Albany Election Winners Set to Reshape New York Real Estate Policy

A wave of progressive political victories in the New York state legislative primaries is poised to dramatically alter real estate policy in Albany. Candidates backed by democratic socialists secured key seats, signaling an upcoming legislative push toward aggressive tenant protections and increased regulation of the housing market.

Assembly District 38 in Queens

Five-year incumbent Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar lost her reelection campaign to immigrant rights attorney David Orkin in a decisive upset. Orkin captured approximately 59% of the vote, defeating the close ally of former mayor Eric Adams by a margin of 19 points.

The challenger secured critical endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America, the Working Families Party, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Reports also indicate that state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani quietly assisted in recruiting Orkin to enter the legislative primary race.

Orkin centered his platform on housing affordability and tenant rights within the Ridgewood, Glendale, and Woodhaven district. He committed to strengthening Good Cause Eviction rules, implementing a statewide right to counsel, and broadening housing voucher eligibility.

Furthermore, Orkin signaled strong support for the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. The policy grants tenants and affiliated non-profit organizations the right of first refusal to buy residential buildings when owners place them on the market.

Conversely, corporate real estate interests heavily funded Rajkumar. Two Trees chief executive Jed Walentas contributed $5,000, while Alice and Sam Tisch donated a combined $7,500. Additionally, an SL Green subsidiary provided $3,000, alongside matching $3,000 contributions from the Real Estate Board of New York PAC and the New York City District Council of Carpenters.

Rajkumar built her campaign on opposition to democratic socialist policies. She garnered endorsements from mainstream Democratic leaders and powerful labor unions, including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senator James Sanders Jr., District Council 37, and 32BJ SEIU.

The race also featured legal friction when Orkin filed a lawsuit to disqualify Rajkumar from the ballot over alleged petition signature forgery. A judge ultimately dismissed the legal challenge on procedural grounds, allowing the incumbent to run.

Assembly District 58 in Brooklyn

Eon Huntley secured a commanding 22-point victory over five-year incumbent Stefani Zinerman. Backed by the democratic socialists and the Working Families Party, Huntley successfully claimed the Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights seat following a primary loss to Zinerman in 2024.

City Council Member Chi Ossé characterized the primary as a direct battle between corporate developer funding and community housing affordability. Ossé publicly criticized candidates who accept capital from real estate political action committees and groups aligned with prominent corporate figures.

Zinerman received substantial financial backing from SL Green and the Moving Brooklyn Forward independent expenditure committee. The committee drew major funding from Extell chairman Gary Barnett and Two Trees, yet the capital proved insufficient to protect her seat.

Deed theft emerged as a core focus for both candidates during the campaign. However, Huntley positioned himself in direct opposition to the corporate landlords and real estate developers backing the incumbent, accusing them of treating local housing purely as profit-generating assets.

Huntley plans to prioritize funding for NYCHA infrastructure upgrades and backs legislation creating a Social Housing Development Authority. He also advocates for expanding Good Cause Eviction rules to encompass smaller and newly constructed buildings.

Senate District 13 in Queens

Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas won the Democratic nomination for State Senate, defeating seven-year incumbent Jessica Ramos and former lawmaker Hiram Monserrate. Representing Jackson Heights, Corona, and East Elmhurst, González-Rojas won with Working Families Party backing without formal democratic socialist endorsement.

The primary race became heavily entangled in a local dispute regarding billionaire Steve Cohen’s proposed casino project at Metropolitan Park. González-Rojas favored alienating public parkland for the project, putting her at odds with Ramos’s strict opposition.

Ramos introduced a legislative measures targeting a foundation donation tied to Cohen that went to a non-profit run by González-Rojas’s spouse. The proposed bill aimed to restrict immediate relatives of lawmakers from receiving compensation from entities with active business before the state.

A week prior to the primary, an independent expenditure committee supporting González-Rojas received a substantial $850,000 donation from Progress for New York Inc., marking a significant financial injection into the legislative race.

González-Rojas’s housing goals include establishing a modern Mitchell-Lama program to build permanently affordable cooperative housing units. She also supports a statewide Social Housing Authority and seeks $250 million to fund the Housing Access Voucher Program.

Senate District 25 in Brooklyn

Incumbent State Senator Jabari Brisport easily defended his seat against a moderate challenge from Marlon Rice, securing a decisive 57-point victory. The win solidifies progressive influence across Bed-Stuy, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, and Ocean Hill.

Brisport is advancing legislative measures to track NYCHA code violations through an online database and has introduced four bills targeting deed theft. He also proposes a property transfer flip tax to discourage real estate speculation and generate affordable housing revenue.

During his initial legislative term, Brisport served on the Senate housing committee. He successfully passed bills restricting pandemic-era foreclosures and established specific cease-and-desist zones to protect homeowners from aggressive real estate broker solicitations.

The remaining establishment

Senate District 27 in Manhattan

Assembly Member Grace Lee secured the Lower Manhattan Senate seat vacated by Brian Kavanagh, defeating former Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou by 25 points. Lee ran as a rare Democratic candidate winning with substantial real estate sector backing.

Lee’s campaign received funding from the Tisch family and the Downtown for Change independent expenditure committee, which received $50,000 from Extell’s Gary Barnett. Niou held Working Families Party backing but failed to gather enough votes.

Lee’s legislative platform highlights funding for housing vouchers, building social housing, and capping utility costs for low-income residents. She also opposed a new high-rise jail facility in Chinatown, advocating instead for deeply affordable housing on that site.

As an Assembly member, Lee voted for Good Cause Eviction protections and helped secure $400 million in rental assistance for public housing. She also voted in favor of the 485x developer tax abatement and commercial-to-residential conversion tax incentives.

Assembly District 66 in Manhattan

In the crowded primary race to fill the open seat of outgoing Assembly Member Deborah Glick in Lower Manhattan, local District Leader Jeannine Kiely holds an initial lead over five opposing candidates with 27.6% of the early vote.

Future Outlook

The influx of progressive lawmakers into the state legislature signals a shifting balance of power regarding New York housing laws. In upcoming legislative sessions, real estate lobbies will likely face intense pressure as newly elected officials push to pass statewide social housing frameworks and close existing landlord exemptions in eviction compliance laws. Developers may find traditional financial contributions less effective at blocking regulatory changes in heavily progressive urban districts.

FAQs

What is the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act supported by some winners?

The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act is a proposed state law that gives tenants, often working in partnership with qualified non-profit organizations, the right of first refusal to buy their apartment building if the landlord decides to sell the property.

How did real estate developers influence these primary elections?

Real estate developers and industry political action committees provided substantial financial backing to establishment incumbents and moderate candidates, donating thousands of dollars through direct contributions and independent expenditure committees to counter progressive challengers.

What housing policies are progressive winners planning to prioritize in Albany?

Newly elected progressive lawmakers plan to focus on expanding Good Cause Eviction protections, establishing a statewide Social Housing Development Authority, cracking down on deed theft, and securing hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for housing vouchers.