Chris Banks: Career Timeline

Education and Early Career

Banks attended PS 213, PS 273, and Anointed Minds Christian Academy in East New York before graduating from Leadership Public Service High School in Manhattan . He later attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice, studying government . His early career included working as an education group leader and adolescent coordinator at the local Police Athletic League and running youth programs for the East New York Local Development Corporation . He founded East New York United Concerned Citizens Inc. and co-founded the East New York Collaborative, and served as president of the 75th Precinct Council, president of the Van Siclen Block Association, and as a member of Brooklyn Community Board 5 .

Political Career

2012 -- Banks launched his first political campaign at age 28, running for New York State Assembly District 60 against incumbent Inez Barron. He lost by 598 votes out of 5,314 cast and raised around $45,000 .

2012-2022 -- Over the following decade, Banks challenged Charles and Inez Barron in four additional races for Assembly and district leader seats, losing each contest .

2013 -- Banks ran in the Democratic primary for City Council District 42 but was unsuccessful .

June 2023 -- Banks defeated incumbent Charles Barron in the Democratic primary for City Council District 42, winning approximately 51 percent of the vote to Barron's 43 percent. A third candidate, Jamilah Rose, received about 5 percent .

November 2023 -- Banks won the general election for District 42 unopposed, taking approximately 98 percent of the vote .

January 2024 -- Banks was sworn into office as the Council member for District 42, succeeding Charles Barron. He was among four new members joining the Council under Speaker Adrienne Adams's second term .

February 2024 -- Banks chaired his first hearing of the Committee on Public Housing, a joint session with the Committee on Contracts examining NYCHA's response to bribery and extortion in micro-purchase contracts .

June 2024 -- Banks voted in favor of the city's $112 billion budget, which he described as the first time in over 20 years that a Council member from the 42nd District had voted to pass the city budget .

November 2024 -- Banks celebrated the restoration of $6.8 million in budget funding for NYCHA's in-person unarmed security guard program at senior developments across the city .

December 2024 -- Banks voted against the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning reform plan, which passed 31 to 20 .

November 2025 -- Banks won re-election in the general election, defeating Freedom Party candidate Davon Phillips with approximately 95.5 percent of the vote (23,336 votes) to Phillips's 4.3 percent (1,045 votes) .

January 2026 -- Under newly elected Speaker Julie Menin, Banks was elevated to Deputy Leader of the Council and reappointed as Chair of the Committee on Public Housing. He also sits on the committees for Consumer and Worker Protection, Economic Development, Land Use, Public Safety, and Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics ¹⁶.