Legality of Cannabis by U.S. Jurisdiction

New York City's 38th City Council district
Government
 • Councilmember. Alexa Avilés
. DSunset Park
Population
 (2010)[1]
 • Total157,282
Demographics
 • Hispanic44%
 • Asian33%
 • White17%
 • Black5%
 • Other2%
Registration
 • Democratic64.0%
 • Republican8.1%
 • No party preference25.3%
Registered voters (2021) 82,999[2]

New York City's 38th City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It is currently represented by Democrat Alexa Avilés, who assumed office in 2022.[3]

Geography[edit]

District 38 is based largely in Sunset Park along Brooklyn's western shoreline, also covering Red Hook, Greenwood Heights, and small parts of Windsor Terrace, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park.[4] Green-Wood Cemetery and Sunset Park proper are also located within the district.

The district overlaps with Brooklyn Community Boards 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12, and with New York's 7th, 9th, and 10th congressional districts. It also overlaps with the 17th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 44th, 48th, 49th, 51st, and 52nd districts of the New York State Assembly.[5]

Members representing the district[edit]

Members Party Years served Electoral history
District established January 1, 1992

Joan G. McCabe
(Park Slope)
Democratic January 1, 1992 –
December 31, 1997
Elected in 1991.
Re-elected in 1993.
Retired.

Angel Rodriguez
(Sunset Park)
Democratic January 1, 1998 –
August 28, 2002
Elected in 1997.
Re-elected in 2001.
Resigned due to corruption charges.
Vacant August 28, 2002 –
November 6, 2002

Sara M. Gonzalez
(Sunset Park)
Democratic November 6, 2002 –
December 31, 2013
Elected to finish Rodriguez's term.
Re-elected in 2003.
Re-elected in 2005.
Re-elected in 2009.
Lost renomination.

Carlos Menchaca
(Red Hook)
Democratic January 1, 2014 –
December 31, 2021
Elected in 2013.
Re-elected in 2017.
Retired to run for Mayor of New York.

Alexa Avilés
(Sunset Park)
Democratic January 1, 2022 –
Elected in 2021.
Re-elected in 2023.

Recent election results[edit]

2023 (redistricting)[edit]

Due to redistricting and the 2020 changes to the New York City Charter, councilmembers elected during the 2021 and 2023 City Council elections will serve two-year terms, with full four-year terms resuming after the 2025 New York City Council elections.[6]

2023 New York City Council election, District 38[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alexa Avilés 4,363
Working Families Alexa Avilés 1,548
Total Alexa Avilés (incumbent) 5,911 66.3
Republican Paul Rodriguez 2,558
Conservative Paul Rodriguez 381
Total Paul Rodriguez 2,939 33.0
Write-in 69 0.7
Total votes 8,919 100.0
Democratic hold

2021[edit]

In 2019, voters in New York City approved Ballot Question 1, which implemented ranked-choice voting in all local elections. Under the new system, voters have the option to rank up to five candidates for every local office. Voters whose first-choice candidates fare poorly will have their votes redistributed to other candidates in their ranking until one candidate surpasses the 50 percent threshold. If one candidate surpasses 50 percent in first-choice votes, then ranked-choice tabulations will not occur.[8]

2021 New York City Council election, District 38 Democratic primary[9]
Party Candidate Maximum
round
Maximum
votes
Share in
maximum
round
Maximum votes
First round votesTransfer votes
Democratic Alexa Avilés 5 6,857 65.1%
Democratic Yu Lin 5 3,683 34.9%
Democratic Rodrigo Camarena 4 1,619 14.0%
Democratic Jacqui Painter 4 1,462 12.6%
Democratic César Zuñiga 3 1,154 9.7%
Democratic Victor Swinton 2 491 4.1%
Write-in 1 33 0.3%
Map
An interactive map of District 38
2021 New York City Council election, District 38 general election[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alexa Avilés 9,228 80.4
Conservative Erik Frankel 1,943
Libertarian Erik Frankel 266
Total Erik Frankel 2,209 19.2
Write-in 45 0.4
Total votes 11,482 100
Democratic hold

2017[edit]

2017 New York City Council election, District 38[11][12]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carlos Menchaca (incumbent) 4,176 48.5
Democratic Félix Ortiz 2,828 32.8
Democratic Chris Miao 775 9.0
Democratic Sara Gonzalez 524 6.1
Democratic Delvis Valdes 292 3.4
Write-in 20 0.2
Total votes 8,615 100
General election
Democratic Carlos Menchaca 8,541
Working Families Carlos Menchaca 1,294
Total Carlos Menchaca (incumbent) 9,835 82.3
Conservative Allan Romaguera 839 7.0
Green Carmen Hulbert 782 6.5
Reform Delvis Valdes 460 3.8
Write-in 39 0.4
Total votes 11,955 100
Democratic hold

2013[edit]

2013 New York City Council election, District 38[13][14]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carlos Menchaca 4,306 58.8
Democratic Sara Gonzalez (incumbent) 3,017 41.2
Write-in 3 0.0
Total votes 7,326 100
General election
Democratic Carlos Menchaca 8,265
Working Families Carlos Menchaca 1,121
Total Carlos Menchaca 9,386 90.2
Conservative Henry Lallave 1,002 9.6
Write-in 18 0.2
Total votes 10,406 100
Democratic hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Census Demographics at the NYC City Council district (CNCLD) level". NYC Open Data. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "Council District Summary Report" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. February 21, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  3. ^ "District 38 – Alexa Aviles". New York City Council. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "Council Members & Districts". New York City Council. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "NYC Boundaries Map". BetaNYC. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Pazmino, Gloria (January 15, 2020). "Why the Census Means NYC Lawmakers Will Serve 2-Year Terms Instead of 4". www.ny1.com. New York 1. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "General Election 2023 - Member of the City Council, 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  8. ^ Rachel Holliday Smith (January 18, 2021). "How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work in New York City?". The City. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  9. ^ "2021 Primary Official Ranked Choice Rounds, DEM Council Member 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  10. ^ "General Election 2021 - Member of the City Council, 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "Primary Election 2017 - Democratic Member of the City Council, 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  12. ^ "General Election 2017 - Member of the City Council, 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  13. ^ "Primary Election 2013 - Democratic Member of the City Council, 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  14. ^ "General Election 2013 - Member of the City Council, 38th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 1, 2021.