The 2025 election is coming to a close, yet one crucial vote remains – deciding the next speaker of the New York City Council. As the 2026 election for this leadership position approaches, here’s a breakdown of what the job entails.
The City Council as a body plays a crucial role in shaping policies for all New York City residents with the speaker standing at the helm. They’re responsible for guiding the council’s agenda, managing legislative proceedings and appointing committee chairs. The speaker controls the legislative calendar and has a significant influence over which bills advance to vote. Most notably, the speaker serves as a key liaison between the council, the mayor and other city agencies.
Beyond legislative duties, city council speakers represent the council publicly, advocating for constituents and addressing citywide issues including housing, transportation, education and public safety.
Candidates for New York City Council Speaker are chosen from within the council and, unlike a typical election, only members of the council vote on who will be their speaker. Candidates must be council members, which requires being elected by residents of their districts. To run for council, a candidate must meet age, residency and voter registration requirements and gather signatures to qualify for the ballot.
To be elected speaker, a candidate must secure a majority of votes from the 51-member council. This often involves building support among different political factions, negotiating policy priorities and demonstrating leadership qualities.
There are no formal constitutional or legal prerequisites to becoming the city council speaker.
While there are no term limits for the position, in practice, speakers often serve multiple years if they maintain support within the council. The current speaker, as of 2023, is Adrienne Adams, who was first elected to the position in 2022. Adams made history as the first African American to lead the council.
The frequent change in speakers is uncommon; however, leadership can shift due to political dynamics, elections or internal disagreements. How long a speaker spends in charge depends largely on their ability to maintain council support and lead effectively.
Several council members have been mentioned as potential candidates for the speaker position including Council Members Julie Menin (District 5), Crystal Hudson (District 35), Majority Leader Amada Farías (District 18), Christopher Marte (District 1) and Selvena Brooks-Powers (District 31).
Many residents are eager to see if the council, which is majority women and people of color, will re-elect a member of either group.
The race is expected to intensify in the coming months, as the pols rally for support and build their campaigns. The new leader will be chosen at the start of the new term in January.
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