New York City's 20th City Council district

New York City's 20th City Council district is one of 51 districts in the New York City Council. It has been represented by Democrat Sandra Ung since 2022. She succeeded Republican-turned-Democrat Peter Koo, who was term-limited in 2021.^[3][4]

New York City's 20th City Council district
Government
• Councilmember	Sandra Ung (D—Flushing)
Population  (2010)[1]
• Total	160,913
Demographics
• Asian	64%
• Hispanic	16%
• White	15%
• Black	3%
• Other	2%
Registration
• Democratic	56.7%
• Republican	10.9%
• No party preference	29.9%
Registered voters (2021) 76,196[2]

Geography

District 20 is based in the Queens neighborhood of Flushing, covering its downtown areas as well as its Murray Hill and Queensboro Hill subsections.^[5] Kissena Park is located within the district.

The district overlaps with Queens Community Boards 7 and 11, and is contained entirely within New York's 6th congressional district. It also overlaps with the 11th and 16th districts of the New York State Senate, and with the 25th, 26th, and 40th districts of the New York State Assembly.^[6]

With its population base in Flushing, which has a large number of Korean and Chinese American residents, the 20th district is the most Asian district in the City Council and the only district with an Asian majority. Former 20th district councilmember John Liu was the first Asian American elected to the City Council. Until 2021, Liu's successor, Peter Koo, was one of only two Asian Americans in the body (alongside former Manhattan councilmember Margaret Chin). This number has increased to five.

Recent election results

2023 (redistricting)

Due to redistricting and the 2020 changes to the New York City Charter, councilmembers elected during the 2021 and 2023 City Council elections will serve two-year terms, with full four-year terms resuming after the 2025 New York City Council elections.^[7]

2023 New York City Council election, District 20^[8][9]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Yu-Ching Pai	819	56.0
	Republican	Dany Chen	638	43.6
	Write-in		6	0.4
Total votes			1,463	100
General election
	Democratic	Sandra Ung (incumbent)	5,087	57.8
	Republican	Yu-Ching Pai[10]	2,524
	Conservative	Yu-Ching Pai[11]	275
	Total	Yu-Ching Pai	2,799	31.8
	Better Flushing	Dany Chen	863	9.8
	Write-in		49	0.6
Total votes			8,798	100.0
	Democratic hold

2021

In 2019, voters in New York City approved Ballot Question 1, which implemented ranked-choice voting in all local elections. Under the new system, voters have the option to rank up to five candidates for every local office. Voters whose first-choice candidates fare poorly will have their votes redistributed to other candidates in their ranking until one candidate surpasses the 50 percent threshold. If one candidate surpasses 50 percent in first-choice votes, then ranked-choice tabulations will not occur.^[12]

2021 New York City Council election, District 20 Democratic primary^[13]

Party		Candidate	Maximum round	Maximum votes	Share in maximum round	Maximum votes First round votesTransfer votes
	Democratic	Sandra Ung	8	4,205	55.2%	​​
	Democratic	Ellen Young	8	3,406	44.8%	​​
	Democratic	Neng Wang	7	2,146	25.2%	​​
	Democratic	John Choe	6	1,845	20.2%	​​
	Democratic	Anthony Miranda	5	1,550	15.9%	​​
	Democratic	Hailing Chen	4	1,337	12.8%	​​
	Democratic	Dao Yin	3	968	9.1%	​​
	Democratic	Ming-Kang Low	2	50	0.5%	​​
	Write-in		1	13	0.1%	​​

An interactive map of District 20

2021 New York City Council election, District 20 general election^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sandra Ung	7,718	59.3
	Republican	Yu-Ching Pai	4,781
	Conservative	Yu-Ching Pai	487
	Total	Yu-Ching Pai	5,268	40.4
	Write-in		35	0.3
Total votes			13,021	100
	Democratic hold

2017

2017 New York City Council election, District 20^[15][16]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Peter Koo (incumbent)	3,822	58.2
	Democratic	Alison Tan	2,719	41.4
	Write-in		27	0.4
Total votes			6,568	100
General election
	Democratic	Peter Koo (incumbent)	9,065	97.8
	Write-in		202	2.2
Total votes			9,267	100
	Democratic hold

2013

2013 New York City Council election, District 20^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Peter Koo	7,985
	Conservative	Peter Koo	1,088
	Total	Peter Koo (incumbent)	9,073	79.7
	Jobs & Education	Martha Flores-Vazquez	1,182	10.4
	Reform	Sunny Hahn	729	6.4
	Green	Evergreen Chou	385	3.4
	Write-in		20	0.1
Total votes			11,389	100
	Democratic gain from Republican

2009

2009 New York City Council election, District 20^[18][19]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Yen Chou	1,935	24.9
	Democratic	S.J. Jung	1,752	22.6
	Democratic	Isaac Sasson	1,741	22.4
	Democratic	John Choe	1,267	16.3
	Democratic	James Wu	1,073	13.8
	Write-in		1	0.0
Total votes			7,769	100
General election
	Republican	Peter Koo	7,185
	Independence	Peter Koo	752
	Conservative	Peter Koo	512
	Total	Peter Koo	8,449	49.1
	Democratic	Yen Chou	7,793	45.2
	Working Families	S.J. Jung	700	4.1
	Green	Evergreen Chou	282	1.6
	Write-in		1	0.0
Total votes			17,225	100
	Republican gain from Democratic

References

1. "Census Demographics at the NYC City Council district (CNCLD) level". NYC Open Data. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
2. "Council District Summary Report" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. February 21, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
3. "District 20 - Sandra Ung". New York City Council. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
4. Wang, Claire. "NYC Council has 5 new Asian Americans, a record that mirrors city more accurately". www.nbcnews.com. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
5. "Council Members & Districts". New York City Council. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
6. "NYC Boundaries Map". BetaNYC. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
7. Pazmino, Gloria (January 15, 2020). "Why the Census Means NYC Lawmakers Will Serve 2-Year Terms Instead of 4". www.ny1.com. New York 1. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
8. "2023 Primary Official Ranked Choice Rounds, REP Council Member 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
9. "General Election 2021 - Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
10. Marked as "Republican/Medical Freedom".
11. Marked as "Conservative/Common Sense".
12. Rachel Holliday Smith (January 18, 2021). "How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work in New York City?". The City. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
13. "2021 Primary Official Ranked Choice Rounds, DEM Council Member 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
14. "General Election 2021 - Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
15. "Primary Election 2017 - Democratic Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
16. "General Election 2017 - Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
17. "General Election 2013 - Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
18. "Primary Election 2009 - Democratic Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
19. "General Election 2009 - Member of the City Council, 20th Council District" (PDF). New York City Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2021.