyn Paper will have reporters stationed at polling sites throughout the borough today, and we’ll be tracking the results of some of the most contentious races as they unfold tonight.

Check back throughout the day for live primary election updates. Experience something unusual at your poll site? We want to hear from you! E-mail mmcgoldrick@schnepsmedia.com with the subject line “Primary Day Live Updates.”

With reporting by Meaghan McGoldrick