Darlene Mealy

Darlene Mealy
Member of the New York City Council
from the 41st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byAlicka Ampry-Samuel
In office
January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2017
Preceded byTracy L. Boyland
Succeeded byAlicka Ampry-Samuel
Personal details
Born (1964-08-31) August 31, 1964
PartyDemocratic
EducationManhattan Community College
WebsiteOfficial website

Darlene Mealy (born August 31, 1964) is an American politician who is a member of the New York City Council from the 41st district, which includes Brownsville, Bushwick, Crown Heights, East Flatbush and Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn.

A Democrat, Mealy previously held the same seat from 2006 to 2017. In 2021, she defeated incumbent Alicka Ampry-Samuel in the Democratic primary in a major upset.[1]

Life and career

Mealy was born in Detroit, Michigan, and attended public schools, graduating from George Wingate High School. Following high school, she attended the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and later pursued coursework in Labor & Women’s Studies offered by Cornell University.

Prior to her election to the New York City Council, Mealy was employed at the New York City Transit Authority for 17 years, in the Department of Buses Technical Services Division.[2]

Controversies

She brought controversial attention to herself in 2009 when she voted to give $5,000 of public money to Lynval Samuels (also known as Dr. Bidi XiLi Bey), for teaching "etymology". Referred to by some as a lunatic,[3] Samuels "has been a fixture at Union St. and Utica Ave. for years, neighbors said - stopping traffic, splattering paint on parking meters and fire hydrants, and handing out flyers for his self-styled etymology classes."[4]

Mealy was also highlighted by the press for a history of questionable housing deals she was involved in before becoming a councilwoman. In 1993, when Mealy was still with the MTA, she and her sister moved into a 3-bedroom, low-income apartment in Bushwick. These apartments were only available to families on limited incomes, specifically, those making less than $15,200 a year. Within two years, however, Mealy and her sister had purchased a $90,000 brownstone.[5]

In 2014, Mealy "failed to pay the landlord who owned the space she leased for her district office for five months and then had him arrested when he changed the locks."[6][7]

In 2026, the Manhattan District Attorney announced charges against four members of Mealy's family, alleging they were part of a deed theft ring that tried to steal a family's home in Harlem.[8]

New York City Council

Mealy was first elected to the 41st district of the New York City Council in 2005 after defeating William Boyland, Jr., a member of the famed Boyland political family. She was re-elected in 2009 after narrowly besting Tracy E. Boyland.[9]

In 2010, Mealy was also elected as the Democratic District Leader for the 55th Assembly District in Brooklyn after defeating Latrice Walker, the legal counsel to Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and future assemblymember.[10] Mealy was re-elected to her third term on the City Council in 2013, beating her Democratic rival Kathleen Daniel 66% to 20%.[11]

Mealy chaired the Contracts Committee and was the co-chair of the Council’s Brooklyn delegation, and a member of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and the Women’s Caucus.

She courted attention when she was televised tearfully casting her "yes" vote regarding Mayor Michael Bloomberg's efforts to overturn a referendum limiting him to two terms as New York City's Mayor. She had previously stated that she opposed the measure.[12] In 2011, Mealy earned the distinction of missing the highest percentage of meetings and hearings she was supposed to have attended - 24%.[13] In 2023, Mealy attracted notice for her poor attendance record at City Council meetings, as she had been absent for 32% of meetings that term so far,[14] and for how difficult it was for district residents to speak to her or her office, as the district office was rarely open.[15]

Electoral history

2025

2025 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 41[16]
Party Candidate Maximum
round		 Maximum
votes		 Share in
maximum
round		 Maximum votes
  First round votes   Transfer votes
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 8 8,251 65.1%
​​
Democratic Lawman Lynch 8 4,425 34.9%
​​
Democratic Jammel Thompson 7 2,926 20.6%
​​
Democratic Bianca Cunningham 5 2,537 16.6%
​​
Democratic Jamell Henderson 4 1,095 6.9%
​​
Democratic Dante Arnwine 4 706 4.4%
​​
Democratic Eli Brown 3 641 4.0%
​​
Democratic Clifton A. Hinton 2 182 1.1%
​​
Write-In 1 67 0.4%
​​
2025 New York City Council election, District 41[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 25,898 93.0
United Alliance Yehuda Shaffer 1,741 6.3
Write-in 199 0.7
Total votes 27,838 100.0
Democratic hold

2023

2023 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 41[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 2,806 61.4
Democratic Isis McIntosh Green 1,346 29.5
Democratic Reginald Bowman 234 5.1
Democratic Joyce D. Shearin 162 3.5
Write-in 22 0.5
Total votes 4,570 100.0
2023 New York City Council election, District 41[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 6,134 96.2
Write-in 155 1.0
Total votes 6,289 100.0
Democratic hold

2021

2021 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 41[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy 8,849 57.3
Democratic Alicka Ampry-Samuel (incumbent) 6,507 42.1
Write-in 91 0.6
Total votes 15,447 100.0
2021 New York City Council election, District 41[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy 15,911 95.5
Green Scott Hutchins 694 4.2
Write-in 51 0.3
Total votes 16,656 100.0
Democratic hold

