Inna Vernikov: Campaigns and Elections
Background and Context
The District 48 seat became available after incumbent Council Member Chaim Deutsch, a Democrat, was expelled from the body following his guilty plea on tax fraud charges . The district, covering southern Brooklyn neighborhoods including Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Homecrest, Midwood, and Gravesend, has a heavily Democratic voter registration but is ideologically conservative, with strong showings for Donald Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections .
Primary and Nomination
Vernikov ran on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. The Republican primary was uncontested, and the Conservative Party primary was canceled, with Vernikov advancing automatically on both lines . On the Democratic side, Steve Saperstein won a competitive five-way primary, defeating Amber Adler, Binyomin Bendet, Mariya Markh, Boris Noble, and Heshy Tischler through ranked-choice voting .
Campaign Platform
Vernikov campaigned on opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, support for the NYPD and against defunding police, and merit-based education and school choice . She positioned herself as a contrast to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, telling voters that she would bring common sense into city government . She framed her candidacy through her immigrant story, arguing that the Democratic Party was promoting conditions reminiscent of the Soviet system her family had fled .
Endorsements
Vernikov was endorsed by former Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a prominent conservative Democrat in the Orthodox Jewish community, and by former Council Member Chaim Deutsch, despite the fact that Deutsch's seat was vacated under tax fraud charges . Donald Trump Jr. made a robocall on her behalf . The New York Young Republican Club formally endorsed her . Political consultant Jeff Leb disclosed that Common Sense NYC, a Super PAC funded in part by billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross, spent up to $100,000 supporting Saperstein, primarily through mailers .
Results
Vernikov won in a landslide, receiving approximately 12,082 votes (64 percent) to Saperstein's 6,821 (36 percent), a 28-point margin that stunned observers who had expected one of the tightest races in the city . She became one of five Republicans in the 51-member Council and the first Republican to represent a portion of Brooklyn since Marty Golden in 2002 . Saperstein conceded the following morning, attributing the result to a protest vote against Democratic policies .
Context
Vernikov ran for reelection in 2023 as the incumbent. The general election took place on November 7, 2023, amid heightened national attention following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Vernikov's October 13 arrest on a weapons charge at a Brooklyn College rally .
Results
Vernikov defeated two opponents, Amber Adler and Igor Kazatsker, winning in the first round of ranked-choice voting tabulation . The victory secured her second term in the Council.
Background
In early 2025, there was speculation that Vernikov would vacate her Council seat to run for the State Senate . When she chose instead to seek reelection, former Council Member Ari Kagan entered the Republican primary as a challenger. Kagan, a Belarusian-born Jewish immigrant, had originally been elected to the neighboring 47th Council District as a Democrat in 2021 before switching to the Republican Party in 2022. He lost his seat to Democrat Justin Brannan in 2023 after redistricting .
Campaign Dynamics
The primary was described as one of the most heated and polarizing Republican primaries in recent Brooklyn history . Kagan was backed by Assembly Members Alec Brook-Krasny and Michael Novakhov and former State Senator Marty Golden . Novakhov publicly criticized Vernikov, claiming she had rejected his overtures for legislative cooperation, and Kagan accused Vernikov of neglecting constituent concerns . Vernikov was endorsed again by Donald Trump Jr., who appeared in a campaign video attacking Kagan as a hack and fake Republican . BKReader reported that both candidates are Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union bloc, underscoring the intra-community nature of the contest .
Results
Vernikov won decisively. Unofficial results with 95 percent of scanners reported showed her leading with 2,427 votes (approximately 66 percent) to Kagan's 1,232 votes (approximately 33 percent), a margin of roughly 32 percentage points .
Results
Vernikov won the November 4, 2025, general election, securing a new four-year term through January 1, 2030 . She won in the first round of ranked-choice voting tabulation .
Fundraising
Vernikov has filed with the New York City Campaign Finance Board for her 2025 campaign cycle. Detailed contribution and expenditure data is available through the Campaign Finance Board's public portal .