Mark Gjonaj’s campaign to jump from the New York State Assembly into New York City Council was the most expensive in city history spending $1,179,856.46 according to New York City Campaign Finance Board records but after last night’s election, all that money didn’t equal into a major victory.
Of all 51 New York City Council races yesterday, Gjonaj’s race to fill the 13th District City Council seat performed the worst receiving only 48.6% of the vote indicating that a majority of district residents actually rejected him despite his winning.
Gjonaj joins Margaret Chin of District 1 in Manhattan, who received 49.8% of the vote, and Elizabeth Crowley of the 30th district in Queens who garnered 49.6%, as the 3 candidates who did quite abysmally with none of them reaching the 50% mark.
The race for the 13th District in the East Bronx was a crowded one filled yet Republican candidate John Cerini managed to get 35.7% of the votes in what is the most conservative leaning area of The Bronx.
Gjonaj has his work cut out for him with so many people rejecting him at the polls yesterday and if he wants to be a true leader then he has a lot of relationships to mend and bridges to build in order to serve the entire district and not just those who supported him.
The Bronx and New York City deserves better than Gjonaj in City Council but we’re stuck with him for now for better or for worse.
