Menin claims City Council Speaker votes; Hudson acquiesces

City Councilmember Crystal Hudson speaks at a rally in 2024. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

CITYWIDE — MANHATTAN COUNCILMEMBER JULIE Menin said Wednesday she has secured at least 36 votes to become the next New York City Council speaker, surpassing the 26 needed, positioning herself as a counterweight to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s ambitious agenda, reports the New York Times.

Brooklyn Councilmember Crystal Hudson, a progressive seen as a potential ally to Mamdani, conceded after her coalition of left-leaning peers failed to sway enough votes. In a statement, she said her Speaker bid “has been rooted in the principles of honesty, integrity, action, and accountability,” anchored in her lived experiences “as a gay, Black woman raised in Brooklyn by a single mother.” Hudson said it was “a true honor to run,” adding that “my colleagues have made their choice clear.”

Menin, who would be the Council’s first Jewish speaker, signaled support for scrutinizing corporate actors and shifting some mental-health responses away from police. The Council’s formal vote is scheduled for January.

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