It's the Brian Lear Show on WNYC.

I'm producer Amina Serna filling in for Brian today.

Good morning again, everyone.

The mayor's race wasn't the only hotly contested election this week, as I'm sure listeners of this show know.

In City Council District 39, which includes the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, and Kensington,

the progressive incumbent Shahana Hanif faced a challenge from Maya Kornberg,

whose campaign was backed by establishment Democrats and big money donors.

Hanif made history in 2021 when she became the first Muslim woman elected to the city council.

But as we've seen in the mayor's race, being a Muslim in city politics can be a double-edged sword.

Kornberg cited excess focus on the war in Gaza as her reason for entering the race.

Shahana Hanif ultimately won re-election with nearly 70% of the vote.

She joins us now to briefly talk about her win, as well as Zoran

Mamdani's and her priorities for her second term. Council Member Hanif, welcome back to

WMYC. Thank you. You faced big money in your race. The New York Times reports your challengers spent $400,000

through a super PAC in part funded by, quote,

Uber and companies associated with Madison Square Garden.

What's your assessment of how you won this race?

My team and I ran a campaign that

compassion. We ran on

affordability, making New York City more livable,

and standing up against special interests.

Uber and these corporate packs, the charter school law, did not win.

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