Unofficial vote tallies Tuesday night show Republican City Councilman Ari Kagan is likely victorious in the primary contest for District 47.
Kagan received over 75% first-choice selections with over 98% of the scanners reporting under the Big Apple’s ranked-choice voting system.
“Southern Brooklyn Republican voters sent an unmistakable message today — it’s time for change. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who supported my campaign. Our message of strong support for NYPD, merit-based education, lower taxes and focus on quality of life concerns resonated across Southern Brooklyn,” he said in a text to The Post, declaring victory.
He faced primary challenges from GOP candidates Anna Belfiore-Delfaus and Avery Pereira, who each received roughly 12% of the vote, according to early results from the City Board of Elections.
Mom and former public school teacher Belfiore-Delfaus was endorsed by GOP City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, while Pereira is a special education teacher within the city’s Department of Education, according to his LinkedIn page.
District 47 covers parts of southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Coney Island and Sea Gate.
Kagan is a former journalist who grew up in Belarus under Soviet rule before emigrating to the US.
He was first elected to the council in 2021, succeeding longtime Brooklyn Democrat Mark Treyger who is now employed by the city Department of Education.
Kagan was also a Democrat until he switched his party affiliation late last year, previously telling The Post he made the move after becoming disillusioned by the party’s trend toward the left and soft-on-crime policies.
Sources also said he was unhappy with the new district lines borne of the council’s redistricting process, which split up parts of his old district.
Kagan was later punished by City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens) for the move — he was kicked off several committees and even forced to move into a smaller government office.
His victory means he’ll face off against his City Council colleague, Democratic Finance Chair Justin Brannan, in the November general election. Parts of the pols’ old districts were combined into the new 47th thanks to redistricting.