# New York City's 44th City Council district

New York City's 44th City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been vacant following then-incumbent councilman Kalman Yeger's election to the New York State Assembly, pending a special election in early 2025. Yeger was among the Council's most conservative members and has run for office on both Democratic and Republican party lines.

## Geography

District 44 is based in the heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park in southwestern Brooklyn, also covering Ocean Parkway and parts of Bensonhurst and Midwood.
The district overlaps with Brooklyn Community Boards 11, 12, 14, and 15, and with New York's 9th, 10th, and 11th congressional districts. It also overlaps with the 17th and 22nd districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, and 49th districts of the New York State Assembly.

## Members representing the district

| Members | Party | Years served | Electoral history |
| District established January 1, 1992 ||||
| Noach Dear (Borough Park) | Democratic | January 1, 1992 – December 31, 2001 | Redistricted from the 32nd district and re-elected in 1991. Re-elected in 1993. Re-elected in 1997. Termed out. |
| Simcha Felder (Borough Park) | Democratic | January 1, 2002 – February 1, 2010 | Elected in 2001. Re-elected in 2003. Re-elected in 2005. Retired to become Deputy Comptroller. |
| Vacant | Vacant | February 1, 2010 – March 24, 2010 | |
| David G. Greenfield (Midwood) | Democratic | March 24, 2010 – December 31, 2017 | Elected to finish vacant term. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2013. Retired. |
| Kalman Yeger (Borough Park) | Democratic | January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2024 | Elected in 2017. Re-elected in 2021. Re-elected in 2023. Resigned at the end of 2024 to serve in the New York State Assembly. |
| Vacant | Vacant | January 1, 2025 – March 25, 2025 | |

## Recent election results
### 2025 special

Following Kalman Yeger's resignation to serve in the New York State Assembly, 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.
2025 New York City Council special election, District 44 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | % |
| | Simcha | Simcha Felder | |
| | Team Trump | Heshy Tischler | |
| | Write-in | Write-in | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 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.
2023 New York City Council election, District 44 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kalman Yeger (incumbent) | 395 | 51.2 |
| | Republican | Heshy Tischler | 365 | 47.3 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 12 | 1.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 772 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Kalman Yeger | 3,936 | |
| | Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 2,779 | |
| | Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 785 | |
| | Total | Kalman Yeger (incumbent) | 7,500 | 80.0 |
| | Borough Park Flatbush | Heshy Tischler | 1,732 | 18.4 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 148 | 1.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,380 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 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 44 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kalman Yeger | 6,868 | |
| | Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 4,514 | |
| | Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 973 | |
| | Total | Kalman Yeger (incumbent) | 12,355 | 97.8 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 278 | 2.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,633 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2017

In 2017, Councilman David Greenfield left the Council in order to lead the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty. Because his departure occurred after the filing deadline for his seat, local political leaders – among them Greenfield himself – could bypass a regular primary election and instead choose the Democratic nominee for the seat. The chosen candidate was Kalman Yeger, who had previously been set to run against Councilman Chaim Deutsch in a neighboring district. The process was roundly criticized by good government groups, and eventually drew an unsuccessful general election challenge from Yoni Hikind, the son of then-Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
2017 New York City Council election, District 44 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kalman Yeger | 8,277 | |
| | Conservative | Kalman Yeger | 3,057 | |
| | Total | Kalman Yeger | 11,334 | 66.9 |
| | Our Neighborhood | Yoni Hikind | 4,854 | 28.6 |
| | School Choice | Heshy Tischler | 670 | 4.0 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 93 | 0.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,951 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2013

2013 New York City Council election, District 44 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | David Greenfield (incumbent) | 6,688 | 90.4 |
| | Democratic | Jacob Flusberg | 707 | 9.5 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 6 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,401 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | David Greenfield | 11,494 | |
| | Conservative | David Greenfield | 2,624 | |
| | Independence | David Greenfield | 264 | |
| | Total | David Greenfield (incumbent) | 14,382 | 81.5 |
| | Republican | Joseph Hayon | 3,147 | 17.8 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 125 | 0.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,654 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |