New York City voters last month elected a record number of women to the City Council, increasing the number of women to 29 of the legislature’s 51 members, up from 14 currently. The incoming City Council class also features a record number of people of color, with 35 members identifying as such, up from 26.
A new report from the nonpartisan policy institute Brennan Center for Justice, which has studied New York City elections and campaign finance laws for over a decade, finds that the share of women on the City Council will surpass the 52% of the city’s population made up by women, and people of color on the Council will nearly match their share of 68% of city residents.