5 Harlem Council Candidates Endorse Each Other In Unusual Move

HARLEM, NY — Five candidates running for a hotly contested City Council seat in Upper Manhattan cross-endorsed each other on Thursday, a rare move that is intended to take advantage of the city's new ranked-choice voting system.

The candidates — Marti Allen-Cummings, Dan Cohen, Stacy Lunch, Maria Ordoñez and Corey Ortega — are all running for the open seat in District 7, which covers West Harlem and Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, and parts of Washington Heights and the Upper West Side.

Those five are among the 12 Democrats running to replace Mark Levine, who has represented the district since 2014. Now facing term limits, he is running for Manhattan Borough President.

Notably absent from the group is Shaun Abreu, a leading candidate who has raised the most money in the race and has Levine's endorsement.

By forming a coalition, the five candidates are hoping to harness the power of ranked-choice voting, urging their supporters to view them as like-minded when they head to the polls on June 22.

I am proud to cross endorse w 4 of my fellow D7 candidates today. We MUST elect someone who will be a fighter for the people— not a rubber stamp for billionaire real estate developers.

Rank me #1 & 2-5 for these friends@MariaOrdonezNYC @DanCohenNYC @mrortegany @misslynchnyc pic.twitter.com/DTMg1W9hfu
— Marti 2021 (@MartiGCummings) June 10, 2021

It is also an implicit effort to exclude Abreu, whose chances could be harmed if the five candidates' supporters leave him off their ballots entirely. (Voters can rank no more than five candidates.)

"I am excited to cross-endorse several of my colleagues in this crowded race to utilize RCV in its most useful aspect, which is to signal to voters which candidates have similar values, experience, and progressive political perspective," Cohen said in a news release.

Unsurprisingly, each candidate is still asking supporters to rank them first, with the other coalition members taking up slots two through five.

In the joint statement, the five candidates described themselves as "grassroots, community-based leaders." One appeared to take an indirect stab at Abreu, whose campaign has been supported by some pro-development groups.

"In our district, we know that the people have to stand together if we're going to take on the entrenched politicians and real estate interests who have been making decisions for our community for decades," said Allen-Cummings.

Lynch is an attorney and former deputy director of intergovernmental affairs under Mayor Bill de Blasio; Cohen is vice president of a nonprofit affordable housing company; Ordoñez is a community organizer and student at Columbia University; Ortega is a community organizer and director of the City Council's Black, Latino/a and Asian Caucus; and Allen-Cummings is a drag artist, activist and community board member.

Abreu is a tenants' rights attorney and a former member of Community Board 9.

The six other candidates are: Miguel Estrella, Keith L. Harris, Raymond Sanchez, Lena Melendez, Carmen Quinones and Luis Tejada.

The city primary election will be held on June 22, with early voting from June 12–20. Find your polling place here.