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 43rd 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.
Justin Brannan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the New York City Council | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Vincent Gentile |
| Constituency | 43rd district (2018–2024) 47th district (2024–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Justin Lee Brannan October 14, 1978 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Leigh Holliday |
| Education | College of Staten Island Fordham University (BA) |
Personal life
editBrannan 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.[1][2] 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.[3]
Brannan is married to artist and educator Leigh Jewel Holliday.[4] The couple were married in the lobby of Bear Stearns where they met as employees.[4] Brannan and Holliday opened a fine art school for children in Bay Ridge called The Art Room.[5]
Brannan attended Xaverian High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.[6] He studied journalism and mass media at Fordham University and College of Staten Island. He has worked for Bank of New York and Bankers Trust.[citation needed] He later worked as a commercial announcer for WNEW-FM,[7] where he was the de facto shop steward for the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.[citation needed] While at WNEW, Brannan represented and defended the interests of his fellow employees and advocated to get all union employees retroactively paid for decades of overtime work on weekends and overnights.[citation needed]
Career
editMusic career
editBefore entering politics, Justin Brannan was a hardcore punk guitarist for the bands Indecision from 1993 to 2000 and Most Precious Blood from 2000 onwards.[6] 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.[8][9][10]
Indecision is widely known for their song "Hallowed be Thy Name". The song features a lyric ("For Those I Love I Will Sacrifice") wrote by Brannan when he was sixteen years old that fans across the world have turned into a tattoo.[9][11] 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.[12] The photo was taken for a military newspaper and won photographer Laura Rauch an award from the Society of Professional Journalists.[7][12][13][9][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
editBrannan 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.
Political career
editBrannan 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.[4][6]
City Council
editIn 2017, Brannan won the Democratic primary to replace Gentile in the 43rd district. Brannan won 39% of the vote in a five-way race, narrowly beating Khader El-Yateem, who garnered 31% of the vote,[19] by 682 votes.[20]
Brannan drew criticism during the campaign for taking money from real estate interests.[21] Contributors to Brannan's campaign include Sal Raziano of the real estate firm Casandra Properties and Anthony Constantinople of Constantinople & Vallone, a lobbying firm currently under investigation for conflicts of interest and payroll discrepancies surrounding its Sports & Arts program at a Lower East Side public school.[22]
During the campaign, several concerned citizens 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 rent for Brannan’s campaign office.[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.
2025 Comptroller Campaign
editFollowing 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.[24][25]
Scandals
editIn May 2021, a former aide to ex-City Councilman Vincent Gentile, Michael Bistreich, settled a lawsuit with New York City for $850,000 where he alleged Justin Brannan bullied him. Judge Verna Saunders ultimately found Bistreich had established a strong case for discrimination. [26][27]
In June 2023, 72-year-old Democratic District Leader Charles Ragusa filed an ethics complaint with the New York City Council alleging that Justin Brannan threatened him. A representative for Justin Brannan confirmed the councilman threatened to oust Ragusa from his party leadership position (but disputed the use of expletives, as had been alleged by Ragusa). [28]
| 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 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% |
| 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 | ||||
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Yee, Vivian (October 22, 2012). "Wedded Bliss Trump's Financial Collapse". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
- ^ McShane, Julianne (August 23, 2017). "Our sit-down with Bay Ridge Council candidate Justin Brannan". Brooklyn Daily. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Indecision - straight edge or not?". Stuck in the Past. November 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Most Precious Blood BIO". Trustkill.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ Thompson, Mark (September 28, 2011). "How a soldier's tattoo came true". Time. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ a b Calder, Rich (June 18, 2012). "Wounded GI's prophetic tattoo traced to NYer's lyrics". New York Post. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Gromelski, Joe (April 11, 2012). "Stars and Stripes reporter Laura Rauch wins SPJ award for photo". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Paybarah, Azi (September 29, 2011). "A story behind a soldier's tattoo". Capital New York. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ McKenzie, Angela (December 2009). "Justin Brannan of B'nai Zion on Initiative Radio with Angela McKenzie". The AMcK Initiative. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- ^ Scott, Amy (March 13, 2009). "Bear Stearns employees find their way". Marketplace.org. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ "Bear Stearns staff look back, party". Economic Times. Bloomberg. December 25, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
- ^ Max, Ben (September 23, 2017). "2017 New York City Primary Election Results". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
- ^ Katinas, Paula (September 13, 2017). "Brannan, Quaglione win Bay Ridge council primaries". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ Rugh, Peter (August 19, 2017). "Khader El-Yateem, Man Vs. Machine". The Indypendent. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ Fanelli, James (June 5, 2017). "Firm linked to de Blasio still lobbying city despite probe". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ Toure, Madina (July 26, 2017). "Brooklyn City Council Candidate Accused of Failing to Disclose Campaign Expenses". New York Observer. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ McDonough, Annie (August 14, 2024). "Justin Brannan jumps into NYC comptroller race". City & State. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ Durkin, Erin (August 31, 2017). "Former City Council staffer with autism accuses candidate Justin Brannan of bullying". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Fonrouge, Gabrielle (May 13, 2021). "Councilman's aide who said he was tormented settles for $850K". New York Post. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Campanile, Carl (June 22, 2023). "NYC councilman Justin Brannan slapped with ethics complaint for potty-mouthed tirade". New York Post. Retrieved October 23, 2023.