Election 2025: Incumbent faces challenger in Manhattan’s City Council District 5 primary race

Incumbent Council Member Julie Menin is seeking re-election in District 5, which spans the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Yorkville, Lenox Hill, Carnegie Hill, Roosevelt Island, Midtown East, Sutton Place, and parts of El Barrio in East Harlem.

Menin faces a single challenger in the June 24 Democratic primary: educator Collin Thompson. So far, she has significantly outpaced Thompson in fundraising and has had companies like DoorDash and Uber spending money on her race. Menin has also been floated as a potential candidate for City Council Speaker if she secures a third term.

With both candidates making their case to voters, here’s a look at the race for District 5.

Julie Menin

Photo courtesy of Menin’s campaign

A former city commissioner and attorney, Council Member Julie Menin is seeking re-election for a third term in the district where she lives with her family.

Prior to joining the Council, Menin served in three citywide roles: as Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Director of the city’s 2020 Census campaign. A lawyer by training, she also has experience in the nonprofit and private sectors.

In the Council, Menin has sponsored and passed some 25 pieces of legislation. Notable measures include the creation of the Office of Healthcare Accountability to increase price transparency at hospitals, a small business portal to streamline licensing and permitting, and legislation codifying reproductive rights. She currently chairs the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection and co-chairs the Women’s Caucus.

Menin identifies quality of life and affordability, public safety and sanitation, and education and early childhood access as her top priorities. She has worked to increase trash collection, implement a rat mitigation strategy, and secure over $70 million in discretionary funding for local parks, schools, and infrastructure projects. She is also working with city agencies to secure a new public school site in District 5 and has supported the expansion of universal child care.

“It’s been an honor to serve this district,” Menin said in a statement. “I’m raising my children here and care deeply about our district’s future. I’m so proud to be endorsed by many labor unions, elected officials, and civic leaders. With my strong track record, I’m ready to continue fighting for New Yorkers.”

Collin Thompson

Photo courtesy of Thompson’s campaign

An educator turned policy advisor, Collin Thompson says he has spent his career improving schools and strengthening communities in New York City. After working as a teacher, dean, and principal in Harlem and the Bronx, Thompson went on to advise public school superintendents across the country on equity and systemic reform.

A resident of the Upper East Side, Thompson lives with his partner Haro, a trauma ICU nurse at Bellevue Hospital, and their labrador, Springsteen. He’s active in Park Avenue United Methodist Church and volunteers with local service organizations.

“I’m running because we’ve allowed city government to drift too far from the basics—safe streets, clean subways, strong schools, and responsive leadership,” Thompson said in a statement. “I’ve spent my life solving real problems by listening, showing up, and doing the work. That’s what I’ll bring to City Council.”

His platform, which he calls the “Solid Six,” focuses on improving six core areas: schools, subways, safety, sanitation, shelter, and small businesses. If elected, Thompson says he’ll prioritize reforming the city’s broken capital project system as well as modernizing procurement laws, improving permitting, and restoring public trust through transparency and direct engagement.

Thompson says the City Council must be “a place of real public service, not just a political pit stop.” He’s pledged to hold regular office hours, respond directly to constituent needs, and involve residents in decisions before they’re made.

“I used to tell my students: if something isn’t right, do something about it,” he added. “This campaign is practicing what you preach. It’s time to end the status quo.”