Carl Wilson, longtime West Side organizer and chief of staff to Council Member Erik Bottcher, is officially running to take over Manhattan’s District 3, launching his campaign on Tuesday with day-one endorsements from City Hall heavyweights and a roster of tenant and community leaders across Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and the West Village.
The City Council seat is expected to become vacant following Bottcher’s anticipated move to the New York State Senate. Bottcher is running in a Feb. 3 special election for Senate District 47, and recently secured the Democratic line in the race to replace former state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who recently became Manhattan borough president.
Wilson’s campaign is endorsed by Bottcher, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, City Comptroller Mark Levine, former District 3 Council Members Corey Johnson and Christine Quinn, and a broad coalition of neighborhood advocates and tenant leaders from the West Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen.
Wilson first announced in late December that he was considering a run and is officially launching his campaign Jan. 20. The race will be decided in a nonpartisan, ranked-choice special election.
Under city rules, once the District 3 seat is officially vacated, Mayor Zohran Mamdani must issue a proclamation within three days setting the special election date, which triggers the ballot petitioning process. Special elections are typically held on the first Tuesday at least 80 days after the vacancy, but the exact date will be determined by the City Law Department in consultation with the mayor.
From actor to organizer to City Hall insider
Wilson’s path to City Hall began outside of politics. He moved to New York City from Maryland in 2009 to attend New York University, where he studied acting and pursued a career in musical theater. He said he supported himself by waiting tables while performing regional theater work and participating in workshops in the city.
“The arts, Broadway, and performing arts are really dear to my heart,” Wilson said in an interview with amNewYork, noting that District 3’s cultural institutions remain central to its identity and economy.
His entry into politics came after the 2016 presidential election, which he described as a turning point.
“I was so disheartened by the state of leadership in this country,” Wilson said. “I thought people who care about this stuff have got to get off the sidelines and get into the fight.”
In his first formal role in politics, Wilson became a founding member of the Hell’s Kitchen Democrats, a West Side Democratic club formed by local activists that successfully challenged the long-dominant McManus political organization.
He later joined the City Council staff of then-Council Member Corey Johnson as a community liaison covering Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea, where he worked directly with residents and neighborhood groups.
“It was there that I started to go block by block and learn all of the issues in every place,” Wilson said. “As a gay person, it was great to be working in these historically gay communities and learning all about them and myself in the process.”
Wilson later worked for a business improvement district on public realm projects before returning to City Hall three years ago as Bottcher’s chief of staff. Bottcher himself previously served as Johnson’s chief of staff from 2015 until running for office. Bottcher has represented District 3 since January 2022.
As chief of staff, Wilson said he has worked on both district-level concerns and citywide legislation, gaining experience with the City Council’s budget and legislative processes.
Among the initiatives Wilson highlighted is the city’s Urban Forest Master Plan, developed in partnership with environmental groups and mandating a long-term expansion of tree canopy coverage across New York City.
Wilson said he also worked closely with Bottcher on a gun safety measure requiring firearm retailers to post graphic warning labels detailing the risks of gun ownership, modeled after cigarette warning requirements. The law made New York City the first jurisdiction in the country to adopt such a policy.
Agenda
Wilson said affordability remains the dominant issue facing District 3 residents, extending beyond housing to include groceries, utilities, and basic services.
“We just saw a mayoral election where affordability was front and center,” Wilson said. “That means housing, rent, groceries, and services, and the council is going to have to meet that challenge.”
He also highlighted quality-of-life concerns, such as street cleanliness, pedestrian safety, transit reliability, and continued investment in green infrastructure.
Support for the arts and cultural economy is another pillar of Wilson’s platform. Many institutions in the district, he said, continue to struggle in the post-pandemic landscape.
“When the arts and culture economy is thriving here on the West Side, everyone is thriving,” Wilson said. “I want to be a champion for them in the Council.”
Wilson told this paper that his identity as a gay man will inform his approach to representing District 3, which includes LGBTQ+ neighborhoods historically. He said his perspective gives him insight into the community’s needs and vowed to protect vulnerable residents, including trans New Yorkers, from federal threats and to uphold reproductive rights as part of his broader commitment to equity and inclusion.
Wilson has also been publicly involved in recent development debates, serving on a community advisory committee reviewing the casino proposal in Times Square, which failed due to a lack of community backing.
“Our charge was to evaluate whether they had community support,” Wilson said of the process. “At the end of the day, we judged that they did not.”
“I think the lesson there is to make sure you’re listening to your constituents and key stakeholders and making sure that we’re working together to come to the best conclusion,” he added.
On the future of the vacant Times Square office building where a casino had been proposed, he said he would seek redevelopment that complements surrounding uses and supports the arts economy. “Something there that works in tandem with all of its neighbors is what I would hope to see. A site like that could stimulate the economy in Times Square and support our arts community,” he said.
Wilson expressed a similar view about the long‑vacant Hell’s Kitchen parcel eyed for the failed Silverstein Properties casino in the district, saying he would work with residents and developers to explore creative redevelopment options, including housing, rather than leaving it unused.
“I’m not sure I believe that there’s no way forward there, but I would want to work with the community and the developers to try to find a path forward that hopefully has some housing,” he said.
Early backers
Wilson’s launch includes day-one endorsements from several prominent figures who have represented District 3.
“I know what it takes to do this job and to do it well,” Bottcher said in a statement. “Carl understands our neighborhoods block by block. As my chief of staff, he has been a trusted partner, a tireless advocate, and a deeply committed public servant.”
Former Council Member and Speaker Corey Johnson said Wilson’s organizing background and district experience make him well prepared to represent the area.
“I watched him grow into one of the most respected advocates in our community,” Johnson said. “Carl is exceptionally prepared to deliver real results for District 3.”
Christine Quinn, another former District 3 Council Member and Speaker, pointed to Wilson’s advocacy for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and immigrant communities, calling him “exactly the kind of leader” the district needs. According to his campaign, Wilson is also endorsed by Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, current Council Member Lynn Schulman, and former Council Member Keith Powers.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Comptroller Mark Levine both cited Wilson’s experience inside City Hall and focus on affordability.
“Carl Wilson has spent nearly a decade serving our city and our neighborhoods with integrity, energy, and heart,” Menin said. “He understands how City Hall works and how to make it work better for everyday New Yorkers.”
“He has been a partner who I have counted on when fighting for our communities, and I am proud to endorse Carl Wilson for City Council,” Levine added.
Party and neighborhood leaders backing Wilson include 75B District Leader Adrienne Ford, Democratic Party leader Paul Devlin, and State Committee Member Marti Cummings. He has also secured endorsements from tenant and community advocates across the district, including Manhattan Plaza Tenant President Aleta Lafargue, Fulton Houses Tenant President Miguel Acevedo, former NYCHA Elliott-Chelsea Houses tenant leader Darlene Waters, and former Westbeth Executive Director George Cominskie.
Wilson is running in a competitive field that also includes Lindsey Boylan, a former city and state official, who was the first woman to publicly accuse former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment; Leslie Boghosian Murphy, the current chair of Community Board 4; and Layla Law-Gisiko, who has been a long-time community activist.
Democratic Socialist of America organizer Danny Valdes dropped his bid for the council seat last week.
With a compressed election timeline expected, Wilson said his campaign will focus heavily on direct voter contact.
“I’m going to be out there all the time,” he said. “Outside schools, subway stations, knocking on doors. This campaign is going to be about listening, talking, and working together.”
