City Council - District 3
Carl Wilson
New York City Council member for District 3 since May 12, 2026, after winning an April 2026 special election; before that he was chief of staff to then-Council Member Erik Bottcher.
Where they stand
Health care access
Supports universal health care. Wants seniors to be able to age in place with quality health care and support services, alongside affordable housing and accessible transit.
Issues Carl is raising
Housing costs and public housing redevelopment
Supports moving forward with the plan to redevelop the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea public housing campuses, with modifications.
Immigration enforcement in the city
Supports protections for immigrant communities and opposes the Trump administration's policies, pointing to ICE detentions of city residents as creating fear and instability.
LGBTQ+ rights
Supports protections for LGBTQ+ communities and opposes the Trump administration's policies, citing its attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Street safety and transportation
Wants permanent street fixtures such as concrete, tree pits and planters, rather than paint and plastic cones, to give pedestrians and cyclists dedicated space. Also supports accessible transit so seniors can age in place.
Background
Based in Hell's Kitchen
Raised in Bowie, Maryland, he moved to New York City in 2009 to study drama at New York University and lives in Hell's Kitchen.
- Member of the New York City Council for District 3; elected in an April 2026 special election and took office May 12, 2026
- Chief of staff to then-Council Member Erik Bottcher
- Community Board 4 liaison in former Council Speaker Corey Johnson's office
- Worked for the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District (Fifth Avenue Association)
- Served on Community Board 4, on its Transportation Planning and Waterfront, Parks & Environment committees
- Founding member of the Hell's Kitchen Democrats, which he helped create in 2016
- Council committees: Combat Hate; Consumer and Worker Protection; General Welfare; Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation; Health; Higher Education; Housing and Buildings; Mental Health and Substance Use; Sanitation and Solid Waste Management
- Member of the Council's LGBTQIA+ Caucus and Animal Welfare Caucus
- Graduated in 2012 from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in drama
- Grew up in Bowie, Maryland, where he attended Bowie High School's Summit Program; raised by a mother who worked in affordable housing and a father who was Sergeant at Arms in the U.S. Senate
- Born in 1991
- Lives in Hell's Kitchen with his partner, James
Support
Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York
Jerrold Nadler
“Carl brings experience, integrity, and a deep sense of purpose to this work, and I am proud to endorse him for City Council.”
— Jerry Nadler, U.S. Representative
Nydia Velázquez
U.S. Representative, New York District 7
Mark Levine
“Carl Wilson is a determined, values-driven leader who is committed to solving our affordability and housing crisis.”
— Mark Levine, New York City Comptroller
Julie Menin
“Carl knows that the housing and affordability crises are the defining challenges of our time, and he has made it his mission to fight for stable, affordable homes and a city that working families can actually afford.”
— Julie Menin, Speaker of the New York City Council
Money
$61K
raised
Outside money: $457K supporting
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