Maya Kornberg pitches ‘pragmatic progressivism’ in Brooklyn council race

The Brennan Center fellow is taking on incumbent Council Member Shahana Hanif in what’s poised to be a competitive Democratic primary next year.

By Annie McDonough | City & State New York | December, 27 2024

Six months out from the Democratic primary, a race for City Council in brownstone Brooklyn is shaping up to be one of the more competitive in the 2025 cycle. Incumbent Council Member Shahana Hanif is facing a challenge from Maya Kornberg, a first-time candidate and senior research fellow at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice.

A Northern California native with family roots in New York, Kornberg has lived in Brooklyn for more than six years. Her work at the Brennan Center, and at nonprofits and international organizations before that, has centered on democratic governance and combating political violence. Kornberg, who describes herself as a “pragmatic progressive,” has positioned herself as not quite as left as Hanif, a democratic socialist and co-chair of the council’s Progressive Caucus. Kornberg believes her pragmatic approach would differ from Hanif’s and involve building relationships to deliver results rather than political posturing. In one example, Kornberg criticized Hanif for voting against the city budget – a protest move she and other progressives have taken during past budget votes by the council.

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