Could Historic GOP Election Victory In New York City Foreshadow AOC Defeat?

Republicans scored a historic victory in the New York City Council elections Tuesday night.

The GOP won a NYC City Council seat in the Bronx for the first time in roughly 20 years.

Republican challenger Kristy Marmorato defeated incumbent Democrat Marjorie Velazquez in the 13th City Council district.

Congratulations to Kristy Marmorato on her huge victory in the Bronx!

She’s the first Republican elected to represent the Bronx since 2004! pic.twitter.com/F2UZ2eZqrz

— GOP (@GOP) November 8, 2023

The district covers several neighborhoods in the eastern part of the Bronx.

Republican Kristy Marmorato has defeated Democrat Marjorie Velazquez to represent the 13th City Council district, which covers several neighborhoods in the eastern part of the Bronx..

Her victory breaks a Republican curse that’s swept the Bronx for nearly 20 years.… pic.twitter.com/S0UvZS1ohx

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) November 8, 2023

“I’m honored, and I am blessed and I am going to make you very proud of the job I’m going to do,” Marmorato said, according to the New York Daily News. 

First post as Councilwoman-elect!

Thank you @NY1 for having me today and for giving me the opportunity to speak about last night’s victory! pic.twitter.com/4Hd50Ego3d

— Kristy Marmorato (@KristyforNY) November 8, 2023

The New York Daily News reports:

With about 99% of votes tallied late Tuesday night, Marmorato had held a 6% lead over incumbent Councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez, with a 53 to 47 point edge. If Marmorato emerges victorious once all the votes are tallied, it will give Republicans another seat in the City Council, flipping the district from blue to red.

Velazquez had already left her campaign headquarters minutes after Marmorato declared victory, and the mood there was grim with staffers cleaning up food and trickling out. JT Ennis, a spokesman for her campaign, declined to comment on the results.

The battle the two have waged over the past few months has been a bitter one. The race for Velázquez’s seat is one of the few competitive Council races in the city, and a Republican win would chip slightly away at the Democratic majority in the lawmaking body, which is currently comprised of six Republicans and 45 Dems.

Velázquez and Marmorato have sparred over public safety, controversial land use issues and each other’s political bona fides, with Velazquez trying to distance herself from the progressive left and Marmorato attempting to put space between herself and supporters who’ve voiced support for right-wing extremism.

Stunning upset in Bronx Council race

In a stinging upset for Dems, GOP challenger Kristy Marmorato declared victory in 13th City Council district, which covers several neighborhoods in the eastern part of the Bronx. https://t.co/OA2fqCDPG3

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 8, 2023

ABC 7 NY added:

Marmorato’s victory giving Republicans another seat in the Council may not grow the party’s overall numbers by much, but she says it gives her constituents a voice – one that she felt she didn’t have on two big issues.

The first one was a proposal to house former inmates with medical needs steps away from her home and the second was the Bruckner upzoning that voters feel strongly about to this day.

“It was at that point that I started to see where leadership’s values were aligned and I started to see where my community and my neighbors values were and I felt OK, somebody has to step up here, I’m in health care, I advocate for my patients, so of course I want to advocate for my family and my community,” Marmorato said.

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Voters in the community said they were really upset so it is a major victory.

“I think it says people are more open to voting across party lines, I think it says that people will look at issues and study issues and I think that people are worried about quality of life,” said former City Councilman James Vacca.

One of those issues that Marmorato said will be on her agenda in District 13 in public safety.

Parts of New York City Council District 13 overlap with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) congressional district.

Well, here's a tiny bright spot on an otherwise dark day: A single NYC City Council district was flipped from blue to red last night.

Flipped district: AOC's district: pic.twitter.com/rtB0VFhjzl

— Katie S.  (@katietighe) November 8, 2023

On a strong night for Dems, voters in NYC's 13th City Council District, which overlaps w/Bronx part of Representative AOC's district, may have ousted the excellent incumbent Dem Marjorie Velazquez in favor of a Republican. Image w/black background is the Council dist. pic.twitter.com/i3obWyQ4Zm

— Stu is on X 🚐 🚘🚇💺🚉 (@stuloeser) November 8, 2023

From the New York Post:

The 45-year-old health care worker said that high on her list of priorities are school choice, strengthening the NYPD and stopping a controversial halfway house in her north Bronx district.

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She recognized she will have to work across the aisle — saying that even though she is the “polar opposite” of Socialist Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she would like to meet her to talk about issues as their districts partially overlap. That is if she can find her.

“I have never seen her in the community, actually,” she told The Post. “I think she needs to show more of a presence. We have an entire community that overlaps with each other. We have to make the constituents happy.

“I hope to address issues of the community she may not be aware of and give her a different viewpoint. We’re polar opposites with some of our viewpoints. But that’s ok. I want to see her more accessible to people in the community.”

The latest Board of Elections results show Marmorato beating incumbent Democrat Marjorie Velazquez by more than 700 votes — a margin of 52% to 46%.

The district covers Throggs Neck, Allerton, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway and City Island, which, like the rest of the northernmost borough, has been a Democratic stronghold for decades.

“I brought faith back into the voting system, my community,” Marmorato said. “Their voices were heard.

From AOC’s congressional page:

New York’s 14th District represents about 700,000 people across parts of the Bronx and Queens. Our neighborhoods include sections of:

• Astoria, College Point, Corona, North Corona, East Elmhurst and parts of Jackson Heights in Queens
• Pelham Gardens, City Island, Country Club, Van Nest, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Schuylerville, Co-op City, Hunts Point, Throggs Neck and parts of Eastchester and Morris Park in the Bronx