Council Member Inna Vernikov has declared victory in the hotly-contested Republican primary for City Council District 48, as unofficial election night results showed her holding a strong lead over challenger and former Council Member Ari Kagan.
“Look, this is not for me. This is the victory for the people of District 48, for New York City,” Vernikov told Brooklyn Paper at an election night watch party at Florencia Pizza & Cafe in Midwood.
As of 11:30 p.m., with 95% of scanners reported, unofficial results from the New York City Board of Elections showed Vernikov leading with 2,427 votes — nearly 66% of the total. Kagan trailed with 1,232 votes, or about 33%.
Kagan was not immediately available for comment.
Vernikov’s victory comes after months of speculation and a contentious intra-party battle between two Republican incumbents. Kagan, who switched parties in 2022 after initially being elected as a Democrat in the neighboring 47th Council District, sought a return to the Council after losing his seat to Council Member Justin Brannan in 2023, post-redistricting. The District 48 seat — which includes Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Homecrest, and parts of Midwood and Gravesend — was up for grabs amid shifting district lines and political loyalties.
Kagan launched his campaign earlier this year after initially assuming Vernikov would vacate the seat to run for state Senate. When she chose instead to seek re-election, Kagan moved forward anyway, touting his experience in city government and focus on public safety, education, and sanitation.
Vernikov, a former attorney and the Council’s Minority Whip, leaned on her record representing the district and her reputation as a vocal conservative voice at City Hall. On Tuesday, she told Brooklyn Paper she was proud of her accomplishments on the Council, citing money won for parks, schools and roads.
She said her landslide victory over Kagan sent a “strong message.”
“We in the Republican Party, we should only accept people with a proven record of being conservative Republicans,” she said. “My opponent was just not that — he was a lifelong Democrat, and this sends a strong message to Democrats who think they can run as Republican and win over the people, you cannot fool the people. And people see right through it. They see the truth.”
As Vernikov declared victory, former governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the Democratic mayoral primary to Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. Vernikov and her supporters said Mamdani’s victory was alarming, and that her constituents feel he is antisemitic and anti-Israel, allegations Mamdani has rebuked.
“My district is very nervous about him winning and becoming the mayor. A lot of the people in my district are from the former Soviet Union,” she said. “We ran away from communism and socialism, and Mamdani is about to bring socialism to New York City … there’s a lot of things to be really worried about.”
Tuesday’s results are not yet official, as absentee and affidavit ballots have yet to be counted and the Board of Elections has not certified the outcome. Still, with a strong lead, Vernikov’s supporters say her path to the general election looks all but assured.
“Four more years,” crowds could be heard chanting outside of her watch party.
Check back for more election night coverage and results.