2013

2013 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 41[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 7,607 66.3
Democratic Kathleen Daniel 2,284 19.9
Democratic Stanley Kinard 1,575 13.7
Write-in 3 0.0
Total votes 11,469 100.0
2013 New York City Council election, District 41[23]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy 17,165 95.0
Working Families Darlene Mealy 413 2.3
Total Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 17,578 97.3
Independence Bilal Malik 474 2.6
Write-in 12 0.1
Total votes 18,064 100.0
Democratic hold

2009

2009 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 41[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 2,802 36.8
Democratic Tracy L. Boyland 2,724 35.8
Democratic Tulani Kinard 1,536 20.2
Democratic Anthony L. Herbert 546 7.2
Total votes 7,608 100.0
2009 New York City Council election, District 41[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy (incumbent) 13,454 95.1
Republican Rose Laney 637 4.5
Write-in 49 0.3
Total votes 14,140 100.0
Democratic hold

2005

2005 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 41[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy 4,480 46.8
Democratic William F. Boyland 1,806 18.9
Democratic Danny King 868 9.1
Democratic Royston P. Antoine 573 6.0
Democratic Stanley Kinard 489 5.1
Democratic David R. Miller 335 3.5
Democratic Alicka Ampry-Samuel 309 3.2
Democratic Pamela M. Junior 294 3.1
Democratic Essie M. Duggan 276 2.9
Democratic Maryam A. Samad 149 1.6
Total votes 9,579 100.0
2005 New York City Council election, District 41[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Darlene Mealy 11,102 85.8
Working Families Darlene Mealy 562 4.3
Total Darlene Mealy 11,664 90.1
Republican A. Brinmore C. Britton 899 6.9
Independence Naquan Abdul Hanif Muhammad 377 2.9
Total votes 12,940 100.0
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "Major Upset In NYC Council Race In Brownsville As Darlene Mealy Is The Projected Winner Over Alicka Ampry-Samuel". Eastnewyork.com. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Profiling Council Member Darlene Mealy". New York Amsterdam News. July 26, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  3. ↑ Paybarah, Azi (July 10, 2009). "Bloomberg Gets the Lefty Endorsement". The New York Observer. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ Remizowski, Leigh; Shifrel, Scott; Lisberg, Adam (June 20, 2009). "Brooklyn councilwoman wants to give $5,000 of your money to wacky etymology teacher Lynval Samuels". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ Einhorn, Erin; Gearty, Robert; Lesser, Benjamin; Moore, Tina; Ross, Barbara; Smith, Greg B. (March 21, 2013). "Some City Council members cutting corners to obtain affordable housing". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ Hicks, Nolan (2023-06-28). "Brooklyn's Darlene Mealy wins Democratic primary for NYC Council". New York Post. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  7. ↑ Roberts, Georgett; Rosenbaum, Sophia (2014-09-03). "'Deadbeat' Brooklyn pol gets her landlord arrested". New York Post. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  8. ↑ Smith, Greg B.; Sabella, Lilly (2026-05-28). "Deed Theft Indictment Targets NY City Council Member's Family". The City Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  9. ↑ Hays, Elizabeth (October 6, 2009). "Primary losers taking their cases to court: Tracy Boyland said fraud an issue, results 'invalid'". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Will Vito veto Brooklyn voters? Upstart challengers vs. the borough boss". New York Daily News. August 26, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  11. ↑ NYC Board of Elections – District 41 Democratic primary
  12. ↑ Hicks, Jonathan P. (October 23, 2008). "How a Councilwoman Changed Her Mind". The New York Times. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  13. ↑ Blau, Reuven (October 18, 2012). "News analysis reveals several Brooklyn City Council members who miss many meetings, propose few bills: Councilwomen Darlene Mealy, Sara Gonzalez, Diana Reyna top list of lawmakers who collect 'lulu' bonuses for doing little". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ Coltin, Jeff (2023-05-12). "Mealy's measly attendance: NYC Council member misses one-third of meetings". City & State NY. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  15. ↑ Hogan, Gwynne (2023-06-16). "Critics Charge Darlene Mealy Has Hardly Been Working as She Kept Winning". The City Reporter. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  16. ↑ "DEM Council Member 41st Council District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  17. ↑ "00301100041Kings Member of the City Council 41st Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. December 2, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  18. ↑ "DEM Council Member 41st Council District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  19. ↑ "00301600041Kings Member of the City Council 41st Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. December 5, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  20. ↑ "DEM Council Member 41st Council District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  21. ↑ "00300700041Kings Member of the City Council 41st Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. November 30, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  22. ↑ "01021000413Kings Democratic Member of the City Council 41st Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. September 30, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  23. ↑ "00302100041Kings Member of the City Council 41st Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  24. ↑ "1.62KingsDemCouncil41Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. September 23, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  25. ↑ "6.25KingsCouncil41Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. November 18, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  26. ↑ "P2005KingsDem.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. September 23, 2005. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Kings City Council 41 Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. November 28, 2005. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
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