In City Council District 8, Elsie Encarnacion won the Nov. 4 election to replace her boss, the term-limited Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, to represent the South Bronx and East Harlem.
Encarnacion, who is currently Ayala’s chief of staff, won a commanding 84.67% of the district, more than 23,000 votes, according to preliminary Board of Elections results. Tyreek Goodman ran on the Republican and Conservative party lines and received 11.98%, while independent Federico Colón received 3.12%.
After winning a contentious June primary among a crowded field of candidates, Encarnacion was endorsed by several City Council colleagues, including Majority Leader Amanda Farías and Althea Stevens, as well as Congress Member Adriano Espaillat. She was also backed by major labor unions, including 1199SEIU and 32BJ.
Speaking from the Somos conference in Puerto Rico, Encarnacion, an East Harlem native, shared some of her plans for the unique district that splits two boroughs. She told the Bronx Times she will not only keep offices in both neighborhoods, as Ayala has, but will relocate the South Bronx office to a larger space near its current location at East 137th St. and St. Ann’s Ave.
Encarnacion said expanding the Bronx office — perhaps even opening it up to community meetings and workshops — is a commitment she made to Bronxites throughout her campaign. Although Encarnacion said her boss’s leadership role in the council meant more resources for the Bronx, it also meant she was frequently called away from the district.
As Encarnacion knocked on doors, residents voiced an “intense message” of wanting to see her more often, she said. In turn, Encarnacion plans to maintain an “open door policy” and make her South Bronx office feel intentional, not “like an annex.”
“It should have its own style, its own flavor, its own space,” she said.
Plans for the South Bronx
Though Encarnacion was a first-time candidate for office, she said she understood the position and citywide politics well from serving as Ayala’s chief of staff and from the “institutional knowledge” she gained as a member of Community Board 11 for about six years.
“To be able to come in on day one and understand the dynamics of all the players, all of the projects … I think it’s so beneficial to the community to have that,” she said.
In the Bronx, Encarnacion said she would focus on improving conditions at NYCHA buildings, especially at Mitchel Houses, the site of an Oct. 1 explosion that crumbled a full corner of a 20-story tower. Encarnacion said she would work closely with NYCHA tenant leaders and other stakeholders. “I want them to know they have a champion there.”
Amid rising concerns over youth violence, Encarnacion said young people need more constructive places to go. Her team is planning to create a new youth hub, located in the parking lot of the former 40th precinct on East 138th St. and Alexander Ave.
“They need a proper place to not just recreate, right? We’re talking workforce development, economic development, workshops, classes, things like that is what my vision is for that space,” she said.
Encarnacion said she has already talked with mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani about the youth center, which will be “community-led” and supported by resources she can secure as council member.
Similarly, she said she’ll look to support the forthcoming H.E.A.rts Center, led by South Bronx Unite, environmental justice efforts on the waterfront and other initiatives already in the works.
“These are plans that the community has taken charge of,” Encarnacion said. Her role, then, is, “How do I bring in the resources to get the things that you want done?”
‘We have to work together’
Throughout her own campaign, Encarnacion also supported Mamdani, joining him at a community event outside Mill Brook Houses on Oct. 5. That day, Mamdani told the crowd that city government has failed the Bronx “not just for the past four years, but for a long time.”
“We want this to be a moment where we build something new,” he said.
His efforts to woo Bronxites apparently paid off. Though former Governor Andrew Cuomo easily won the borough in the June primary, defeating Mamdani 54% to 36%, the tables turned in the general, where Mamdani won 51.5% of the vote, compared to Cuomo’s 40%.
Encarnacion said Mamdani’s Bronx win was “a testament to his work” engaging with residents in the borough.
“I think that shows a lot about a person’s character, that they’re not afraid, they’re not gonna shy away from those hard conversations,” she said. “For people in the Bronx, they respect that.”
Now that he’s mayor-elect, Encarnacion said she and other city leaders need to help him succeed and hold him accountable to his commitments. “I think he’s gonna be a great partner.”
As she prepares to fill her boss’s shoes, Encarnacion said a small group of family and friends, who are “not politically connected at all,” is helping her stay grounded in the frenetic world of New York City politics.
Elected officials, including Encarnacion’s fellow newly-elected Bronx Council Members Shirley Aldebol and Justin Sanchez, will have their work cut out for them as they confront massive citywide challenges — especially the high cost of living — and threats from President Donald Trump, who promised to claw back funding from the city if Mamdani were elected over Cuomo, whom he endorsed.
East Harlem and Bronx communities are “very dependent” on federal dollars, and working to protect residents will be an all-hands-on-deck effort, according to Encarnacion.
“We have to work together,” she said. “We’re going to be facing tough times in the next four years.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
