On election night, Nov. 4, supporters gathered in the South Bronx to celebrate Justin Sanchez’s sweeping victory for City Council District 17, with over 86% of the vote in his favor. It’s clear his vow to “Clean the Damn Streets” resonated with his voters.
During an election night watch party on a lively rooftop in Mott Haven, the air was filled with the smell of carnitas and al pastor tacos from local vendors and the sound of Bad Bunny blasting through the speakers. Supporters excitedly popped champagne bottles as the news broke – Justin Sanchez officially won the race for City Council District 17.
Sanchez received 15,657 votes, nearly 30 times the number of his competitor, Marisol Duran, who received 586 votes. Reporters and camera crews captured the moment the race was officially called.
Surrounded by family, friends, and campaign staff, Sanchez, a lifelong Bronx resident, danced to “Suavemente” with his mother and great-aunt, both of whom were beaming with pride. Sanchez says his fight for democracy and a better Bronx stems from his family’s sacrifices in coming to the United States, driven by the hope of opportunity.
His grandmother arrived from the Dominican Republic at 16 with just $30 in her pocket. As the final results came in, Sanchez comforted his great-aunt, who stood beside him, wiping away tears of joy.
“This has been a labor of love for our community,” Sanchez told the room after the announcement.
“We ran on four simple words, ‘Clean the Damn Streets.’ Because we went out and spoke to people, we understood where they wanted to go and where they needed our community to be,” he said.
“And I could not be here if it weren’t for each and every one of you in this room today. All of this could not have been done without people who believed in all of us, who believed that we in the Bronx can have a better future.”
The crowd cheered as Sanchez thanked campaign manager Sayief Leshaw, whom he called the ”next chief of staff.”’ Leshaw, who had worked tirelessly since the campaign began, received a standing ovation for leading an unprecedented field effort that included 100,000 door knocks across a district of 87,000 registered voters and surveying residents on the issues that mattered most.
Having spent all day at the polls on just a bagel with cream cheese at 7:30 a.m., Leshaw could finally breathe. The hard work had paid off.
“This is all fun,” Sanchez added, “but the real work starts tomorrow. The people are relying on me not to just have good slogans and good speeches but to actually deliver.”
Sanchez said in an interview with the Bronx Times that he already wanted to implement a plan to bring more trash cans to the borough. “People should be able to walk outside and feel like government is actually working for them.”
For many of the young people who powered Sanchez’s campaign, Tuesday night was more than a victory party; it was validation that grassroots politics can still make a difference. The room was filled with high school and college students who had spent months knocking on doors, canvassing blocks and carving out time from their own lives to help turn out the vote.
“Believe that change can happen. That community actually matters,” Sanchez said. “In this digital world, where we often feel separated and divided. Just give people a knock on the door.”
One of Sanchez’s field supervisors, 24-year-old PrettyStar Lopez, started working on the campaign in early 2025. She described the experience as “humbling and grounding.”
“Everyone should work on a campaign,” Lopez said.
“It’s a way to understand what people are experiencing daily, to see systemic issues firsthand. We would drive around in a minivan, knocking on doors and asking people about the problems in the neighborhood and what they wanted to see changed. Some were discouraged by politics, and feeling uninspired, it was a chance to connect. It’s exciting to see how Justin will work with the new progressive mayor Zohran Mamdani on things like the opioid crisis, affordable housing, and adding trash cans to the streets,” she added.
River Alexander, Columbia University senior and the campaign’s legislative intern, called the campaign “a fully Bronx campaign, but with progressive, young ideals.”
“He’s going to hit the ground running in the first hundred days. He’s going to clean up the damn streets, and it’s going to make an immediate difference,” they said.
For longtime queer activist and District 17 resident, Tabytha Gonzalez, voting for Sanchez and his victory carries a deeper meaning.
“It’s a great opportunity for representation for queer Black and brown folks,” she said. “Historically, our voices haven’t been captured. It’s good to have someone who’s an out gay man, who wants to clean the streets, and who wants to see our community thrive.”
Abby Melendez, 31, a Mott Haven resident, has helped run Sanchez’s campaign field operations, said she’s “ecstatic” to see the community’s work pay off.
“The primary was really the fight,” she said. “We built community power. In every neighborhood we visited, I knew at least one person. Everyone who worked on this campaign is deeply entrenched in the community.”
Melendez added how Zohran Mamdani’s recent victory as NYC mayor makes her excited for the next era of progressive politics.
“It’s about time we take control of this movement,” Melendez added, “where we have people in charge who care.”
As the election party carried late into the evening, Sanchez announced, “There’s a new sheriff in town. We have communities to fix and working people to put first — finally — in this damn city. We are stronger together than they will ever divide us apart.”
You couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope and excitement for tomorrow. On election night, the South Bronx and NYC feel like they are on the cusp of something new.
Kaylen Jackson is a contributing writer at the Bronx Times and a student at the NYU Graduate School of Journalism. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
