CD3 Race Pits Erik Bottcher (D) Against Indie Dominick Romeo

With early voting set to begin on Oct. 25, and Election Day on Nov. 4, the race for the Chelsea’s City Council District 3 seat is nearing its climax. Democratic Party incumbent Erik Bottcher, who has served in the Council since 2021, is running for re-election.

Bottcher has earned the support of various Democratic clubs, prominent nonprofits, and some labor unions. He’s also mulling a run for a U.S. House of Representatives seat after long time incumbent Jerry Nadler said he will not seek re-election in 2026, which could cut Bottcher’s term short if he wins.

He’ll be facing Dominick Romeo, who came in second back in June’s ranked-choice Democratic Party primary and is now mounting an independent bid, under the “Blue Collar Party” and “Fight and Deliver” party lines.

Romeo, famed for clashing with City Hall over disruptive work conditions on behalf of his fellow superintendents, is also a member of the pioneering AIDS-awareness and LBGTQ+ rights group ACT UP. He wants to create a new deliberative body made up of local residents, in order to counteract the influence of lobbyists and developers.

Chelsea News reached out to both candidates to get their broader perspectives, in their own words, on why they’re running to represent (or continue to represent) District 3. They were asked three questions: What is their background and experience, What makes them the best candidate, and What do they think the most pressing issues in the district are.

Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Dominick Romeo

1) What is your relevant background and experience?

I’m a third-generation Hell’s Kitchenite now living in Chelsea, and a lifelong Democrat. I’m also a building superintendent that has always fought for his neighborhood.

I’ve been attending block association meetings at the age of 12, and more recently was involved in a fight with City Hall’s trash take-out time rules, which sends building superintendents back to work past 8 P.M., leading to missed-out-on quality time with their family and friends. I’ve been dubbed the “Activist Superintendent” by the New York Post for creating a group of building superintendents and porters called NYCBuildingSupers.com.

Whoever said you can’t fight City Hall was dead wrong!

2) What makes you the best candidate for the job?

In addition to my current activist work fighting City Council, my activism spans decades. There is something about fighting for what is right that energizes me. I would not be able to get up early each morning if there wasn’t something to fight for or against. My neighborhood and community matters to me the most and it’s worth every effort in preserving.

I am a member of ACT UP, the coalition that fights Aids, HIV, and the stigmas that surround it, formed in the 1980’s. I’ve worked side-by-side with other social justice organizations like GMHC, Housing Works, VocalNY, and Black Lives Matter. ‘If you’re not losing your voice in a protest you’re doing something wrong,’ I always say!

At this point of my life I’ve realized that activist work can only get you so far, and that I need a seat at the table—especially when politicians routinely cater to lobbyists, developers and criminals instead of their constituents. If you can’t beat them, join them—then beat them later!

3) What are the two or three most pressing issues facing people in your district?

I truly feel that most of our city’s problems can be put into three different categories: lobbyists, advocacy groups, and developers. I wrote an article for The Village View titled “Banning Common Sense at City Hall” [on the subject], where I emphasized the need for a strong, New York City Citizen Advisory Board [NYCCAB] to create transparency. This would place two citizens on every City Council committee, to push back on corruption and our Council Members who fall prey to it.

Currently, there is no mechanism in place to reach our Council Members and warn them of consequences brought on by naïve policies, as they cater to advocacy groups (which are really lobbying groups in disguise) and not their constituents. This is a major problem for New Yorkers.

Erik Bottcher

1) What is your relevant background and experience?

As the City Council Member representing the West Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen, I’ve dedicated my life to building a city where everyone is seen, valued, and has the opportunity to thrive. Every day, I work to deliver for our neighbors—whether that means helping tenants stay in their homes, creating affordable housing, strengthening our mental health system, or supporting the arts and cultural institutions that make New York the creative capital of the world.

Growing up in a small town in the Adirondack Mountains, I was the only gay person I knew. I learned early what it means to feel invisible—and how powerful it can be to stand up for inclusion and dignity. That lesson has guided every step of my career in public service.

I began my work in government in 2009 as the LGBTQ & HIV/AIDS Community Liaison in the City Council, organizing campaigns for marriage equality, transgender rights, and housing for people living with HIV/AIDS. I later served in the Governor’s Office, helping lead the fight to legalize same-sex marriage in New York—the largest state to do so at the time.

From 2015 to 2021, I served as Chief of Staff to Council Speaker Corey Johnson, working closely with community leaders to solve neighborhood problems and help thousands of residents navigate city services. Since being elected to the Council in 2021, I’ve worked tirelessly to make New York a fairer, cleaner, and more compassionate city. I now serve as Chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Co-Chair of both the Manhattan Delegation and the LGBTQIA+ Caucus, and as a member of committees focused on housing, mental health, small business, and immigration.

2) What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I’m running for re-election because I’ve delivered real results—and because there’s still so much more to do. Over the past four years, I’ve passed landmark legislation to expand access to mental health care, overhaul the city’s outdated sidewalk shed system, and make our neighborhoods cleaner, greener, and safer.

I’ve negotiated major rezonings like the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan that will create nearly 10,000 new homes—including thousands of permanently affordable units—while bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in community investments to our district.

I know how to get things done in City Hall while staying rooted in the day-to-day concerns of my constituents. From affordable housing and mental health to the arts, small business recovery, and cleaner streets, I’ve built a record of progress that reflects the values of our community—fairness, compassion, and a belief that government can and must deliver.

3) What are the two or three most pressing issues facing people in your district?

Our district is facing three deeply connected challenges: housing affordability, mental health, and the quality of our shared public spaces.

First, housing costs are driving too many people out of the city they love. I’ve worked to expand affordable housing, streamline approvals, and push back against policies that slow construction. Thousands of affordable units are already in the pipeline because of that work—but we need to keep going.

Second, our mental health system is in crisis. I’ve authored and passed laws requiring mental health services in family shelters and suicide prevention resources in schools, and I’ll continue fighting to rebuild a continuum of care that meets people where they are.

We all deserve cleaner, greener, more livable neighborhoods. That’s why I’ve led efforts to containerize trash, expand composting, plant trees, and improve our parks and bike lanes. I believe in a city where everyone—no matter who they are or where they live—has the opportunity to thrive.