Shanel Thomas-Henry held a narrow lead Tuesday night in the four-way Democratic primary for City Council District 21, according to preliminary results from the New York City Board of Elections.
With 95% of scanners reporting, Thomas-Henry had secured 30.9% of the vote, followed by Erycka Montoya with 25.3%, Yanna Henriquez with 22.98%, and David Aiken with 20.06%. The outcome of the race will ultimately depend on the city’s ranked-choice voting system, which could shift the lead once lower-placed candidates are eliminated and their ballots reallocated.
The seat is open for the first time in years, following the term-limited departure of Council Member Francisco Moya. Moya, a former state Assembly member and the first Ecuadorian-American elected to the New York Legislature, has represented the district since 2018. District 21 includes the neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and LeFrak City—some of the most densely populated and diverse communities in Queens. The area is majority Latino and heavily Democratic, with over 70 % of registered voters affiliated with the party.
Thomas-Henry, a longtime community consultant and organizer, entered the race with strong ties to organized labor. She was endorsed by District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal union, and emphasized workforce development and social services in her platform. Her campaign focused on bringing greater investment in neighborhood infrastructure and public safety, while advocating for immigrant communities.
Speaking Tuesday night, Thomas-Henry said her early lead in the polls was a result of a strong campaign and “speaking directly to voters.”
Thomas-Henry pledged that she will build “one community” if she maintains her lead in the District 21 race, emphasizing the need to bring economic and workforce development opportunities to the district.
“People need jobs,” Thomas-Henry said. “By day one (if she is successful), I plan on starting quarterly job fairs and having someone in my office working with non-profits and community-based organizations to make sure our community gets trained and has access to jobs.”
She also pledged to work with the district’s “huge” migrant population, including securing licenses for street vendors and standing up for the migrant community against threats from the federal government.
“What’s happening at the federal level is inhumane, it’s unconstitutional, it’s unimaginable, it’s insane,” Thomas-Henry said. “So we have to stand together as a community to make sure we protect all New Yorkers.”
Montoya, a former aide to City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, gained momentum with endorsements from the Working Families Party and progressive advocacy groups including Make the Road Action. Her campaign centered on housing affordability, public transportation improvements, and expanded protections for low-income tenants and immigrants. As a transit-dependent resident, she often spoke about the importance of improving subway and bus service in the district.
Montoya addressed her campaign team and supporters at a watch party at Asadero La Fogata at 108-40 Corona Ave. Tuesday night, stating that her campaign had knocked on more than 15,000 doors throughout the race.
Montoya said she is “nervous and anxious” as the race heads to ranked choice voting but insisted that she has run an “incredible race.”
“I’ve had an incredible time talking to my neighbors, learning from them what they want to see, making sure that we’re building out a vision that really serves our community here,” Montoya said Tuesday night. “We’re all very hopeful and very proud of the work that all of us have done.”
Montoya acknowledged that all four candidates had amassed over 20% of the vote in the first count, speaking to how closely-contested the race for District 21 has been.
“I think it’s very closely contested,” she said. “It’s far from over.”
Thomas-Henry, speaking at her own watch party at Vibras Restaurant & Lounge at 91-01 Astoria Blvd., also stated that the race is not over and attributed the close nature of the race to the fact that it is a race for an open seat.
“With any open seat, you have the chance of several candidates entering and having a chunk of the vote, and I think that’s what’s playing out here,” she said. “The night is not over.”
Meanwhile, Henriquez, a nonprofit executive and Democratic district leader, was the official pick of the Queens County Democratic Party. She campaigned on a platform of experience, coalition-building, and preserving essential services in a district still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Her ties to established political networks helped boost her campaign, particularly in LeFrak City and parts of East Elmhurst. She also earned an endorsement from Moya in the lead-up to Tuesday’s vote.
Aiken, a church leader and community organizer with a background in construction, pitched himself as a grassroots alternative to the political establishment. Though his campaign was less funded and received fewer high-profile endorsements, he emphasized faith-based community engagement and programs for at-risk youth.
Because no candidate surpassed the 50% threshold, the race will now move into the ranked-choice tabulation process. As ballots from eliminated candidates are redistributed, the final result may shift in favor of a candidate with broader second-choice support. The Board of Elections is expected to release updated results in the coming days.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Giovanni Franco in the general election on Nov. 4, 2025.
