Voters in the Bronx ousted the borough’s only Republican city councilmember Tuesday in one of the tightest city races this election.
Democratic candidate Shirley Aldebol defeated Republican incumbent Kristy Marmorato in the race for the City Council seat covering Throgs Neck, Pelham Bay, Morris Park and City Island, according to unofficial vote returns published by the city Board of Elections. With 99% of ballots reported, Aldebol edged out Marmorato by about five points.
The Bronx Democratic Party claimed victory for its candidate and Marmorato conceded at a watch party Tuesday night, according to City and State. The party hailed the Bronx’s return to being “a fully Democratic borough” and praised Aldebol’s record of “standing up for working families” in a statement.
Aldebol and Marmorato did not respond to phone messages on Wednesday.
Voters in the district previously told Gothamist that a backlash to President Donald Trump could shift the race toward the Democratic candidate. Marmorato was elected in 2023 and endorsed by national Republican figures, including current FBI director Kash Patel. She also met with Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan earlier this year.
Aldebol, a longtime labor advocate, secured key endorsements from unions in the city. At a debate during the race, she highlighted what she said were Marmorato’s failures to negotiate with Democrats on key land-use projects in the district, including a supportive housing project at Jacobi Medical Center and casino development at Ferry Point, which Marmorato opposed.
The incumbent also staunchly opposed a state proposal to bar discrimination against transgender people that passed easily last year.
