# New York City's 51st City Council district

New York City's 51st City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It is currently vacant, having most recently been represented by Republican Joe Borelli from 2015 to 2025.
The district holds a number of distinctions. It is by far the most Republican-leaning Council district in the city; it is the only Council district to have more registered Republicans than Democrats; and, at 84% white, it is the city's whitest and most politically conservative Council district.

## Geography

District 51 covers the South Shore of Staten Island, including the neighborhoods of Great Kills, Tottenville, Annadale, Huguenot, Rossville, Pleasant Plains, Eltingville, Bay Terrace, Charleston, Prince's Bay, Richmond Valley, Woodrow, Arden Heights, Greenridge, and parts of Heartland Village and New Springville.
The district includes a large number of parks, among them Great Kills Park, Blue Heron Park, Wolfe's Pond Park, Long Pond Park, Conference House Park, Bloomingdale Park, Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, and the southern parts of Freshkills Park and the Staten Island Greenbelt.
The district overlaps with Staten Island Community Boards 2 and 3, and is contained entirely within New York's 11th congressional district. It also overlaps with the 24th district of the New York State Senate, and with the 62nd, 63rd, and 64th districts of the New York State Assembly.

## Members representing the district

| Members | Party | Years served | Electoral history |
| District established January 1, 1992 ||||
| Alfred C. Cerullo III (Great Kills) | Republican | January 1, 1992 – February 28, 1994 | Redistricted from the 1st district and seated in 1992. Re-elected in 1993. Resigned to become Commissioner on Consumer Affairs. |
| Vacant | Vacant | February 28, 1994 – April 27, 1994 | |
| Vito Fossella (Great Kills) | Republican | April 27, 1994 – November 4, 1997 | Elected to finish Cerullo's term. Re-elected in 1994. Retired when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| Vacant | Vacant | November 4, 1997 – January 1, 1998 | |
| Stephen Fiala (Eltingville) | Republican | January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2001 | Elected in 1997. Retired. |
| Andrew Lanza (Great Kills) | Republican | January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2006 | Elected in 2001. Re-elected in 2003. Re-elected in 2005. Resigned when elected to the New York State Senate. |
| Vacant | Vacant | December 31, 2006 – February 20, 2007 | |
| Vincent M. Ignizio (Annadale) | Republican | February 20, 2007 – July 10, 2015 | Elected to finish Lanza's term. Re-elected in 2007. Re-elected in 2009. Re-elected in 2013. Resigned. |
| Vacant | Vacant | July 10, 2015 – November 30, 2015 | |
| Joe Borelli (Annadale) | Republican | November 30, 2015 – January 31, 2025 | Elected to finish Ignizio's term. Re-elected in 2017. Re-elected in 2021. Re-elected in 2023. Resigned. |
| Vacant | Vacant | February 1, 2025 – April 29, 2025 | |

## Recent election results
### 2025 special

Following Joe Borelli's resignation, 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 51 :
| Party | Candidate | Maximum round | Maximum votes | Share in maximum round | Maximum votes First round votesTransfer votes |
| Nonpartisan | Griffin Fossella | 1 | 0 | 0% | ​​ |
| Nonpartisan | Clifford Hagen | 1 | 0 | 0% | ​​ |
| Nonpartisan | Frank Morano | 1 | 0 | 0% | ​​ |
| Write-in | | 1 | 0 | 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 51 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joe Borelli | 8,519 | |
| | Conservative | Joe Borelli | 1,589 | |
| | Total | Joe Borelli (incumbent) | 10,108 | 96.7 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 342 | 3.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 10,450 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2021

In 2019, voters in New York City approved Ballot Question 1, which implemented ranked-choice voting in all local primary and special 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 51 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joe Borelli | 31,621 | |
| | Conservative | Joe Borelli | 2,630 | |
| | Total | Joe Borelli (incumbent) | 34,251 | 83.7 |
| | Democratic | Olivia Drabczyk | 6,628 | 16.2 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 24 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 40,903 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2017

2017 New York City Council election, District 51 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joe Borelli | 25,184 | |
| | Conservative | Joe Borelli | 3,690 | |
| | Independence | Joe Borelli | 498 | |
| | Reform | Joe Borelli | 154 | |
| | Total | Joe Borelli (incumbent) | 29,526 | 80.1 |
| | Democratic | Dylan Schwartz | 6,692 | |
| | Working Families | Dylan Schwartz | 579 | |
| | Total | Dylan Schwartz | 7,271 | 19.7 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 77 | 0.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 36,874 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016 special

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 51 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joe Borelli | 45,158 | |
| | Conservative | Joe Borelli | 4,644 | |
| | Independence | Joe Borelli | 3,550 | |
| | Total | Joe Borelli (incumbent) | 53,352 | 99.3 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 376 | 0.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 53,728 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2015 special

In 2015, Councilman Vincent Ignizio resigned his seat to take a job in the nonprofit sector, leaving his seat vacant. Two special elections were called to fill his seat: one nonpartisan primary to fill the seat until December 31, 2016, followed by a standard partisan primary and general election to take place in 2016 to complete the remainder of his term. Like most municipal special elections in New York City, the election was officially nonpartisan, with candidates running on ballot lines of their own creation.
2015 New York City Council special election, District 51 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | South Shore First | Joe Borelli | 9,111 | 97.9 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 198 | 2.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,309 | 100 |

### 2013

2013 New York City Council election, District 51 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Vincent Ignizio | 15,157 | |
| | Conservative | Vincent Ignizio | 2,434 | |
| | Independence | Vincent Ignizio | 734 | |
| | Total | Vincent Ignizio (incumbent) | 18,325 | 73.6 |
| | Democratic | Chris Walsh | 6,540 | 26.3 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 25 | 0.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,890 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |