Results of Recounted NYC Council Races to be Certified Tuesday, As Bill Perkins Concedes Defeat in Harlem

The outcomes of two competitive primary races that concluded with recounts are expected to be certified on Tuesday, the city Board of Elections said.

The outcomes of two competitive City Council primary races in June that concluded with recounts are expected to be certified on Tuesday, the city Board of Elections said.

Both contests required recounts, according to state law, because the margin between the two leading candidates was 0.5 percent or less. 

Kristin Richardson Jordan, who forecasted victory in an interview with City Limits last month, is expected to win the race for Council District 9 in Manhattan. Unofficial results on the BOE’s website show her ahead with 50.3 percent of votes to incumbent Bill Perkins’ 49.7 percent after 13 rounds of ranked choice voting.

READ MORE: Kristin Richardson Jordan Leads Incumbent Bill Perkins By 100 Votes in Harlem Council Race

Perkins—who was elected to his current seat via a special election in 2017, and previously represented the Harlem district in the Council before becoming a state senator—recently conceded the race, Patch reported this week. His quiet campaign for reelection this year was met with questions about his ability to do the job in the face of reported health problems, City & State reported in June.

“I want to thank the voters of Harlem, East Harlem, and the Upper West Side for their incredible support and confidence in me over the past 25 years and congratulate Kristin Richardson Jordan on her Democratic Primary victory,” Perkins said in a Monday statement.

Jordan, who describes herself as a democratic socialist and abolitionist, campaigned on a platform that called for NYPD reforms and accountability, more affordable housing, environmental and economic justice and Medicaid for All. 

On Staten Island, in Council District 50, David Carr is currently leading the Republican party race to represent the central part of the island, continuing a chain of succession that stretches back years. 

The five-person primary was the most competitive one for the seat in history, City Limits reported in May.

The district, which was created in the early nineties, was first represented by John Fusco, now a judge. Jimmy Oddo, his chief of staff, replaced him, before becoming borough president in 2014. Oddo’s chief of staff, Steven Matteo, later took his seat in the Council.

Carr, the presumed winner, served as chief of staff to Matteo, who unsuccessfully ran for borough president this year.

MORE COVERAGE: It’s Insider Vs. Outsiders in Republican Council Primary on Staten Island

Marko Kepi, who faced off with Carr in the primary, has apparently not yet conceded. Kepi, a former Marine and staunch Trump supporter, has maintained that valid votes were being tossed, despite not providing evidence of this alleged fraud. 

Kepi could not be immediately reached for comment.

The winners of the June primary will be on the ballot to compete in the general election in November.