NYC Primary 2017: Nail-Biter City Council Races and the Díaz Dynasty

While Mayor Bill de Blasio won Tuesday's Democratic primary by a wide margin, several City Council races came down to a couple hundred votes, and could still be too close to call. 

In District 8, which includes parts of East Harlem and the South Bronx, Diana Ayala, the chosen successor of outgoing City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, appears to have barely beat Robert Rodriguez, a sitting State Assembly member. A few hundred absentee and affidavit ballots could make a difference, and a recount is also possible.

On the Lower East Side, where rampant development has become a major issue for those concerned about being priced out, incumbent Margaret Chin is just barely ahead of challenger Christopher Marte. 

Meanwhile, in the Bronx, the Díaz family continues to cement its political legacy. Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr., easily won his primary, and State Senator Rubén Díaz, Sr., won his old City Council seat over a field of younger, more progressive candidates.

City Limits' Jarrett Murphy and Gotham Gazette's Ben Max, who previewed the more contested City Council races, spoke with WNYC's Richard Hake about how some of those tight races turned out. And for full results from last night's primary, check here.