Julie Won

Julie Won
Member of the New York City Council
from the 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byJimmy Van Bramer
Personal details
Born (1990-04-17) April 17, 1990
South Korea
PartyDemocratic
SpouseEugene Noh
EducationSyracuse University (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

Julie Jaehee Won (born April 17, 1990)[1] is a Korean-American politician. She is a member of the New York City Council for the 26th district, which covers the western Queens neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Long Island City, Woodside, and Astoria.[2] She chairs the Committee on Workforce Development.[3]

Early life and career

Won was born in South Korea and immigrated with her family to the United States in 1998, when she was eight years old. Her parents, who had left their jobs in South Korea after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, both worked in local small businesses. She grew up in Long Island and attended George W. Hewlett High School.[4] Won received her undergraduate degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.[5]

Prior to entering politics, Won worked as a consultant and a federal client relationship representative at IBM in Washington, D.C.[5] While in DC, she served on the Mayor of the District of Columbia's Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs.[6] After moving to NYC, in June 2020, acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee appointed Won to Queens Community Board 2.[7]

Political career

2021 city council campaign

In October 2020, Won announced her 2021 campaign for the 26th district of the New York City Council, held by term-limited Democrat Jimmy Van Bramer.[8] Won had been serving as a member of Queens Community Board 2 for most of the year, and cited the difficulties her family faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for her campaign. Won emphasized her work in the technology sector and her support for citywide free WiFi.[9]

Won faced 14 other candidates in the Democratic primary, many of whom also ran on progressive platforms, with no clear frontrunner among them. In part because of the size and volatility of the field, many would-be endorsers chose to remain on the sidelines, while others – including Van Bramer and the influential Working Families Party – coalesced around New York City Census deputy director Amit Singh Bagga.[10]

On election night, Won finished neck-and-neck with Bagga, receiving 18.5% of the vote to Bagga's 17.7%; every other candidate lagged behind in the single digits.[11] Won received a major boost, however, when absentee ballots and ranked-choice votes were counted, and prevailed over Bagga 57-43% in the 15th round of ranked-choice tabulation; she formally declared victory on July 6.[12][13] She faced minimal opposition in the November general election, and won easily.[2]

Subsequent City Council elections

Won won re-election in 2023[14] and 2025.[15]

Actions as Councilmember

Won supports intersection daylighting[16][17] and more control by the City Council over appointments to neighborhood Community Boards.[18] The New York League of Conservation Voters rated Won 100 percent on their environmental scorecard in 2024 and 2025.[19] Won is skeptical of the proposed Sunnyside Yards development project, arguing that poor soil quality and existing train infrastructure make the project less cost-effective than other ways to address housing shortages.[20]

2025 mayoral election

She endorsed Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Her husband, Eugene Noh, who managed the re-election campaign of Staten Island congressman Max Rose, was hired as the campaign manager for Eric Adams's embattled re-election campaign.[21][22] In an unusual arrangement, Noh's hiring had been facilitated by right-wing hedge fund managers Ken Griffin and Daniel S. Loeb.[23]

2026 congressional campaign

2026 Democratic primary results by precinct
  Valdez
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Reynoso
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
  •   90–100%
  Won
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Tie
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%

In February 2026, Won announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives to represent New York's 7th congressional district, after incumbent Nydia Velázquez announced she would retire.[24][25] Won was endorsed by state Senator John C. Liu, state Assemblyman Ron Kim, and New York City Councilwoman Shanel Thomas-Henry.[26]

Won's campaign centered on establishing universal paid leave, securing affordable childcare, expanding access to universal healthcare, and systematically improving the care economy.[27] Won was the only candidate in the primary field to answer a questionnaire from the cryptocurrency industry lobby, supporting their policy priorities.[28] By March, Won had raised $644,604 in campaign contributions.[29]

Won's former landlord claimed in court eviction documents that she owed $25,000 in unpaid rent from a previous luxury apartment rental, which she denied owing.[30]

Won finished third in the June primary, receiving 6.3% of the vote. She trailed state Assemblymember Claire Valdez, who won the race with 56.1%, and Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso, who finished second with 35.8%.[31]

