The race for City Council District 41 – encompassing Bedford-Stuyvesant, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, East Flatbush and Crown Heights – is shaping up as one of the city’s most crowded and competitive contests in the upcoming primary election.
Incumbent Council Member Darlene Mealy is seeking re-election after a tenure focused on contract reform, MWBE expansion and constituent services. She faces a wide field of Democratic challengers, including Lawman Lynch, Dante Arnwine, Bianca Cunningham, Jammel Thompson, Jamell Henderson, Clifton A. Hinton and Eli Brown.
With no Republican challenger and the district’s deep Democratic roots, the upcoming Democratic primary is expected to determine the district’s next council member.
Meet the Candidates
Darlene Mealy
Incumbent City Council Member
Council Member Darlene Mealy is seeking re-election to represent Brooklyn’s District 41, where she has long championed women, seniors, youth, and minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). She reclaimed her seat in a 2021 Democratic primary upset against Alicka Ampry-Samuel, who had succeeded her after she was term-limited in 2017.
Mealy was first elected to the Council in 2005 and has sponsored significant legislation during her tenure, including Local Laws 33 and 29 of 2015, which expanded protections against employment discrimination and strengthened government accountability. She has also played a key role in advancing the city’s MWBE contracting goals.
“I am tired of seniors going hungry, children lacking sufficient after-school care and parents wondering if they can still afford to live in the very neighborhoods they grew up in,” Mealy said in a March statement. “These problems aren’t complicated, and neither are the solutions.”
Mealy faces a crowded field of challengers in this month’s Democratic primary. According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, she has raised more than $80,000 and enters the final stretch of the race with approximately $70,800 in cash on hand.
Lawman Lynch
Lawman Lynch, a Jamaican-born local community advocate and educator, aims to bring a people-centered agenda to District 41.
“Our district deserves leadership that truly shows up, listens and stands accountable to the people,” Lynch told the Brooklyn Paper. He emphasizes public safety, education reform, economic development, small business growth and healthcare access.
“I’m not here to maintain the status quo. I’m here to advocate for the real needs of the district and to ensure that the voices of residents are heard and respected in every decision made at City Hall.”
Recognized by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams as a “trailblazer in community development,” Lynch brings years of experience in nonprofit leadership, education and civic engagement.
Lynch leads the pack of competitors vying for Mealy’s seat in campaign fundraising, a note his Campaign Manager Dion C. Quamina said, “shows his popularity in the district.”
According to the campaign finance board, Lynch has received nearly $108,000, with $87,139 from public matching funds. To overcome the well-known Mealy, Lynch has an estimated $59,013 in cash on hand.
Dante Arnwine
Dante Arnwine, the current District Manager of Brooklyn Community Board 9, is running on a platform of government accountability, generational investment and inclusive leadership. A Crown Heights resident, Arnwine emphasizes his deep relationships within city agencies and his commitment to “presence, communication and strategy” for District 41.
“As a District Manager, I deal with the inequalities and inefficiencies of our city government,” Arnwine told the Brooklyn Paper. “We need city workers who understand our city system to get us on a path where our city agencies are fully funded and New Yorkers feel safe with purpose.”
Arnwine believes his experience as the CB9 leader sets him apart from competitors, “There is no candidate in this race who has a stronger relationship with our city agencies than I do — not even Mealy,” said Arnwine. “Now more than ever, we need leadership that understands how our city government works and won’t waste years learning the system and building relationships. I’m already there.”
His priorities include affordable housing, youth investment, transportation improvements, workforce development and stronger senior services.
Arnwine has raised nearly $70,000, including more than $50,000 in public matching funds, and has approximately $22,863 in cash on hand as he looks to close the gap between himself, his competitors, and the incumbent.
Bianca Cunningham
Bianca Cunningham, a union leader and former labor organizer at Verizon, is running to bring a fighting spirit to City Hall.
Known for being a key leader in the first successful unionization of Verizon Wireless retail stores, Bianca led coworkers in stores across Brooklyn to unionize and join CWA in 2014.
Cunningham has championed worker rights, affordable housing and community-led development.
“I’m running for office because District 41 has been historically underfunded and underrepresented in City Hall,” Cunningham told the Brooklyn Paper. “Whether it’s standing up to Verizon in forming the first union with the retail workers or doing eviction defense for my elderly neighbors who were victims of deed theft […] I will bring that same fighting spirit to City Hall.”
Her platform centers on fully funded public schools, participatory budgeting, union labor, housing justice and expanding community schools.
Cunningham is endorsed by prominent unions and organizations such as the CWA, UAW, the Sunrise Movement and state Sen. Jabari Brisport, who shared support for several candidates.
According to campaign filings, Cunningham has raised over $28,000 and has an estimated $4,355 heading through June.
Jammel Thompson
Jammel Thompson is running to bring new energy to District 41, focusing on youth opportunities, senior services, small business revitalization and community engagement.
A longtime neighborhood organizer, Thompson’s key pledge is to introduce participatory budgeting for the first time in District 41, empowering residents to directly shape how local funds are spent.
Thompson aims “to bring a people-first approach to local governance and restore the community’s vibrancy after years of neglect,” according to his campaign site. His focus includes pathways for young women, protection initiatives for seniors and rebuilding Brooklyn’s small
business economy.
Thompson has raised nearly $27,000, entirely from private funds, according to campaign filings. He holds an estimated $7,282 in cash on hand.
Jamell Henderson
Jamell Henderson, a lifelong Brooklynite and resident of Kingsborough Houses, is running to “change the narrative” for District 41, to “implement change from every corner of every block.”
Emphasizing the importance of education, his personal experience as a doctoral candidate and decades of grassroots activism, Henderson’s platform focuses on affordable housing, youth programs, small business support and cultural preservation.
“I’m ready to serve my community, to stand up to special interests, fight for affordable housing and ensure economic investment that lifts up our entire community,” Henderson said. “We must stop electing the same politicians over and over if this community is to thrive.”
Henderson emphasizes his lived experience with economic hardship and foster care as giving him a unique connection to the challenges facing District 41 residents, claiming he has the solutions.
According to Henderson’s campaign site, he holds onto endorsements from the NY Working Families Party, Citizen Action of New York and several electeds, like Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and state Sen. Jabari Brisport, who also endorsed Bianca Cunningham. Henderson has an estimated $3,206 in cash on hand to gain ground in the race.
Democrats Eli Brown, Clifton A. Hinton, and Yehuda Shaffer are also running on the ballot in June. However, they are trailing the group in campaign fundraising and community recognition.
At this stage, no Republicans have entered the race for the November General Election, with the June primary set to be the most significant contest.
New York’s primary election will be held June 24, with early voting scheduled from June 14 to June 22. To find your pollsite, visit vote.nyc.
This roundup is part of an ongoing series. Check back for more information on candidates in competitive races across Brooklyn, and check out our candidate roundups for Brooklyn Borough President, Council District 35, Council District 38, Council District 39, Council District 47, and Civil Court Judge.
