Brooklyn Borough President Race 2021: Reynoso Takes Early Lead

BROOKLYN, NY — City Council Member Antonio Reynoso has taken an early lead as the first-choice, in-person votes roll in for the Brooklyn Borough President primary race, according to election night results.

As with most races in the June 22 primary, official winners will likely not be declared Tuesday given the new ranked-choice voting system, but first-choice, in-person picks have been tallied in some races across the five boroughs.

In Brooklyn, Reynoso held a lead with 28 percent of the vote as of Wednesday morning, when 91 percent of precincts had reported their votes, according to NY1. City Council Member Robert E. Cornegy Jr. was in second place with 19.2 percent and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon was in third with nearly 18 percent of the vote, the numbers show.

A total of 12 candidates had put their hat in the ring to replace Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who is vying to become New York City's next mayor in the 2021 elections. Four out of the city's five borough presidents will leave office this year because of term limits.

Borough presidents are responsible for advocating for their borough in the city's budget, appointing community board members, deciding on local initiatives and projects to fund and offering a vote on land-use items during the review process.

The other candidates include Council Member Mathieu Eugene, minister and nonprofit executive Kim Council, former hospital executive Khari Edwards, high school teacher Robert A. Elstein, Community Board 17 member Pearlene Fields, district leader Anthony Jones, union president Robert Ramos Jr., bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead and small business owner Trisha Ocona.

Before Election Day, there were minimal polls to reveal where the candidates stand with voters. In perhaps the only official poll conducted council members Robert Cornegy Jr. and Antonio Reynoso came out ahead of the six candidates included, though half of voters said they were undecided.

Fundraising has also been a tight race between Cornegy and Reynoso, along with Simon. All three have qualified for more than $1 million in public funding in addition to hundreds of thousands in private donations. Council and Edwards are the only other candidates to qualify for public money, about $500,000 and $700,000, respectively.

Ten of the 12 candidates filled out Patch's candidate questionnaire:

• Robert E. Cornegy Jr.
• Antonio Reynoso
• Trisha Ocona
• Robert Elstein
• Mathieu Eugene
• Kim Council
• Khari Edwards
• Jo Anne Simon
• Lamor Miller-Whitehead
• Pearlene Fields

Find a full list of races NYC Patch is following here.