Personal life

Won used to live in Sunnyside, Queens and now lives in Long Island City, with her husband, Eugene Noh, campaign manager for Eric Adams' re-election bid in 2025 and an alum of Max Rose's campaign team.[32][33][34]

Electoral history

2026

97.51% reporting
2026 United States House of Representatives Democratic primary in New York, District 7[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Claire Valdez 37,531 56.1
Democratic Antonio Reynoso 23,960 35.8
Democratic Julie Won 4,231 6.3
Democratic Vichal Kumar 1,134 1.7
Write-in 97 0.1
Total votes 66,953 100.0

2025

2025 New York City Council election, District 26[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Julie Won (incumbent) 33,425 81.4
Republican John Patrick Healy 6,607 16.1
Conservative John Patrick Healy 891 2.2
Total John Patrick Healy 7,498 18.3
Write-in 152 0.4
Total votes 41,075 100.0
Democratic hold

2023

2023 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 26[37]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Julie Won (incumbent) 3,701 60.9
Democratic Hailie Kim 2,298 37.8
Write-in 76 1.3
Total votes 6,075 100.0
2023 New York City Council election, District 26[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Julie Won 6,930 64.7
Working Families Julie Won 1,524 14.2
Total Julie Won (incumbent) 8,454 78.9
Republican Marvin R. Jeffcoat 2,020 18.9
Medical Freedom Marvin R. Jeffcoat 118 1.1
Total Marvin R. Jeffcoat 2,138 20.0
Write-in 119 1.1
Total votes 10,711 100.0
Democratic hold

2021

2021 New York City Council Democratic primary, District 26[39]
Party Candidate Maximum
round		 Maximum
votes		 Share in
maximum
round		 Maximum votes
  First round votes   Transfer votes
Democratic Julie Won 15 6,822 56.7%
​​
Democratic Amit S. Bagga 15 5,211 43.3%
​​
Democratic Brent O'Leary 14 3,150 22.7%
​​
Democratic Julia L. Forman 13 2,705 17.9%
​​
Democratic Ebony R. Young 12 1,807 11.4%
​​
Democratic Denise M. Keehan-Smith 11 1,533 9.4%
​​
Democratic Badrun Khan 10 1,340 8.0%
​​
Democratic Hailie Kim 9 1,166 6.9%
​​
Democratic Jonathan Bailey 8 1,002 5.8%
​​
Democratic Glennis E. Gomez 7 733 4.2%
​​
Democratic Emily E. Sharpe 6 679 3.9%
​​
Democratic Jesse Laymon 5 609 3.5%
​​
Democratic Steven B. Raga 4 570 3.2%
​​
Democratic Lorenzo Brea 3 368 2.1%
​​
Democratic Sultan Al Maruf 2 295 1.7%
​​
Write-In 1 46 0.3%
​​
2021 New York City Council election, District 26[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Julie Won 15,398 77.3
Republican Marvin R. Jeffcoat 3,842 19.3
Conservative Marvin R. Jeffcoat 561 2.8
Total Marvin R. Jeffcoat 4,403 22.1
Write-in 107 0.5
Total votes 19,908 100.0
Democratic hold

