| New York City's 31st City Council district | |
| Leader Title: | Councilmember |
| Leader Name: | Selvena Brooks-Powers D–Rockaway Beach |
| Population As Of: | 2010 |
| Population Total: | 160123 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Footnotes: | Registered voters (2021) 102,579[2] |
| Demographics Type1: | Demographics |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 68% |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Black |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 16% |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Hispanic |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 11% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | White |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 2% |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Asian |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 3% |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics Type2: | Registration |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 77.4% |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Democratic |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 5.2% |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Republican |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 14.7% |
| Demographics2 Title3: | No party preference |
New York City's 31st City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been represented by Democrat Selvena Brooks-Powers since a 2021 special election to succeed fellow Democrat Donovan Richards.[3]
District 31 covers the farthest southeastern neighborhoods of Queens as well as the eastern section of the Rockaways, including the neighborhoods of Far Rockaway, Laurelton, Rosedale, Arverne, Edgemere, and parts of Springfield Gardens.[4] Rockaway Community Park, Idlewild Park, much of John F. Kennedy International Airport, and some of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge are all located within the district.
The district overlaps with Queens Community Boards 12, 13, and 14, and is contained entirely within New York's 5th congressional district. It also overlaps with the 10th, 14th, and 15th districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 23rd, 29th, 31st, and 32nd districts of the New York State Assembly.[5]
| Members | Party | Years served | Electoral history | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established January 1, 1974 | |||||
Angelo J. Arculeo | Republican | January 1, 1974 – December 31, 1982 | Redistricted from the 22nd district and re-elected in 1973. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1977. Lost re-election. | ||
Sal Albanese | Democratic | January 1, 1983 – December 31, 1991 | Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1985. Re-elected in 1989. Redistricted to the 43rd district. | ||
Juanita E. Watkins | Democratic | January 1, 1992 – December 31, 1991 | Elected in 1991. Re-elected in 1993. Re-elected in 1997. Termed out. | ||
James Sanders Jr. | Democratic | January 1, 1992 – December 31, 2012 | Elected in 2001. Re-elected in 2003. Re-elected in 2005. Re-elected in 2009. Termed out and ran for New York State Senate. | ||
Donovan Richards | Democratic | January 1, 2013 – December 2, 2020 | Elected in 2013. Re-elected in 2017. Resigned to become Queens Borough President. | ||
| Vacant | December 2, 2020 – March 19, 2021 | ||||
Selvena Brooks-Powers | Democratic | March 19, 2021 – | Elected to finish Richard's term. Re-elected in 2021. | ||
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]
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.[7]
In 2020, Councilmember Donovan Richards was elected as Queens borough president, triggering a February 2021 special election for his seat. Like most municipal special elections in New York City, the race was officially nonpartisan, with all candidates running on ballot lines of their own creation. It was also the first in the city's history to utilize ranked-choice voting (although an earlier special election in the 24th district was nominally ranked-choice, one candidate won with a majority in the first round).
In 2012, Councilman James Sanders Jr. was elected to the 10th district of the New York State Senate, triggering a February 2013 special election for his seat. Like most municipal special elections in New York City, the race was officially nonpartisan, with all candidates running on ballot lines of their own creation.