A crowded field is seeking to replace term-limited council member Keith Powers, and they offer more contrasts than may be readily apparent. The district includes wealthy Upper East Side homeowners and middle-class renters in Stuyvesant Town; it is important that the council member reflects the interests of all constituents—not just the most vocal or empowered. 

Two candidates, Ben Wetzler and Rachel Storch, are public servants with records in elected office—though only Wetzler has represented New Yorkers. Virginia Maloney brings a recognizable name and public and private sector experience to the race. Vanessa Aronson and Faith Bondy have served as Democratic Club presidents, and Luke Florczak is on the board of a third. (Florczak has not raised significant funds or earned institutional support.)

In the most moderate lane, Storch is a former Missouri state legislator who is now COO at Fifth Avenue Synagogue. She is running a self-financed campaign, having opted out of the public matching program, which provides campaign funds to candidates who raise small dollar donations from grassroots contributors. While she is engaged in the community, Storch’s decision not to participate in the public matching program puts her competitors at a severe disadvantage and undermines the small-d democracy that is already weak in New York. 

Bondy, a lawyer, offers the least innovation. She is unenthusiastic about new housing necessary to make the city more affordable or about congestion pricing—essential for funding transit, reducing gridlock, and making streets safer and more sustainable. In the left lane, former teacher and diplomat Vanessa Aronson has garnered the support of the Working Families Party. Her platform is modest, though, about the zoning and streetscape changes needed to create more affordable and equitable neighborhoods.

Best equipped to lead the district is Wetzler, who, as a former District Leader, is the only candidate to have represented New Yorkers in office. Wetzler works as a housing policy director for the state and has a well-developed plan for homes of all types and smart rental support to reduce rents and keep neighbors housed, as well as an impressively comprehensive public safety platform. While the field is mostly made up of Upper East Siders, Wetzler comes from Stuyvesant Town and incorporates the interests of younger New Yorkers—earning him the support, too, of the NYU Democrats.

Virginia Maloney has not yet served in office, though she points to her mother Carolyn Maloney—longtime congresswoman and council member—as an inspiration. Her experience in the Bloomberg administration and tech industry, as well as her strong political connections, have made her a frontrunner in the race, leading in endorsements and fundraising. On policy, she is forthright about the policy changes New York needs to break out of stasis. She deserves a second-slot ranking.