NORTHERN MANHATTAN — Ydanis Rodriguez and Mark Levine cruised to victory Tuesday night, winning their respective races and taking over districts that will be reshaped in January.
With 51 percent of ballots counted, Rodriguez, the incumbent councilman in the 10th District, won re-election with more than 91 percent of the vote. The Democrat defeated Republican challenger Ronie Cabrera and School's Choice candidate Miguel Estrella.
Levine also won handily, defeating Green party candidate Christina Gonzalez with 92 percent of the vote. The Democrat will replace term-limited councilman Robert Jackson.
Both candidates will take over districts that have been redrawn radically. Where he used to represent the east side of Washington Heights and Inwood, Rodriguez's district now covers virtually all of Manhattan above 155th Street.
Levine's district, formerly the western side of nothern Manhattan, will now include parts of the Upper West Side, Morningside, Hamilton and Washington Heights.
Rodriguez acknowledged his new constituents on Twitter Tuesday night, writing: "I am proud to now represent a new & more diverse district, a unified No. Manhattan. Let's keep working to make this the best hood in #NYC!"
