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Justin Brannan

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Justin Brannan
Member of the New York City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2018
Preceded byVincent Gentile
Constituency43rd district (2018–2024)
47th district (2024–present)
Personal details
Born
Justin Lee Brannan

(1978-10-14) October 14, 1978 (age 46)
New York City, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLeigh Holliday
EducationCollege of Staten Island
Fordham University (BA)

Justin Lee Brannan (born October 14, 1978) is an American politician and musician. A Democrat, he is the current New York City Councilmember for the 47th district, based in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. A former musician, he was a founding member of the New York City hardcore bands Indecision and Most Precious Blood.

Personal life

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Brannan attended Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.[1] He studied journalism and mass media at Fordham University and the College of Staten Island.[citation needed]

Brannan is an outspoken vegetarian and animal welfare advocate. A Third Degree Master Freemason, Brannan founded the Bay Ridge Democrats, an active Democratic political club based in southwest Brooklyn.[2][3] In 2012 he was named one of the "New York City Rising Stars: 40 Under 40" by City & State newspaper for his work as Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs for New York City Councilman Vincent Gentile.[4]

Brannan is married to artist and educator Leigh Jewel Holliday.[5] The couple were married in the lobby of Bear Stearns where they met as employees.[5] Brannan and Holliday opened a fine art school for children in Bay Ridge called The Art Room.[6]

Career

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Music career

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Before entering politics, Justin Brannan was a hardcore punk guitarist for the bands Indecision from 1993 to 2000 and Most Precious Blood from 2000 onwards.[1] Both bands were known for their outspoken commitment to social justice and vegetarianism. The band’s messages focused on social justice, human rights, environmentalism, relationships, individuality and espousing straight-edge views against drugs, alcohol and promiscuous sex.[7][8][9]

Indecision is widely known for their song "Hallowed be Thy Name". The song features a lyric ("For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice") written by Brannan when he was sixteen years old that fans across the world have turned into a tattoo.[8][10] Most famously, an image of the tattoo was seen on the ribs of a 19-year-old US Army infantryman named Kyle Hockenberry being treated in a medevac helicopter following an explosion that cost him both of his legs and one arm.[11] The photo was taken for a military newspaper and won photographer Laura Rauch an award from the Society of Professional Journalists.[12][11][13][8][14] Brannan also works closely with the 9/11 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation commemorating the heroes of 9/11 and "Building for America’s Bravest", a program that constructs Smart Homes for military returning home with devastating injuries[citation needed].

Brannan also founded the deathgrind band Caninus, known for using two dogs as vocalists.[15]

Finance career

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Brannan was a touring punk rock musician before he landed at Bear Stearns,[16] working his way up as a clerk in their wealth management division,[17] and working as a financier[18] in the venture capital space raising money for start-up alternative energy companies based in Silicon Valley. He later worked as a fundraising consultant for a number of non-profit humanitarian organizations in New York City.[citation needed]

Political career

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Brannan served as the Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs for Council member Vincent J. Gentile, representing the 43rd district which includes Bay Ridge, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights and portions of Bensonhurst.[5][1]

City Council

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In 2017, Brannan won the Democratic primary to replace Gentile in the 43rd district. Brannan won 39% of the vote in a five-way race, beating Khader El-Yateem, who garnered 31% of the vote,[19] by 682 votes.[20]

Brannan drew criticism from The Indypendent newspaper during the campaign for accepting certain campaign contributions from real estate interests.[21] Contributors to Brannan's campaign included $2,000 from Sal Raziano, a senior realtor of the real estate firm Casandra Properties and Anthony Constantinople (an amount under $1,000) of Constantinople & Vallone, a lobbying firm under investigation in 2017 for accusations of conflicts of interest and payroll discrepancies at its Sports & Arts program at a Lower East Side public school.[22] During the campaign, two of his opponent’s opponent’s employees and a third supporter of his opponent filed a complaint with the New York City Campaign Finance Board in which they accused Brannan of neglecting to disclose campaign expenses when he failed to alert election regulators that Gentile’s campaign for Brooklyn DA paid the $2,000 rent for Brannan’s campaign office; Brannan’s campaign called the claims baseless.[23]

In the general election, Brannan won with 51% of the vote to the Republican candidate, John Quaglione's 47%. Brannan won by a slightly smaller margin in the 2021 election.