See also

References

  1. ↑ Won, Julie [@juliewon2021] (April 17, 2021). "Today is my birthday! thankful to be vaccinated so that I could celebrate w family & loved ones this year! come join me at 12pm to celebrate with some boba🧋" (Tweet). Retrieved July 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
  2. 1 2 Claire Wang (November 3, 2021). "NYC Council has 5 new Asian Americans, a record that mirrors city more accurately". NBC News. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ "District 26". Julie Won. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
  4. ↑ Michael Dorgan (October 20, 2020). "Long Island City Resident Julie Won to Run for 26th District Council Seat". Queens Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Meet Julie". Julie Won for City Council. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs Commissioners' Biographies" (PDF). Mayor's Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Borough President Lee Announces Appointments For 2020-2022 Term on Queens Community Boards" (PDF). Queens Times. June 4, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  8. ↑ Angélica Acevedo (October 20, 2020). "Tech change agent Julie Won announces candidacy for western Queens City Council seat". QNS. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Julie's Vision". Julie Won for City Council. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  10. ↑ Allie Griffin (February 25, 2021). "Working Families Party Rejects Queens Chapter Pick in Western Queens Council Race". LIC Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  11. ↑ Allie Griffin (June 23, 2021). "Julie Won and Amit Bagga Lead Pack in 15-Person Race for the District 26 Council Seat". Sunnyside Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  12. ↑ Kayla Levy (July 6, 2021). "Julie Won Wins LIC's 26th District City Council Primary Race". Patch.com. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  13. ↑ Won, Julie [@juliewon2021] (July 6, 2021). "Julie won, WE WON!! 🥳🌻" (Tweet). Retrieved July 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
  14. ↑ "Election Results Summary 2023: NYC Board of Elections". www.vote.nyc. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  15. ↑ Schwach, Ryan (November 6, 2025). "Queens elects three new councilmembers, sends all incumbents back to office". Queens Daily Eagle. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  16. ↑ Gannon, Michael (December 18, 2025). "Sunset on daylighting until at least 2026". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  17. ↑ Donaldson, Sahalie (November 20, 2025). "Here are all the major bills still before the New York City Council". City & State NY. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  18. ↑ Lee, Katharine. "City Council members seek more control over community board appointments in new bill". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  19. ↑ Simões, ByMariana (January 29, 2025). "Is Your City Councilmember Passing Green Legislation? Look Them Up Here". City Limits. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  20. ↑ Way, Katie (May 26, 2026). "'Feral Progressive' Julie Won Has a Bone to Pick With Mayor Mamdani". Hell Gate NYC. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  21. ↑ Ngo, Emily; Reisman, Nick; Coltin, Jeff (July 9, 2025). "Progressive pressure to back Mamdani". POLITICO. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Eric Adams Asked Bill Ackman to Vet Campaign Manager Before Hiring Him".
  23. ↑ Fandos, Nicholas; Mays, Jeffery C. (July 9, 2025). "Eric Adams Asked Bill Ackman to Vet Campaign Manager Before Hiring Him". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  24. ↑ Fandos, Nicholas (February 2, 2026). "Third Candidate Enters Heated Race for Open House Seat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  25. ↑ McDonough, Annie (February 2, 2026). "Julie Won files to run in NY-7". City & State NY. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  26. ↑ O'Brien, Shane (March 10, 2026). "CM Julie Won officially launches congressional campaign for NY-7". QNS.com. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
  27. ↑ ""A Lifetime of Care:" The Making of Julie Won's Congressional Run". Queens Ledger. April 22, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Stand With Crypto". Stand With Crypto. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  29. ↑ Schwach, Ryan (April 17, 2026). "Queens candidates outraise Brooklyn BP in open congressional race". Queens Daily Eagle.
  30. ↑ AOL (June 7, 2026). "NYC Councilwoman and congressional candidate Julie Won 'squatted' in luxury Queens condo: landlord - AOL". AOL.com. Retrieved August 16, 2026.
  31. ↑ Fernandez, Madison (June 23, 2026). "Democratic socialist Valdez wins open Brooklyn-Queens primary". Politico. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  32. ↑ Christian Murray (January 14, 2020). "PODCAST: We Talk to Julie Won, Candidate for the 26th District Council Seat". LIC Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  33. ↑ Michael Dorgan (October 19, 2020). "Long Island City Resident Julie Won to Run for 26th District Council Seat". QNS. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  34. ↑ Fanos, Nicholas; Mays, Jeffery C. (July 9, 2025). "Eric Adams Asked Bill Ackman to Vet Campaign Manager Before Hiring Him". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Representative in Congress 7th Congressional District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  36. ↑ "00401100026Queens Member of the City Council 26th Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. December 2, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  37. ↑ "DEM Council Member 26th Council District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 18, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  38. ↑ "00401600026Queens Member of the City Council 26th Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. December 5, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  39. ↑ "DEM Council Member 26th Council District". Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. July 20, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  40. ↑ "00400700026Queens Member of the City Council 26th Council District Recap.pdf" (PDF). Vote NYC. New York City Board of Elections. November 30, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.