Harlem District 9 City Council Race: Perkins Leads Early Results

HARLEM, NY — Hours after the polls closed in New York City Tuesday evening, incomplete results for the District 9 City Council race in Central Harlem showed Bill Perkins holding a slim lead.

Just before midnight, the incumbent Perkins led early results with 20.6 percent of the vote, closely trailed by Kristin Richardson Jordan at 19.3 percent. She was followed by Athena Moore at 11 percent and Cordell Cleare at 10 percent. About 80 percent of precincts had reported their in-person, first-choice votes.

A whopping 13 Democrats are running in District 9, which includes Central Harlem and parts of East Harlem, Morningside Heights and the Upper West Side.

Tuesday night's results include only the first-choice, in-person votes cast in District 9. Final results will not be known until mid-July, when absentee ballots have been counted and voters' second through fifth choices have been factored into the ranked-choice calculation.

The race in District 9 has been an unusual one, characterized by the presence — and absence — of Perkins, who has represented the district since 2017 and previously from 1998 to 2005.

A well-known figure in Harlem, Perkins has been largely absent from the public stage in recent years as he deals with unspecified health problems. People who work with him have said he appears to suffer from memory loss and disorientation.

Perkins surprised many when he launched a re-election bid in March, and his campaign has had little presence since then. The candidates looking to unseat him have said the neighborhood needs new representation, criticizing his office's non-responsiveness to constituents.

Last year, City & State magazine singled Perkins out among city lawmakers for his poor attendance record in the City Council, his low number of bills passed, and his office's failure to address constituent requests. He responded to the publication in an email, saying his public service was "not about the number of tweets or press stories or even being at every meeting."

Other issues that have loomed in the District 9 race include gentrification and new development, local opposition to methadone clinics that treat people with drug addiction, and street cleanliness during the pandemic.

The winner of the Democratic primary will be unopposed in November's general election, where no other parties are fielding a candidate.

Previous District 9 coverage:

• Here's Where Central Harlem Candidates Stand On Your Issues
• Harlem's 3 City Council Races: Where Things Stand
• Bill Perkins Jolts Harlem Council Race, Launches Re-Election Bid
• Harlem City Council Races: What Issues Matter To You?