District 36 City Council Race: Who Will Replace Robert Cornegy?

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — For the first time since 2013, Brooklyn's 36th District will have someone other than Robert Cornegy Jr. representing them in City Council.

So far, nine candidates have put their hat in the ring to replace the term-limited council member, who is vying for the position of borough president in the 2021 elections. Brooklyn's 36th District spans almost all of Bed-Stuy and a slice of Northern Crown Heights.

The 2021 campaign will have some familiar faces for Brooklynites, including Bed-Stuy's community board district leader, a prominent young activist and a local pastor.

Most of the candidates have already raised more than $20,000 for their campaigns — the front-runner in terms of fundraising stands at $53,000 as of the latest campaign finance filing deadline.

Here's a look at all nine candidates:

Henry L. Butler

• Money raised: $42,046
• The current district manager for Bed-Stuy's Community Board 3 and district leader for the 56th Assembly, Butler also ran for the 41st City Council District in 2017. He is president of the Vanguard Independent Democratic Association, is a former MTA conductor and has worked for the Lafayette Gardens Community Center and the Office of Child Support Enforcement.

Maya Cantrell

• Money raised: $0
• Patch could not find any website or social media information about this candidate.

Regina Edwards

• Money raised: $22,782
• A longtime healthcare worker, Edwards is the coordinating manager of the pharmacy department at Kings County Hospital. She is also a founding board member of the Patchen Community Square Garden, president of the Patchen Community Alliance Association and served as vice president of the Patchen Avenue Block Association for 10 years.

Gregory Green

• Money raised: $9,275
• Green is a retired sergeant with the NYPD, where he worked for 29 years. He lists ending gun violence, job creation for youth, improving city services and reform in law enforcement, public housing and education among his campaign's priorities.

John J. Joyner Jr.

• Money raised: $295
• Joyner worked for 10 years for the Family and Community Supporting Services, according to his LinkedIn. He is a self-described owner, CEO and president of his own company.

Tahirah A. Moore

• Money raised: $33,141
• Moore is a former Brooklyn borough director for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit and an adviser in the Mayor’s Intergovernmental Affairs Unit. She lists healthcare, housing, education and public safety as her campaign's priorities.

Chi Ossé

• Money raised: $53,116
• Ossé is an activist and co-founder of the Brooklyn organization Warriors in the Garden, a youth-led collective at the forefront of the revitalization of the Black Lives Matter Movement. He is a third-generation Brooklynite and lists fighting gentrification, police brutality, education inequality, economic disparity, health care gaps and food deserts as his priorities.

Jason L. Walker

• Money raised: $25,858
• Walker is an organizer who has worked with anti-gun violence organization Save Our Streets and social services organization VOCAL New York, where he advocated for housing benefits for those living with HIV and leadership opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness.

Robert M. Waterman

• Money raised: $33,093
• A pastor and president of the African American Clergy and Elected Officials Organization of Brooklyn, Waterman is a substitute teacher in Bed-Stuy's District 16 and owns Canticles Sober Lounge, where he hosts weekly events.

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