Election Results: Yuh-Line Niou Wins Historic Race to Replace Sheldon Silver

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — Yuh-Line Niou had little difficulty in securing an historic victory in Tuesday's general election. Her toughest campaign was already fought in the primary.

Niou took 67 percent of the vote, besting Republican challenger Bryan Jung (12 percent) and Alice Cancel (5 percent) with all precincts reporting. The 33-year-old becomes the first Asian-American Assemblywoman and just the second overall. The first Asian-American Assemblymember elected was Ron Kim, who represents Flushing and also happens to be Niou's former boss. She served as his chief of staff up until her campaign.

Zaden, 21, who preferred not to give his last name, has lived on the Lower East Side for almost two years. He voted for Niou on Tuesday because she was the Democratic candidate. He said he loves his neighborhood and hopes it doesn't change too much in the future.

"I love the intermixed cultures here, the graffiti, the different earnings," he said. "I also would like to see more affordable housing."

Niou took victory Sept. 13 in a crowded Democratic primary for the 65th State Assembly District long dominated by disgraced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The district spans from the Lower East Side through Chinatown, Two Bridges and much of the Financial District. Despite the packed field, and at times heated race, the final primary results didn't end up being all that close.

Her speech in September took on the celebratory tone of a general election win in the district dominated by Democratic voters.

Husband and wife Stacey Meador and Humberto Rosero have lived on the Lower East Side for more than two decades. Both voted for Niou on Tuesday. They'd like to see less corruption in local government.

"There is corruption in that people will donate to a campaign and get favors of rezoning in their districts based on that donation," Meador said.

Niou claimed 32 percent of the vote to finish first in the primary, besting Jenifer Rajkumar by 13 percentage points. Incumbent Alice Cancel, who'd won the special election in April, finished fourth with 12 percent of the vote. Cancel didn't give up her grip on the seat easily though. Cancel ran in Tuesday's general election as a member of the Women's Equality party.

Niou had styled herself as the winner since the night she claimed the primary.

"I’m humbled to be the first Asian-American to represent Chinatown, or any part of Manhattan, in the state legislature," Niou told attendees to her Sept. 13 primary party.

Opponents in the primary, including Rajkumar and Cancel, took issue with Niou's residency in the state. Niou moved to the city in 2011, qualifying her for the five-year minimum, but spent some time in Washington D.C. as she pursued a master's degree as well.

In addition to Cancel, Bryan Jung ran as the Republican candidate and Manny Cavaco ran as the Green Party candidate. Jung, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, is a political consultant and District Leader for the Republican Party —an unpaid, elected position — in the 65th Assembly District.

Jung and Cavaco ran basically no campaign to speak of. Neither even has a website.

Silver had represented the district, in all its varying shapes and sizes, since 1977. He became Assembly Speaker in 1994 and served in that role until 2015 when he was arrested and later convicted for corruption. He is currently appealing a 12-year prison sentence.

Photo Credit: @yuhline/Twitter

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