Incumbent Councilmember Kamillah M. Hanks gained the Democratic major in June for Staten Island’s (SI) North Shore, however she nonetheless has competitors for her seat arising this November.
“I’ve each confidence that I’ll be victorious in November,” mentioned Hanks. “I’m perplexed about what it’d imply in the long run since I’ve an Unbiased and Republican challenger.”
North Shore (District 49) has been Black-led since 2010 when former Councilmember Debi Rose, the primary Black particular person to carry greater workplace on SI, was elected to symbolize the primarily Democratic district. Hanks follows in her footsteps and continues to be the one Black councilmember on SI.
Hanks, who grew up in Park Hill, is the founder and president of the Historic Tappen Park Group Partnership and served on town’s Panel for Training Coverage (PEP) previous to getting elected in 2021. She is a mom of 4 and grandmother of 5. Her district covers neighborhoods like St. George, New Brighton, Tompkinsville, Stapleton, Rosebank, Park Hill, West Brighton, Westerleigh, Port Richmond, Arlington, Graniteville, and Cosy Harbor on SI.
Main as much as this June’s Democratic major, Hanks confronted fairly a couple of challengers together with district chief Abou S. Diakhate, organizer Sarah Blas, and Telee N. Brown.
On Election Evening, June 24, Hanks earned 58.46% or 6,706 of the votes on the shut of the polls, in keeping with the New York Metropolis Board of Elections (BOE). A bittersweet second contemplating, Hanks’ mom had handed simply earlier than the first, she mentioned. After ranked alternative voting rounds have been tabulated, Hanks’ lead margin dropped minutely to 58.1% or 7,174 votes however nonetheless secured her place because the nominee.
“I symbolize Black and immigrant owners. Public housing and renters. Academics, firefighters, cops, and union employees. I symbolize a various district, socially, economically, religiously, generationally. I’m a mirrored image of my district. And having to steadiness that. Having folks vote for me is humbling and a testomony. No glitz. No glamor,” mentioned Hanks. “Our technique is to maintain our heads down and do the work.”
Hanks mentioned she has no ill-will towards Blas, since they’ve recognized each other for years, however she is a little bit involved that her impartial candidacy may break up the vote within the normal election. She additionally pushed again in opposition to “labels” like conservative or “institution” Democrat, and mentioned that she’s leaning on her voting report throughout her time on the council and her popularity of working throughout the aisle to get issues carried out for the North Shore.
“Potholes don’t have political events,” she mentioned.
When it comes to fundraising, Hanks has far exceeded different candidates to this point with $266,430 in personal funds and $162,890 in public matching funds, mentioned the New York Metropolis Marketing campaign Finance Board (NYCCFB).
Blas, 38, a Brooklyn native, is the founding father of Group Affect Methods and an government director at Staten Island Girls Who March, a lifelong progressive, and advocate for working households as a mom of six. She has a background in public well being as a hospice care employee. She acquired 15.12% on Election Evening.
Regardless that she didn’t have a powerful displaying, she pivoted to the Unbiased line and is now working within the normal election in November — in the identical approach incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo jumped ship to being Unbiased candidates in opposition to Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. Blas has additionally unsuccessfully ran for Senate District 23 in 2022 and Congress District 11 in 2024.
“So our technique was to give attention to getting on not one line, however three traces. The councilmember, Hanks, and that is public info, her technique was to knock as many people off the poll as doable, to silence as many voices as doable,” mentioned Blas. “And so we spent the majority of our funds, the majority of our sources in battling not one, not two, however 11 authorized challenges. So we confirmed as much as court docket 11 occasions.”
Hanks caught numerous warmth for knocking metropolis council candidate Jozette Carter-Williams, whose ex-husband was an NYPD officer killed within the line of responsibility in 1998, off the poll after petitioning season. Hanks has additionally not been endorsed by the SI Dems Occasion for re-election.
Blas mentioned her marketing campaign has since consolidated help from the Democratic candidates that made the poll and group leaders that introduced their candidacy. She claimed that Hanks has been “absent” in the neighborhood, so being an Unbiased candidate gained’t harm her possibilities of successful. Blas has raised $17,522 in personal funds and $68,308 in public matching funds to this point, mentioned NYCCFB.
“I believe that particularly given the state of our authorities now, the state of a few of our elected officers, previous and current, not displaying up in the neighborhood,” mentioned Blas. “I believe people are feeling very disenfranchised and that entire, ‘I’m simply going to vote as a result of they’re blue,’ just isn’t sufficient anymore. They wish to vote for somebody that has a monitor report of displaying up, a monitor report of doing issues. Grassroots candidates are what people are on the lookout for, not institution candidates.”
In the meantime, the Republican challenger John Shea, a retired first responder raised on the North Shore, is looming over the Dem stronghold on SI. He has raised $15,190 in personal funds and $48,134 in matching funds from town to this point, mentioned the NYCCFB.
