Shahana Hanif: Campaigns and Elections
Background
The District 39 seat opened after incumbent Brad Lander decided to run for City Comptroller . The district, which had previously been represented by Mayor Bill de Blasio before Lander, was described by Gotham Gazette as a political launching pad . Hanif announced her candidacy in late 2019 as a community organizer and former Lander staff member, running on a platform centered on immigrant rights, tenant protections, and progressive governance .
Candidates
The Democratic primary attracted seven candidates, including activist Brandon West, who received the endorsement of the NYC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America . Hanif and West ran on similar left-wing policy platforms, but the DSA's support for West created a competitive dynamic within the progressive lane .
Campaign
More than 100 women endorsed Hanif during the campaign, and she ran on her identity as a first-generation Bangladeshi Muslim Brooklynite with a personal connection to lupus, disability justice, and the healthcare system . She campaigned extensively in Kensington, the Bangladeshi community where she was raised, and across the broader district .
Results
Hanif led in first-choice votes on election night, June 22, 2021, and secured the nomination after six rounds of ranked-choice voting, defeating Brandon West with 57 percent of the final-round vote by a margin of approximately 3,900 votes .
2021 General Election
Hanif faced Libertarian Matthew Morgan and Conservative Brett Wynkoop in the November 2, 2021, general election. She won with approximately 90 percent of the vote, with Morgan and Wynkoop combining for roughly 3,000 votes . Wynkoop was identified as a member of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing organization .
2023 Reelection
Due to redistricting and 2020 changes to the New York City Charter, Council members elected in 2021 served shortened two-year terms . In the November 7, 2023, general election, Hanif defeated Republican Arkadiusz T. Tomaszewski with no significant opposition . She ran on both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines .
Campaign Context
The 2025 primary was among the most closely watched Council races in Brooklyn . The contest was shaped by the broader political fallout from the Israel-Gaza conflict, with Hanif's pro-Palestinian activism drawing both progressive support and opposition from pro-Israel constituents and donors .
Candidates
Hanif faced Maya Kornberg, a senior research fellow at NYU's Brennan Center for Justice making her first run for office, and Nickie Kane, a grassroots organizer . Kornberg described herself as a pragmatic progressive and cited policing, constituent services, and Israel-related issues as areas of distinction from Hanif .
Fundraising
Both candidates raised comparable sums. As of the final filings, Hanif had raised $192,534 and Kornberg had raised $192,533, one dollar less . Kornberg received financial support from prominent pro-Israel donors, including billionaires Leonard Blavatnik and Daniel Loeb, and was endorsed by Solidarity PAC, a pro-Israel group . Hanif's campaign received support from pro-housing PACs Abundant New York and People for Public Space, which cited her vote for the City of Yes rezoning . Campaign finance filings showed that many of Kornberg's maximum-allowed donations came from outside the district, and some from as far as California .
Endorsements
Hanif was endorsed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the Working Families Party, and multiple labor unions . Kornberg was endorsed by former Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, former Council Member David Yassky, and Solidarity PAC . Representative Ritchie Torres spoke at a Brooklyn BridgeBuilders fundraiser but did not formally endorse Kornberg .
Results
On June 24, 2025, Hanif won decisively with approximately 70 percent of first-choice votes (32,553 votes), to Kornberg's 26 percent (12,066 votes) and Kane's 3.5 percent (1,646 votes) . Hanif celebrated at a watch party at The Commissioner bar in Park Slope, declaring the result a victory for people power over corporate power .
2025 General Election
Hanif ran on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines in the November 4, 2025, general election. She defeated Conservative Brett Wynkoop (5,761 votes), Libertarian Matthew Morgan (1,834 votes), and Voters First candidate Nickie Kane (1,294 votes) with a combined total of 56,626 votes, approximately 86 percent of the total . The result secured a full four-year term extending to January 2030 .