# New York City's 17th City Council district

New York City's 17th City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been represented by Democrat Rafael Salamanca since a 2016 special election to succeed fellow Democrat Maria del Carmen Arroyo.

## Geography

District 17 covers a series of neighborhoods at the heart of the South Bronx, including some or all of Crotona Park East, Melrose, Hunts Point, Concourse, East Tremont, Morrisania, Longwood, Port Morris, and West Farms. Crotona Park, North and South Brother Islands, and The Hub are all located within the district.
The district overlaps with Bronx Community Boards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9, and is contained entirely within New York's 15th congressional district. It also overlaps with the 29th, 32nd, 33rd, and 34th districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 77th, 79th, 84th, 85th, 86th, and 87th districts of the New York State Assembly.

## Recent election results
### 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.
2023 New York City Council election, District 17 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 3,693 | 84.8 |
| | Republican | Rosaline Nieves | 461 | 10.6 |
| | Conservative | Gonzalo Duran | 182 | 4.2 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 20 | 0.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,356 | 100.0 |

### 2021

In 2019, voters in New York City approved Ballot Question 1, which implemented ranked-choice voting in all local 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.
2021 New York City Council election, District 17 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 5,428 | 60.0 |
| | Democratic | Helen Hines | 3,539 | 39.1 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 82 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,049 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 8,729 | 80.3 |
| | Republican | Jose Colon | 1,167 | 10.7 |
| | Black Women Lead | Lattina Brown | 964 | 8.9 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 17 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,877 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2017

2017 New York City Council election, District 17 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 4,840 | 72.2 |
| | Democratic | Helen Hines | 1,835 | 27.4 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 31 | 0.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,706 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca | 11,040 | |
| | Working Families | Rafael Salamanca | 472 | |
| | Total | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 11,512 | 92.3 |
| | Republican | Patrick Delices | 433 | 3.5 |
| | Conservative | Oswald Denis | 282 | 2.3 |
| | Empower Society | Elvis Santana | 226 | 1.8 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 25 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,478 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2016 specials

In late 2015, Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo announced she would resign, triggering an election for her seat. Two special elections were scheduled to fill her seat: one nonpartisan election in February to serve the remainder of the calendar year, followed by a standard partisan primary and general election that September and November to complete the remainder of her term. Both were won by Rafael Salamanca. 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.
February 2016 New York City Council special election, District 17 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Community First | Rafael Salamanca | 1,455 | 39.1 |
| | Bronx for All | George Alvarez | 902 | 24.3 |
| | Bronx Not for Sale | Julio Pabón | 562 | 15.1 |
| | Rebuilding Our BX | J. Loren Russell | 403 | 10.8 |
| | Strong Together | Joann Otero | 265 | 7.1 |
| | Bronx Renewal | Marlon Molina | 115 | 3.1 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 17 | 0.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,719 | 100 |
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 17 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 2,708 | 62.0 |
| | Democratic | Helen Hines | 1,651 | 37.8 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 10 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,369 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Rafael Salamanca (incumbent) | 34,287 | 99.9 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 46 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,333 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2013

2013 New York City Council election, District 17 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Maria del Carmen Arroyo (incumbent) | 4,740 | 69.3 |
| | Democratic | Julio Pabón | 2,101 | 30.7 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,842 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Maria del Carmen Arroyo (incumbent) | 10,845 | 93.1 |
| | Republican | Jose Colon | 580 | 5.0 |
| | Conservative | Selsia Evans | 211 | 1.8 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 18 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,654 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |