Longtime Councilmember Charles Barron is predicted to have lost his District 42 council seat.
Photo courtesy of William Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit
Primary election results for New York City Council seats indicate longtime public servant and incumbent Council Member Charles Barron has lost to challenger Chris Banks in District 42.
Barron, a former member of the Black Panther Party and civil rights activist who represented District 42 in East New York for over 20 years, was defeated by community activist Banks, who received nearly 51% of the vote with 99% of scanners reporting as of Wednesday afternoon, according to unofficial election results. Barron trailed behind with 43% of the vote.
Banks, a registered Democrat and co-founder of East New York United Concerned Citizens Inc., was endorsed by the NYC Carpenters Union and the United Federation of Teachers.
The two participated in a debate hosted by Schneps Media on June 14, where they both discussed issues of education, housing and public transportation impacting the constituents of District 42, which includes parts of East New York, New Lots, Remsen Village, Spring Creek, and Starrett City.
Reacting to his predicted win, Banks said that the constituents of District 42 had voted to hold Barron accountable for his neglect of this district.
“This was — to me — a referendum on Charles’ last 20 years in the district,” Banks told Brooklyn Paper on Wednesday. “The people spoke, they came on and they said that they wanted change. Charles took his eye off the district and the people came on and they said ‘Listen, we want to go in a different direction’.”
Barron did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Banks and Barron previously faced off during the election for state Assembly in 2014, with Barron ultimately winning and serving until the end of the 2021 session.
Barron in the past has faced criticism for vocalizing unpopular or unconventional…
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