Democrats Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers easily win special elections for state Senate, Assembly seats in Manhattan

Democrats easily swept two special elections on Tuesday for a pair of state legislative seats covering parts of Manhattan.

City Council Member Erik Bottcher, the co-chair of the Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus, easily won the Feb. 3 special election to replace Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal in the state Senate, defeating Republican Charlotte Friedman by a wide margin, according to unofficial results.

Meanwhile, Bottcher’s former City Council colleague, Keith Powers, cruised to victory in a contest to succeed Harvey Epstein in the state Assembly, handily beating Republican/Conservative candidate Joseph Foley. Epstein now serves in the City Council himself.

With more than 86% of the vote in on election night, Bottcher had 91.8% — or just over 11,200 votes — while Friedman had 7.5%, or 920 votes. Bottcher will now represent the 47th Senate District, which runs along the west side of Manhattan from Manhattan Valley down to Greenwich Village.

“Tonight, the people of the 47th District made a clear choice for progress, integrity, and leadership that shows up,” Bottcher said in a written statement on election night. “I’m deeply grateful to every voter, volunteer, and neighbor who believed that government should work harder for working families — and I’m excited to get to work.”

Bottcher vowed to be a “relentless advocate for safer streets, more affordable housing, reliable transit, and an economy that rewards work and treats people with dignity.”

“I want to thank everyone who believed in my ability to be an effective state senator,” Bottcher said. “Your trust means everything to me, and I’m ready to honor that trust with action.”

Last October, Bottcher, 46, announced he was exploring a campaign to replace outgoing Congressmember Jerrold Nadler, but as competition grew, Bottcher ultimately decided to run for Hoylman-Sigal’s old seat. When he pivoted to run for State Senate, Bottcher said in a written statement that his decision was “rooted in where I believe I can do the most good immediately,” adding that the “State Senate is where critical decisions are being made on housing affordability, addressing the mental health crisis, safeguarding our environment, and defending New York from the Trump agenda.”

“I’m so proud that Erik is assuming the 47th Senate District that I had the privilege of representing on the West Side from ‘the gay bars to Zabar’s,'” Hoylman-Sigal wrote on X, referring to a phrase he commonly repeated in recent years when describing his State Senate district.

Bottcher has served in the City Council since January 2022 in a district that includes Hudson Square, West Village, Chelsea, Hudson Yards, Meatpacking District, Garment District, Times Square, and Hell’s Kitchen. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to soon call a special election to fill that seat; Carl Wilson, Bottcher’s current chief of staff, and Lindsey Boylan, an urban planner and former state aide who helped expose the sexual harassment scandal that forced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation in 2021, have already declared their candidacies.

Meanwhile, Powers took home 82.25% of the vote (3,953), while Foley had 16.73% (804), in the race to succeed Epstein in the 74th Assembly District, which covers parts of the East Village, the Lower East Side, Gramercy, Kips Bay, Murray Hill, Midtown and Midtown East.

Powers had served in the City Council for eight years before being term-limited out of office in 2025. He had represented the 4th City Council District; that seat is now held by Virginia Maloney.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone in the 74th AD,” Powers said in a victory message on X/Twitter Tuesday night. “I look forward to being your next Assembly Member and continuing to represent the community that I have always called home.”

During the campaign, Powers vowed to work in Albany to bring more affordable housing to New York City while also pushing for safer streets and improving public transit.