New York City's 51st City Council district

New York City's 51st City Council district
Boundaries following the 2020 census
Government
• Councilmember	Frank Morano (R—Eltingville)
Population  (2010) [1]
• Total	157,906
Demographics
•  White	84%
•  Hispanic	9%
•  Asian	5%
•  Black	1%
• Other	1%
Registration
•  Republican	41.9%
•  Democratic	30.3%
• No party preference	22.5%
Registered voters (2021) 121,993 [2]

New York City's 51st City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been represented by Republican Frank Morano since 2025, succeeding fellow Republican Joe Borelli.

The district holds a number of distinctions. It is by far the most Republican-leaning Council district in the city, it is the only Council district to have more registered Republicans than Democrats, it is the largest Council district by area, and, at 84% white, it is the city's whitest and most politically conservative Council district.

Geography

District 51 covers the South Shore of Staten Island, including the neighborhoods of Great Kills, Tottenville, Annadale, Huguenot, Rossville, Pleasant Plains, Eltingville, Bay Terrace, Charleston, Prince's Bay, Richmond Valley, Woodrow, Arden Heights, Greenridge, and parts of Heartland Village and New Springville. ^[3]

The district includes a large number of parks, among them Great Kills Park, Blue Heron Park, Wolfe's Pond Park, Long Pond Park, Conference House Park, Bloomingdale Park, Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, and the southern parts of Freshkills Park and the Staten Island Greenbelt.

The district overlaps with Staten Island Community Boards 2 and 3, and is contained entirely within New York's 11th congressional district. It also overlaps with the 24th district of the New York State Senate, and with the 62nd, 63rd, and 64th districts of the New York State Assembly. ^[4]

Members representing the district

Members	Party	Years served	Electoral history
District established January 1, 1992
Alfred Cerullo (Great Kills)	Republican	January 1, 1992 – February 28, 1994	Redistricted from the 1st district and seated in 1992. Re-elected in 1993. Resigned to become Commissioner on Consumer Affairs.
Vacant		February 28, 1994 – April 27, 1994
Vito Fossella (Great Kills)	Republican	April 27, 1994 – November 4, 1997	Elected to finish Cerullo's term. Re-elected in 1994. Retired when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Vacant		November 4, 1997 – January 1, 1998
Stephen Fiala (Eltingville)	Republican	January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2001	Elected in 1997. Retired.
Andrew Lanza (Great Kills)	Republican	January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2006	Elected in 2001. Re-elected in 2003. Re-elected in 2005. Resigned when elected to the New York State Senate.
Vacant		December 31, 2006 – February 20, 2007
Vincent M. Ignizio (Annadale)	Republican	February 20, 2007 – July 10, 2015	Elected to finish Lanza's term. Re-elected in 2007. Re-elected in 2009. Re-elected in 2013. Resigned.
Vacant		July 10, 2015 – November 30, 2015
Joe Borelli (Annadale)	Republican	November 30, 2015 – January 31, 2025	Elected to finish Ignizio's term. Re-elected in 2017. Re-elected in 2021. Re-elected in 2023. Resigned.
Vacant		February 1, 2025 – May 13, 2025
Frank Morano (Eltingville)	Republican	May 13, 2025 – present	Elected to finish Borelli's term.

Recent election results

2025 general

The 2025 New York City Council elections will be held on November 4, 2025, with primary elections occurring on June 24, 2025. ^[5]

2025 New York City Council election, District 51 ^[6]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Frank Morano (incumbent)	3,317	81.9
	Republican	Griffin Fossella (withdrawn)	377	9.3
	Republican	John Buthorn	330	8.2
	Write-in		24	0.6
Total votes			4,048	100.0
General election
	Republican	Frank Morano
	Conservative	Frank Morano
	Total	Frank Morano (incumbent)
	Democratic	Clifford Hagen
	Patriot Workers	John Buthorn
	Write-in
Total votes

2025 special

Following Joe Borelli's resignation, a special election was triggered for this seat. Like all municipal special elections in New York City, the race is officially nonpartisan, with all candidates running on ballot lines of their own creation. Following Ballot Question 1's approval in 2019, special elections will also utilize ranked-choice voting. ^[7]

2025 New York City Council 51st district special election ^{[8] [9]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SI Patriotism	Frank Morano	5,649	58.9
	Common Ground	Clifford Hagen	2,011	21.0
	We The People	Griffin Fossella	1,897	19.8
	Write-in		33	0.3
Total votes			9,590	100.0

2023 (redistricting)

Due to redistricting and the 2020 changes to the New York City Charter, councilmembers elected during the 2021 and 2023 City Council elections will serve two-year terms, with full four-year terms resuming after the 2025 New York City Council elections. ^[10]

2023 New York City Council election, District 51 ^[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Borelli	8,519
	Conservative	Joe Borelli	1,589
	Total	Joe Borelli (incumbent)	10,108	96.7
	Write-in		342	3.3
Total votes			10,450	100.0
	Republican hold

2021

An interactive map of District 51

In 2019, voters in New York City approved Ballot Question 1, which implemented ranked-choice voting in all local primary and special elections. Under the new system, voters have the option to rank up to five candidates for every local office. Voters whose first-choice candidates fare poorly will have their votes redistributed to other candidates in their ranking until one candidate surpasses the 50 percent threshold. If one candidate surpasses 50 percent in first-choice votes, then ranked-choice tabulations will not occur. ^[12]

2021 New York City Council election, District 51 ^{[13] [14]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Borelli	31,621
	Conservative	Joe Borelli	2,630
	Total	Joe Borelli (incumbent)	34,251	83.7
	Democratic	Olivia Drabczyk	6,628	16.2
	Write-in		24	0.1
Total votes			40,903	100
	Republican hold

2017

2017 New York City Council election, District 51 ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Borelli	25,184
	Conservative	Joe Borelli	3,690
	Independence	Joe Borelli	498
	Reform	Joe Borelli	154
	Total	Joe Borelli (incumbent)	29,526	80.1
	Democratic	Dylan Schwartz	6,692
	Working Families	Dylan Schwartz	579
	Total	Dylan Schwartz	7,271	19.7
	Write-in		77	0.2
Total votes			36,874	100
	Republican hold

2016 special

The November special election also coincided with federal elections in 2016, including the presidential election, Senate election and other statewide races.

2016 New York City Council special election, District 51 ^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joe Borelli	45,158
	Conservative	Joe Borelli	4,644
	Independence	Joe Borelli	3,550
	Total	Joe Borelli (incumbent)	53,352	99.3
	Write-in		376	0.7
Total votes			53,728	100
	Republican hold

2015 special

In 2015, Councilman Vincent Ignizio resigned his seat to take a job in the nonprofit sector, leaving his seat vacant. Two special elections were called to fill his seat: one nonpartisan primary to fill the seat until December 31, 2016, followed by a standard partisan primary and general election to take place in 2016 to complete the remainder of his term. ^[17] Like most municipal special elections in New York City, the election was officially nonpartisan, with candidates running on ballot lines of their own creation.

2015 New York City Council special election, District 51 ^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	South Shore First	Joe Borelli	9,111	97.9
	Write-in		198	2.1
Total votes			9,309	100

2013

2013 New York City Council election, District 51 ^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Vincent Ignizio	15,157
	Conservative	Vincent Ignizio	2,434
	Independence	Vincent Ignizio	734
	Total	Vincent Ignizio (incumbent)	18,325	73.6
	Democratic	Chris Walsh	6,540	26.3
	Write-in		25	0.1
Total votes			24,890	100
	Republican hold

References

1. "Census Demographics at the NYC City Council district (CNCLD) level". NYC Open Data. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
2. "Council District Summary Report" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. February 21, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
3. "Council Members & Districts". New York City Council. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
4. "NYC Boundaries Map". BetaNYC. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
5. "Disclosure Deadlines – 2025 Citywide Elections". New York City Campaign Finance Board. July 15, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
6. "2025 Primary Official Ranked Choice Rounds, REP Council Member 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
7. "Ranked Choice Voting". New York City Campaign Finance Board. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
8. "Special Election 51st Council Contest List" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved March 6, 2025.
9. "Special Election 2025 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
10. Pazmino, Gloria (January 15, 2020). "Why the Census Means NYC Lawmakers Will Serve 2-Year Terms Instead of 4". www.ny1.com. New York 1. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
11. "General Election 2023 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
12. Rachel Holliday Smith (January 18, 2021). "How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work in New York City?". The City. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
13. "Primary Contest List" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
14. "General Election 2021 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
15. "General Election 2017 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
16. "Special Election 2016 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
17. Nicholas Rizzi (July 14, 2015). "Mayor Sets Election Date to Fill Ignizio's Vacant Council Seat". dnainfo.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
18. "General Election 2015 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
19. "General Election 2013 - Member of the City Council, 51st Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 8, 2021.