It was a long evening on election night for Manhattan borough president candidate Mark Levine and an even longer for the results to come in from the city’s Board of Elections (BOE), but the councilman told amNewYork Metro that he feels like he can safely say the race has been won.
On June 22, Levine waited and watched alongside his campaign staff as votes slowly but surely began to trickle in — yet it was clear from the beginning the path to victory would be a rocky one. Levine stood neck-and-neck with Senator Brad Hoylman until the councilman won out the night by three points. This lead would only grow over the preceding days until Tuesday, July 6, after the BOE released the updated tally showing his lead over State Senator Hoylman holding by 7.4 percent in the seventh and final round of ranked-choice voting tabulations.
However, the senator conceded two days earlier, stating in a post on Twitter, “At this point, it seems we’ve come up short in my election for Manhattan borough president. But we ran a campaign to be proud of,” Hoylman wrote, thanking his family for their support.
With the freshly released absentee and affidavit ballots seemingly securing Levine’s place in the Nov. 2 general election, he feels he can finally take a victory lap alongside his campaign team and the Manhattanites who cast their vote, even though results will not be certified until July 12.
“I am incredibly grateful to the countless volunteers, supporters, and voters across Manhattan who supported me in this campaign. As your choice to represent you in the general election, I will put my heart and soul into fighting for our comeback,” Levine said. “This was a campaign of integrity and big ideas. I am immensely thankful to all the candidates who put their hearts and souls into this race. I look forward to partnering with you in the future on behalf of the borough we love. Thank you, Manhattan!”
Despite this win, Levine says he is swiftly turning his attention to the future and the work he cites ahead of him. If elected in November, Levine acknowledges that years emerging from the pandemic will be crucial and ones he hopes to play a pivotal role in.
“The coming years will be amongst the most important in New York City’s history, determining whether our recovery will simply bring back the status quo, or make us stronger than we were before,” Levine told amNewYork Metro.
“I believe that we can work to solve some of the most challenging issues of our time — housing affordability, supporting small businesses and M/WBEs, providing a world-class education for our children, addressing climate change, putting people first on our streets, and ensuring that every New Yorker feels safe and welcome — if we bring a lens of equity to the table. My campaign challenged and encouraged voters to ‘Imagine a Better Manhattan’ – one that is stronger, greener, more affordable, and more equitable. I am now looking forward to working alongside my neighbors uptown and downtown, on the east side and the west side, to help build a better Manhattan that works for everyone,” he added.
