Juumane Williams celebrates reelection as public advocate

Brooklyn-born Public Advocate Juumane Williams is projected to remain the city’s public advocate, according to unofficial Board of Elections results.

With 93 percent of scanners reporting, Williams expectedly secured nearly 69 percent of the vote as of 11 pm on Election Night, topping five other challengers, including Republican challenger Nevi Nampiaparampil.

Williams’ victory is his third in three years since first running for public advocate in a 2019 special election, and his first for a four year term.

At an election night watch party at Threes Brewing in Gowanus, Williams celebrated with a slate of other progressive winners.

“Ten years ago people told me and [projected Comptroller-elect] Brad [Lander] we were too far left, today we’re citywide elected officials,” he told the crowd. “Our message works and people believe in it.”

While Williams, who seceded current Attorney General Letitia James in the seat has secured the next position for the next four years, he already has his eye on his next potential job, having formed an exploratory committee to run for governor in 2022 against James, Kathy Hochul, and potentially Mayor Bill de Blasio. 

It wouldn’t be his first run for statewide office — he came surprisingly close to knocking out Hochul as lieutenant governor in 2018.