BK City Council District 35 Race: Crystal Hudson Takes Early Lead

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Former city staffer Crystal Hudson has taken an early lead as the first-choice, in-person votes roll in for Brooklyn's 35th District City Council 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 had been tallied in some races across the five boroughs.

In the 35th District, Hudson — who has worked for City Council Member Laurie Cumbo and the Public Advocate — held a strong lead with nearly 39 percent of the vote when 100 percent of precincts had reported their in-person votes, according to NY1.

"The initial votes are in, and while we wait for the full ranked choice voting process to be carried out, we feel good about our victory in this race," Hudson said in a statement Wednesday morning. "I'm so proud of the campaign that we've run — always centered in the love of this community, always focused on fighting for a stronger future for all of us — and I want to thank everyone who knocked doors, talked to voters, and showed up for us at the polls."

In second place after the first-choice results is tenant organizer Michael Hollingsworth, who held 34.5 percent of the vote as of Wednesday morning, according to the numbers. Renee Collymore was in third with 12 percent of the vote, numbers show.

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.

In all, seven Democrats appeared on the ballot in the race to replace term-limited Cumbo, who serves as the City Council Majority Leader.

The other candidates include Green Earth Poets Cafe founder Curtis Harris, Crown Heights North Association Director Regina Kinsey, special education teacher Deirdre Levy and tenant activist Hector Robertson.

In terms of funding, Hudson has been in the lead for much of the race. She had raised nearly $287,000 in combined private and public money and was most closely trailed by Hollingsworth, who had raised nearly $251,000, as of the latest filing with the city's Campaign Finance Board.

Insight into where four of the seven candidates stand on local issues like the Fort Greene Park renovation, rezoning projects and transit based on a Patch neighborhood survey can be found here. Those four candidates also filled out a questionnaire for a profile on Patch, which was sent to all candidates in the race:

• Michael Hollingsworth
• Regina Kinsey
• Deirdre Levy
• Curtis Harris

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