Mark Levine leads Democratic primary for NYC comptroller as Justin Brannan concedes

In New York City’s Democratic primary for comptroller, the punk rock councilmember conceded defeat to the straight-laced borough president.

As of late Tuesday night, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine held a decisive lead over Councilmember Justin Brannan, who conceded the race. With about 91% of votes counted, Levine had just over 48% to Brannan’s 33.6%.

The contest centered on candidates’ plans to invest in affordable housing and stand up to President Donald Trump. But with little daylight between Levine and Brannan’s policy proposals, the race largely boiled down to which personality voters preferred.

Brannan pitched himself as a fighter from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, who played in several noted punk rock bands. Levine, meanwhile, touted his background as a bilingual educator who launched a local credit union and served in the council before he was elected borough president.

The councilmember, who chairs the City Council’s Finance Committee, received support from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, while Levine tacked to the center.

Levine encouraged the city to increase its reserves, while Brannan called for more spending to expand childcare and to support low-income New Yorkers who could lose benefits or other federally funded services.

The comptroller serves as the city’s fiscal watchdog, managing its pension funds, scrutinizing the budget and auditing municipal agencies. The officeholder also typically acts as a foil to the mayor, analyzing spending decisions and examining contracts.

During their campaigns, both focused on using the comptroller’s oversight of the city pension system to invest in affordable housing. They each pledged to take on the Trump administration and cushion the impact of federal cuts on the five boroughs.

The race attracted millions in campaign contributions and public matching funds.

Levine will face Republican nominee Peter Kefalas, a journalist and small business owner, in the general election.

City procurement analyst Ismael Malave Perez finished third in the Democratic primary, while State Sen. Kevin Parker of Brooklyn rounded out the field.