Chris Banks: Campaigns and Elections
2012 New York State Assembly Race
Banks launched his first political campaign in 2012 at age 28, while working at an after-school program in the Pink Houses. He ran for the New York State Assembly in District 60 and was defeated by incumbent Inez Barron in the Democratic primary, losing by 598 votes out of 5,314 cast . He raised around $45,000, and later described the result as confirmation that the political winds in East New York were shifting . U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries supported Banks in this and subsequent races against the Barrons .
2012-2022 Barron Challenges
Following his initial Assembly race, Banks challenged the Barron political family four more times in elections for Assembly and district leader seats over the following decade, losing each contest . These repeated challenges kept Banks visible in the community and built the organizational foundation for his eventual Council run .
2013 City Council Race
Banks ran in the 2013 Democratic primary for City Council District 42 but was unsuccessful . His 2013 voter guide profile listed his occupation as Executive Director and Founder of East New York United Concerned Citizens Inc. and cited housing, economic development, transportation, and youth services as his primary issues .
2023 City Council Primary
Banks ran again for City Council District 42 in 2023 against incumbent Charles Barron and a third candidate, Jamilah Rose. The campaign centered on affordable housing, public safety, and small business development . Banks secured endorsements from the NYC District Council of Carpenters, the United Federation of Teachers, and the Labor Strong coalition, which includes DC 37, 32BJ SEIU, the Hotel Trades Council, NYSNA, and CWA District 1 . DC 37 credited the Labor Strong coalition as a decisive factor in the race .
Unofficial results on primary night, June 27, 2023, showed Banks leading with approximately 51 percent of the vote to Barron's 43 percent and Rose's 5 percent, with 99 percent of scanners reporting . The New York City Board of Elections showed Banks leading by 437 votes out of 5,958 ballots cast on election night . Absentee ballot counting in the following days confirmed Banks's lead as insurmountable . The Crain's New York Business reported that Banks benefited from the backing of the Labor Strong coalition and the UFT, and noted that Barron had previously defeated Banks nearly a decade earlier .
Barron, who had served in the Council or Assembly for over two decades alongside his wife Inez, acknowledged the loss and attributed the result to low turnout, noting that only about 6,000 voters participated and that he received just over 2,500 votes .
2023 General Election
Banks ran unopposed in the November 2023 general election, winning approximately 98 percent of the vote .
2025 Re-Election
Banks ran for re-election in the 2025 election cycle, which restored full four-year terms following the abbreviated two-year terms mandated by redistricting and changes to the New York City Charter . He was endorsed by Labor Strong 2025 and the UFT for the 2025 cycle . The New York League of Conservation Voters also highlighted his environmental justice work in their endorsement profile .
Banks ran unopposed in the June 2025 Democratic primary. In the November 2025 general election, he defeated Freedom Party candidate Davon Phillips with approximately 95.5 percent of the vote, receiving 23,336 votes to Phillips's 1,045 .
Campaign Finance
Banks's 2013 voter guide entry listed a fundraising total of approximately $45,000 for his 2012 Assembly race . Detailed campaign finance data for his 2023 and 2025 Council races is available through the New York City Campaign Finance Board but specific figures were not located in the available reporting during this research cycle.