# New York City's 43rd City Council district

New York City's 43rd City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been represented by Democrat Susan Zhuang since 2024, succeeding Justin Brannan.

## Geography
### 2020s

District 43 is based largely in Bensonhurst and its outlying neighborhoods, including portions of Sunset Park and Dyker Heights and smaller areas in Bath Beach, Borough Park and Gravesend. A majority of the population is Asian, and in the run-up to the 2023 election, the district was marked as an "Asian-opportunity district".
The district overlaps with Brooklyn Community Boards 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15, and with New York's 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th congressional districts. It also overlaps with the 17th, 22nd and 23rd districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 45th, 47th, 48th, 49th, and 51st districts of the New York State Assembly.

### 2010s

District 43 was based in Bay Ridge and other neighborhoods along Brooklyn's southwestern waterfront, including Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, and parts of Bensonhurst. Dyker Beach Park and Golf Course was located within the district, as is Calvert Vaux Park.
The district overlapped with Brooklyn Community Boards 10, 11, and 13, and with New York's 10th and 11th congressional districts. It also overlapped with the 22nd and 23rd districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 46th, 47th, 49th, 51st, and 64th districts of the New York State Assembly.

## Members representing the district

| Members | Party | Years served | Electoral history |
| District established January 1, 1992 ||||
| Sal Albanese (Bay Ridge) | Democratic | January 1, 1992 – December 31, 1997 | Redistricted from the 31st district and re-elected in 1991. Re-elected in 1993. Retired to run for Mayor of New York. |
| Marty Golden (Bay Ridge) | Republican | January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2002 | Elected in 1997. Re-elected in 2001. Resigned when elected to the New York State Senate. |
| Vacant | Vacant | December 31, 2002 – March 18, 2003 |
| Vincent J. Gentile (Bay Ridge) | Democratic | March 18, 2003 – December 31, 2017 | Elected to finish Golden's term. Re-elected in 2003. Re-elected in 2005. Re-elected in 2009. Re-elected in 2013. Termed out. |
| Justin Brannan (Bay Ridge) | Democratic | January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2023 | Elected in 2017. Re-elected in 2021. Redistricted to the 47th district. |
| Susan Zhuang (Bensonhurst) | Democratic | January 1, 2024 – | Elected in 2023. |

## Recent election results
### 2023

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. Primarily due to redistricting, Justin Brannan chose to run in the altered District 47.
2023 New York City Council election, District 43 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Susan Zhuang | 2,126 | 58.5 |
| | Democratic | Wai Yee Chan | 1,127 | 31.0 |
| | Democratic | Stanley Ng | 347 | 9.6 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 32 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,632 | 100.0 |
| | Republican | Ying Tan | 425 | 50.7 |
| | Republican | Vito LaBella | 394 | 47.0 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 19 | 2.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 838 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Susan Zhuang | 4,898 | 58.7 |
| | Republican | Ying Tan | 2,188 | 26.2 |
| | Conservative | Vito LaBella | 1,215 | 14.5 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 50 | 0.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,351 | 100 |
| | Democratic win (new boundaries) | Democratic win (new boundaries) | Democratic win (new boundaries) | Democratic win (new boundaries) |

### 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 43 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Justin Brannan | 12,002 | |
| | Working Families | Justin Brannan | 1,178 | |
| | Total | Justin Brannan (incumbent) | 13,180 | 51.1 |
| | Republican | Brian Fox | 11,387 | |
| | Conservative | Brian Fox | 1,192 | |
| | Total | Brian Fox | 12,579 | 48.7 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 45 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,804 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2017

2017 New York City Council election, District 43 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Justin Brannan | 3,670 | 38.7 |
| | Democratic | Khader El-Yateem | 2,932 | 30.9 |
| | Democratic | Nancy Tong | 1,504 | 15.8 |
| | Democratic | Vincent Chirico | 761 | 8.0 |
| | Democratic | Kevin Carroll | 604 | 6.4 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 21 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,492 | 100 |
| | Republican | John Quaglione | 1,865 | 47.0 |
| | Republican | Liam McCabe | 1,318 | 33.2 |
| | Republican | Bob Capano | 579 | 14.6 |
| | Republican | Lucretia Regina-Potter | 182 | 4.6 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 23 | 0.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,967 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Justin Brannan | 11,812 | |
| | Working Families | Justin Brannan | 1,082 | |
| | Total | Justin Brannan | 12,894 | 50.2 |
| | Republican | John Quaglione | 10,127 | |
| | Conservative | John Quaglione | 1,720 | |
| | Independence | John Quaglione | 253 | |
| | Total | John Quaglione | 12,100 | 47.1 |
| | Reform | Bob Capano | 344 | 1.3 |
| | Women's Equality | Angel Medina | 281 | 1.1 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 47 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 25,667 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2013

2013 New York City Council election, District 43 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Vincent Gentile | 12,415 | |
| | Working Families | Vincent Gentile | 950 | |
| | Total | Vincent Gentile (incumbent) | 13,365 | 62.8 |
| | Republican | John Quaglione | 5,813 | |
| | Conservative | John Quaglione | 1,569 | |
| | Independence | John Quaglione | 179 | |
| | Total | John Quaglione | 7,561 | 35.5 |
| | Green | Patrick Dwyer | 349 | 1.6 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 21 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 21,296 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2009

2009 New York City Council election, District 43 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Vincent Gentile | 12,760 | |
| | Working Families | Vincent Gentile | 1,119 | |
| | Total | Vincent Gentile (incumbent) | 13,879 | 61.7 |
| | Republican | Bob Capano | 6,826 | |
| | Conservative | Bob Capano | 1,211 | |
| | Independence | Bob Capano | 578 | |
| | Total | Bob Capano | 8,615 | 38.3 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2 | 0.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 22,496 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |