Keith Powers (politician)
Keith Powers | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 74th district | |
| Assumed office February 4, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Harvey Epstein |
| Majority Leader of the New York City Council | |
| In office January 5, 2022 – January 3, 2024 | |
| Speaker | Adrienne Adams |
| Preceded by | Laurie Cumbo |
| Succeeded by | Amanda Farías |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 4th district | |
| In office January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Garodnick |
| Succeeded by | Virginia Maloney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 16, 1983 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Dayton (BA) City University of New York (MA) |
| Website | Campaign website City Council website |
Keith Powers (born November 16, 1983) is an American politician who is a member of the New York State Assembly for the 74th district. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a council member for the 4th district of the New York City Council from 2018 to 2025, and served as Majority Leader from 2022 to 2024.[1][2]
The district includes the Upper East Side, Central Park South, Grand Central Terminal, Tudor City, Waterside, Peter Cooper Village, Carnegie Hill, Stuyvesant Town, the United Nations as well as part of Yorkville and Turtle Bay in Manhattan.
Life and career
Powers attended The Epiphany School and St. Francis Preparatory School, both Catholic schools.[3] He received his B.A. in political science from the University of Dayton in 2005 and his M.A. in political science from the City University of New York's Graduate Center in 2013.[4]
From November 2006 to January 2011, Powers served as the chief of staff for New York State Assembly member Johnathan Bing. He was the campaign manager for New York State Senator Liz Krueger during her 2006 campaign. Since January 2011 Powers has served as the chair of the Business Affairs Committee of Community Board 6. From January 2011 to the start of his campaign in April 2017, he was the vice president of Constantinople & Vallone Consulting, a government relations consulting firm.[4] Notable clients of Powers included private prison contractor Geo Group, the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, and the Sports and Arts in School Foundation.[5]
On September 12, 2017, he won the Democratic nomination for New York City Council District 4. He won the November 7 general election and took the place of Councilman Dan Garodnick on January 1, 2018.
In January 2019, he was ranked first (tied with Helen Rosenthal) as top lawmaker on New York City Council by City and State.[6]
In 2023, Powers withdrew from the NYC Progressive Caucus of the New York City Council.[7]
2025 Manhattan Borough President Race
Following the decision by New York City Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine to open a campaign account for city comptroller, Powers announced that he would run to succeed Levine in the 2025 Manhattan Borough President Election and Democratic primary.[8][9]On June 24, 2025, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal defeated Keith Powers in the Democratic Party primary for Manhattan Borough President.[10]
2026 Special election for New York State Assembly District 74
Following the resignation of Harvey Epstein to take a seat in the NY City Council, Powers was selected by a special section of the Manhattan Democratic committee to replace him on December 10, 2025.
The election took place on February 3, 2026.
Electoral history
2026 special
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Keith Powers | 4,203 | 82.5 | |
| Republican | Joseph Foley | 719 | ||
| Conservative | Joseph Foley | 120 | ||
| Total | Joseph Foley | 839 | 16.5 | |
| Write-in | 50 | 1.0 | ||
| Total votes | 5,092 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Powers won the Democratic primary for District 4 in 2017 with 40.83% of the vote. He went on to win the general election with 57.44% of the vote, against Republican Party candidate Rebecca Harary and Liberal Party candidate Rachel Honig.[2]
| Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct | Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Primary | Keith Powers | Dem | 4,456 | 40.83% | Marti Speranza | Dem | 2,493 | 22.84% | Rachel Honig | Dem | 948 | 8.69% | Bessie Schachter | Dem | 918 | 8.41% | ||||
| 2017 General | Keith Powers | Dem | 15,086 | 57.44% | Rebecca Harary | Rep | 8,015 | 30.52% | Rachel Honig | Lib | 3,137 | 11.94% |
References
- ^ Bautista, Christian Brazil (February 4, 2016). "Garodnick not running for mayor in 2017". Real Estate Weekly. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
- ^ a b "Keith Powers (New York)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
- ^ "Biography". Keith Powers. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Powers, Keith. "Keith Powers". Linkedin. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
- ^ Barkan, Ross (May 4, 2017). "It's A Good Time To Be A Lobbyist In NYC". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ i_beebe (January 26, 2020). "The Best & Worst New York City Lawmakers". City & State New York. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Coltin, Jeff (February 10, 2023). "Fifteen council members leave the Progressive Caucus". City & State New York. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ Mena, Kelly (August 9, 2024). "Mark Levine officially sets sights on city comptroller race". NY1. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Mena, Kelly (August 13, 2024). "Councilmember Keith Powers announces bid for Manhattan borough president". NY1. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Ahern, Jack; Kelly, Keith J. (June 28, 2025). "Hoylman-Sigal Overpowers Powers in Boro Prez Dem Primary". The Spirit. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ^ "Special Election 2026 - Member of the Assembly - 74th Assembly District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved February 26, 2025.