Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers breezed to a primary victory in District 31 in the Rockaways, a seat she captured during a special election in February to replace Donovan Richards.
Brooks-Powers received more than 68 percent of the vote as of Wednesday morning, June 23, with 92 percent of the precincts reported, according unofficial results from the city’s Board of Elections.
While the official results of the June 22 primary will not be revealed until the anticipated date of July 12, as thousands of absentee ballots still need to be counted, ranked-choice voting will not be implemented in this case, as Brooks-Powers received more than the 50 percent requirement to win the seat outright.
“It has been a tremendous honor to represent my community in the City Council for the past three months, and I am thrilled to have overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary on my way to being re-elected to a full term,” Brooks-Powers said.
Brooks-Powers, who resides in the Rockaways with her husband and their daughter, cruised past her two challengers, Nicole Lee and Nancy Martinez, in the race to represent the neighborhoods of Arverne, Brookville, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Laurelton, Rosedale and Springfield Gardens.
“I am humbled by the support of my community, and your support and faith in me inspire me every day to make a difference and deliver,” Brooks-Powers said. “I especially want to thank my family, friends and supporters including Congress member Gregory Meeks, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Senator James Sanders, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman and all the labor unions and organizations who worked with me to achieve this victory.”
Her path to victory was cleared in May when Pesach Osina dropped out of the race and endorsed Brooks-Powers, calling her “the proactive leader we need fighting for us in the City Council.”
She was also endorsed by other key leaders on the Rockaway Peninsula including Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson.
The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Brooks-Powers formed her reputation as an effective leader and credible community organizer after years of high-impact initiatives on critical issues, including education, voter empowerment, racial and economic justice, domestic violence and workers’ rights.
“Fighting for positive change here takes all of us,” Brooks-Powers said. “I am excited to continue serving southeast Queens, a community that has given me so much.”
