Julie Menin Claims Victory In Upper East Side City Council Race

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Julie Menin claimed victory in her race for City Council's District 5 seat.

Polls closed at 9 p.m. in New York City — by 10 p.m., Menin had claimed victory. NY1 also projected Menin to win the race.

"Thank you District 5 for the honor of a lifetime. I am so humbled and proud to have the privilege of serving you again in the [City Council]," Menin said in a Tweet.

"This resounding win affirms the work we have done together to move our community and city forward."

With 95 percent of votes counted, Menin led with 80.95 percent of the vote, or 14,387 votes, according to the city's Board of Elections. Her opponent, Republican former tech executive Elizabeth Golluscio, had 18.33 percent of the vote.

Early tallies Tuesday showed low voter turnout across New York City and Suffolk County, CBS News reported. In Manhattan, 110,859 voters had checked in to vote by 6 p.m., according to the city's Board of Elections.

Menin, 55, was first elected to City Council in 2021, replacing the term-limited Ben Kallos. Originally an attorney, Menin previously served as director of the city's 2020 Census outreach campaign. She has also worked as the head of two city agencies and led a Lower Manhattan community board.

The first term City Council member tackled issues like rats on East 86th Street, ugly construction fencing, new funding for local schools, securing a new rooftop play area for a Yorkville school, participatory budgeting, illegal pot shops, hate speech, parks funding and a contest to design a new sign encouraging neighbors to pick up after their dogs.

Menin passed 13 bills during her first term, including a bill to allow patients to compare medical costs at different hospitals through an online portal and another to consolidate city licenses and permits into one website.

Golluscio was running on the Republican party line promoting public safety and a "pro-choice" stance when it comes to vaccines for school children. This was Golluscio's first political race.

Patch reporter Emily Rahhal contributed to this report.