One of NYC’s lone Republicans in political office is calling it quits before his term limit is up in November.
City Council Member Joe Borelli, the chamber’s minority leader who represents Staten Island’s overwhelmingly Republican 51st District on the South Shore, said he will resign at the end of January, according to multiple reports. Borelli, who was already set to be term-limited from his post this year, plans to work in the private sector.
Multiple outlets reported his resignation on Sunday.
“Some personal news…I am excited for the next chapter in my life,” the council member posted on X. “Thank you all for your support and (mostly) kindness over the years.”
The Staten Island native was elected into the council in 2015 and serves as its minority leader. He was outspoken during his tenure on various issues important to constituents in his district and other Staten Islanders.
Most recently on Aug. 21, 2024, he joined fellow Staten Island politicians, including state Assembly Member Michael Tannousis, in pushing back against a legal cannabis dispensary set to open in Great Kills on the borough’s South Shore.
That pot shop, called Clouditude, is yet to open.
He also came out strong after the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, PA, stressing that political change should be made with voting not violence.
“I hear policies brought up, bills introduced, I hear rhetoric,” Borelli said at a July press conference and after the shocking assassination attempt that left one person dead. “I look into what is being said, discussed and introduced, and I see that so many of these actions would have a detrimental impact on my family and constituents, and these things make me fundamentally mad, fundamentally angry.”
The staunch Republican also received cheers in 2023 for his $1 million allotment to outfit the new Huguenot Park Library with more program spaces, additional computers, outdoor programming space and ADA-accessible bathrooms.
Borelli’s resignation comes at a critical time for NYC and Staten Island, as New Yorkers continue to grapple with housing issues, an economic fallout and controversial policies surrounding transportation and crime.
A special election will be held to fill Borelli’s seat for the remainder of 2025. The date of the election has not yet been announced.
amNewYork Metro reached out to Borelli for comment, and is awaiting a response.