In the 2024 general election for a redrawn 47th district, Brannan defeated his Republican colleague Ari Kagan by 58 to 41 percent after they were drawn into the same district. [24]

2025 Comptroller campaign

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Further information: 2025 New York City Comptroller election

Following the decision by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander to challenge incumbent Eric Adams in the 2025 Democratic primary for mayor, Brannan opened a campaign account for Comptroller.[25][26] During the campaign, Brannan also sponsored some surveys for Public Policy Polling.[27]

Politico declared Mark Levine the winner of the Democratic primary for City Comptroller on June 24, 2025.[28]

Election history

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Election history
Location Year Election Results
NYC Council
District 43 		2017 Democratic Primary √ Justin Brannan 38.66%
Khader El-Yateem 30.89%
Nancy Tong 15.84%
Vincent Chirico 8.02%
Kevin Peter Carroll 6.36%
NYC Council
District 43 		2017 General √ Justin Brannan (D) 50.23%
John Quaglione (R) 47.14%
Robert Capano (Reform) 1.34%
Angel Medina (Women's Equality) 1.09%
2021 New York City Council District 43 General Election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Justin Brannan 12,202
Working Families Justin Brannan 1,178
Total Justin Brannan (incumbent) 13,180 51.1
Republican Brian Fox 11,387
Conservative Brian Fox 1,192
Total Brian Fox 12,718 48.7
Write-in 45 0.2
Total votes 25,804 100
Democratic hold
2025 New York City Democratic comptroller primary
Candidate First round Second round Final round
Votes % Votes % Votes %
Mark D. Levine 444,067 47.98% 444,482 48.14% 491,551 58.72%
Justin Brannan 308,637 33.35% 308,837 33.45% 345,628 41.28%
Ismail Perez 96,049 10.38% 96,259 10.43% —
Kevin Parker 73,322 7.92% 73,677 7.98%
Write-ins 3,475 0.38% —
Total active votes 925,550 100.00% 923,255 100.00% 837,179 100.00%
Exhausted ballots — 2,295 0.25% 86,076 9.32%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Wall, Patrick (December 21, 2011). "From Growls of Punk Rock to the Smooth Talk of Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  2. ^ Bragg, Chris (September 1, 2011). "Democrats Not Coming Up Golden In Finding Challenger to Brooklyn Senator". City Hall. Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  3. ^ Wall, Patrick (December 20, 2011). "Councilman's Aide in a Santa Suit, Wearing a Punk-Rock Past". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  4. ^ Short, Aaron (October 8, 2012). "Rising Stars: 40 Under 40". City & State New York. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Yee, Vivian (October 22, 2012). "Wedded Bliss Trumps Financial Collapse". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  6. ^ McShane, Julianne (August 23, 2017). "Our sit-down with Bay Ridge Council candidate Justin Brannan". Brooklyn Daily. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  7. ^ "Indecision - straight edge or not?". Stuck in the Past. November 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Shapiro, Benjamin (June 7, 2012). "Justin Brannan's Lyrics Helped An Afghan War Vet Survive". Noisey. Vice Media. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  9. ^ "Most Precious Blood BIO". Trustkill.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  10. ^ Thompson, Mark (September 28, 2011). "How a soldier's tattoo came true". Time. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Calder, Rich (June 18, 2012). "Wounded GI's prophetic tattoo traced to NYer's lyrics". New York Post. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  12. ^ Romano, Denise (May 29, 2012). "Local activist penned now-famous lyrics". Home Reporter News. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  13. ^ Gromelski, Joe (April 11, 2012). "Stars and Stripes reporter Laura Rauch wins SPJ award for photo". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  14. ^ Paybarah, Azi (September 29, 2011). "A story behind a soldier's tattoo". Capital New York. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  15. ^ Harris, Chris (March 3, 2006). "For Those About To Squawk: Bands With Non-human Singers". MTV. Archived from the original on May 7, 2006. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
  16. ^ McKenzie, Angela (December 2009). "Justin Brannan of B'nai Zion on Initiative Radio with Angela McKenzie". The AMcK Initiative. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  17. ^ Scott, Amy (March 13, 2009). "Bear Stearns employees find their way". Marketplace.org. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  18. ^ "Bear Stearns staff look back, party". Economic Times. Bloomberg. December 25, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  19. ^ Max, Ben (September 23, 2017). "2017 New York City Primary Election Results". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  20. ^ Katinas, Paula (September 13, 2017). "Brannan, Quaglione win Bay Ridge council primaries". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  21. ^ Rugh, Peter (August 19, 2017). "Khader El-Yateem, Man Vs. Machine". The Indypendent. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  22. ^ Fanelli, James (June 5, 2017). "Firm linked to de Blasio still lobbying city despite probe". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  23. ^ Toure, Madina (July 26, 2017). "Brooklyn City Council Candidate Accused of Failing to Disclose Campaign Expenses". New York Observer. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  24. ^ "Justin Brannan defeats Ari Kagan in heated southern Brooklyn Council race". City & State NY. November 8, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  25. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (July 30, 2024). "Brad Lander, New York City's Comptroller, Will Run Against Mayor Adams". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  26. ^ McDonough, Annie (August 14, 2024). "Justin Brannan jumps into NYC comptroller race". City & State. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  27. ^ Goldsmith, Eloise (June 12, 2025). "'Wow. Just Wow': New Poll Has Mamdani Ahead of Cuomo in NYC Mayoral Primary". Common Dreams. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  28. ^ Anuta, Joe (June 24, 2024). "Mark Levine wins New York City comptroller primary". Politico. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
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