City Council Turnover

When the New York City Council starts its new term in January 2022 after the elections this year, roughly three-quarters of the members will be relatively new to the Council, having been elected new in 2021 or in the previous year in special elections. Only 25% of the 51 members will be incumbents returning for a second term.

The turnover is due in part to the city’s term limits law, which limits city elected officials to two consecutive terms. There are also a few members that are retiring early. But the extreme number of open seats at once is due to the Council allowing a third term in 2009 for incumbent members and then having voters change it back to two terms in 2010. This meant that in 2013 there was a class of members that had served one term and had two terms left working alongside new incoming members that would only get two terms.

While 38 seats were term-limited this year, six of those seats have members that won a special election in the past year and will have an advantage in the election for the first full term. The incumbents in those seats left early to take other jobs or won higher office. Rory Lancman took at job with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Costa Constantinides became CEO of Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, Rafael Espinal left to become Executive Director of Freelancer’s Union, Ritchie Torres was elected to Congress, Donovan Richards was elected Queens Borough President and Andrew Cohen was appointed to a judgeship.

One of the new members – Jim Gennaro – has previously served as a Councilmember and is returning, which is allowed under the term limits law. Gale Brewer and Charles Baron are also seeking their old seats.

Of the council members that are term limited out, many are running for higher city office, including borough president in each of the five boroughs and comptroller.

One thing that is unlikely to change significantly is the partisan makeup of the Council. The Council is currently overwhelmingly Democrat, with three Republicans out of the 51 members. (Robert Holden was elected as a Republican after losing the Democratic primary, but is serving as a Democrat.)

In the map below you can see who is leaving, who is staying, and who took office very recently. As a quick guide, the darker blue and red are seats where the incumbent can run for reelection and the lighter blues and reds show open seats in 2021 or new members through recent special elections. In the notes you can see who is running for higher office and why some of the positions vacated.