Manual Williams - Ballotpedia

Manual Williams is from Manhattan, New York. He has a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from John Jay College. He lives in Harlem.

Manuel is a certified paralegal. He worked with several law firms and assisted prisoners in law libraries with their cases. He is also an Army veteran. Before his military service, he owned storefront businesses in Harlem. 

Manuel previously ran for New York City's 7th City Council District, but did not win. 

Proposes creating a network of incubators and innovation hubs along Amsterdam Avenue to foster startups, tech companies, and local entrepreneurs, aiming to create good-paying, long-term jobs and position Harlem as a key player in NYC's tech and innovation sectors.

Proposes creating a network of incubators and innovation hubs to foster startups, tech companies, and local entrepreneurs, aiming to create good-paying, long-term jobs.

Believes there are significant "barriers to accessing funds for entrepreneurial endeavors."

Believes addressing "high youth unemployment rates" is crucial for economic growth.

Supports directing at least half of the city's budget allocations toward expanding youth employment programs.

Supports developing the waterfront area at the end of 125th Street for recreational and tourism purposes to boost the local economy and create jobs.

- Proposes creating a network of incubators and innovation hubs to foster startups, tech companies, and local entrepreneurs, aiming to create good-paying, long-term jobs.
- Believes there are significant "barriers to accessing funds for entrepreneurial endeavors."
- Believes addressing "high youth unemployment rates" is crucial for economic growth.
- Supports directing at least half of the city's budget allocations toward expanding youth employment programs.
- Supports developing the waterfront area at the end of 125th Street for recreational and tourism purposes to boost the local economy and create jobs.

Economy

Supports investing in infrastructure, including public transportation, utilities, and green spaces, to improve quality of life.

- Supports investing in infrastructure, including public transportation, utilities, and green spaces, to improve quality of life.

Public Services

Supports building taller, more efficient housing units in high-demand areas to increase supply and relieve the housing shortage, while ensuring affordability and sustainability.

Supports policies that incentivize developers to include affordable housing, such as tax incentives, zoning adjustments, and prioritizing affordable units in new housing projects.

Supports incorporating green building techniques in new housing to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints.

Believes in prioritizing affordable housing while ensuring diverse, welcoming, and economically sustainable neighborhoods.

Believes the "current housing crisis in New York City is undeniable" and supports "immediate, bold actions" to ensure access to safe, affordable housing.

- Supports building taller, more efficient housing units in high-demand areas to increase supply and relieve the housing shortage, while ensuring affordability and sustainability.
- Supports policies that incentivize developers to include affordable housing, such as tax incentives, zoning adjustments, and prioritizing affordable units in new housing projects.
- Supports incorporating green building techniques in new housing to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints.
- Believes in prioritizing affordable housing while ensuring diverse, welcoming, and economically sustainable neighborhoods.
- Believes the "current housing crisis in New York City is undeniable" and supports "immediate, bold actions" to ensure access to safe, affordable housing.

Housing & Urban Development

Believes in addressing "disproportionate incarceration rates."

Believes in addressing "the potential misuse of military force against civilian populations."

- Believes in addressing "disproportionate incarceration rates."
- Believes in addressing "the potential misuse of military force against civilian populations."

Public Safety

Proposes amnesty for all existing EZ Pass debt, pardons for all suspensions caused by EZ Pass, reparations for wrongful repossessions, and full compensation for wrongful arrests due to EZ Pass.

Proposes amnesty for all existing EZ Pass debt, reparations for wrongful repossessions, and full compensation for wrongful arrests due to EZ Pass.

- Proposes amnesty for all existing EZ Pass debt, reparations for wrongful repossessions, and full compensation for wrongful arrests due to EZ Pass.

Transportation & Infrastructure

As of August 5, 2025, Manuel Williams’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

Opposes allowing children to make decisions about gender changes or hormone treatments.

- Opposes allowing children to make decisions about gender changes or hormone treatments.

Healthcare

Education

Instagram

Manuel Williams

Proposes creating a network of incubators and innovation hubs on Amsterdam Avenue between CUNY and Columbia University to foster startups, attract in-demand industries, and create good-paying jobs.

Supports public-private partnerships to create a mix of market-rate and affordable housing and improve infrastructure, including public transportation, utilities, and green spaces.

Supports building taller, more efficient housing units in high-demand areas to expand supply and address the housing shortage, while ensuring affordability and sustainability.

Advocates for policies that incentivize developers to include affordable housing through tax incentives, zoning adjustments, and prioritizing affordable units in new housing projects.

Opposes "anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies."

Manual Williams is from Manhattan, New York. He has a bachelor of arts in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He lives with his family in Harlem.

Manuel is a certified paralegal. He worked with several law firms on 125th Street in Harlem and assisted prisoners in law libraries with their cases. He is also a disabled Army veteran. Before his military service, he owned storefront businesses in Harlem. 

Candidate Williams has run for office in the past: For the NYC 7th District City Council office: Once as an independent candidate, where his political opponents resorted to election corruption and weaponized the Judicial branch to defeat his campaign by unlawfully taking him off the ballot, framed and charge him to distract his political campaign, then used court proceedings so that he could not appear in different court to challenge that corrupt ballot removal; and Another election year later under the BLM Political Party, where political leaders and election officials: (i) Denied him the ability to inspect poll stations like other candidates, (ii) Engaged in ballot stuffing, (iii) Allowed conflicting political independent party names to stand, confusing and diluting the vote, (iv) Permitted a favored major party candidate to unlawfully promote his campaign just feet away from polling stations, while threatening Candidate Williams with police arrest simply for requesting to inspect the polling stations in accordance with election laws. For a Federal office while unlawfully and inhumanely placed in solitary confinement, where he used his campaign as a platform to highlight issues such as census laws and more (mentioned above). His proposals for census were adopted by both Congress and the census agency; as well as his proposal that a department of governmental "efficiency" be created due to all the government waste he was observing (this title "efficiency " & concept was adopted by the Obama admin., and carried out by all presidents thereafter in there own way). Once a Prisoner Grievance Representative, he played a key role in negotiating a collective ceasefire truce. Following this, he was elected to office by various diverse groups, to address the many decades of brutal lonterm abuses of authorities by NYSDOC statewide practices, along with the Judicial branch complicity, condoning, and tacit approvals of same inhumanities. However, his decision to remain true to his constituency—refusing to become a Manchurian, puppet representative (comprador) or quinta columna (sell out their interests)—ultimately led to his unlawful & prolonged solitary confinement, as punishment (where he was routinely subjected to constant various official wrongful assaults ; food/water adulterations; waterboardings; mail obstrions; Unethical official research & tortures ; had to go on 30 day hunger strike; (etc. see Bottom Note 3) that was all tacitly approved by the judicial branch as a means of silencing him as they deemed him as a "power glitch".

Proposes creating a network of incubators and innovation hubs along Amsterdam Avenue to foster startups, tech companies, and local entrepreneurs, aiming to create good-paying, long-term jobs.

- Proposes creating a network of incubators and innovation hubs along Amsterdam Avenue to foster startups, tech companies, and local entrepreneurs, aiming to create good-paying, long-term jobs.
- Believes there are significant "barriers to accessing funds for entrepreneurial endeavors."
- Believes addressing "high youth unemployment rates" is crucial for economic growth.

- Supports building taller, more efficient housing units in high-demand areas to increase supply and relieve the housing shortage, while ensuring affordability and sustainability.
- Supports policies that incentivize developers to include affordable housing, such as tax incentives, zoning adjustments, and prioritizing affordable units in new housing projects.

LinkedIn

Buket Urgen

Edafe is originally from Nigeria. He earned a master’s degree from New York University. He lives with his husband in New York City and attends the Unitarian Church.

Edafe currently leads Refuge America, an organization he founded to assist LGBTQ asylum seekers. He previously directed New York’s first shelter for asylum seekers and worked with the Biden Administration’s Operation Allies Welcome to resettle Afghan refugees.

Edafe Okporo’s campaign for city council is his first run for public office.

Supports the Small Business Jobs Survival Act to stabilize rents for local small businesses and help them compete with larger stores.

- Supports universal childcare.
- Supports the Small Business Jobs Survival Act to stabilize rents for local small businesses and help them compete with larger stores.

Supports regular town halls and community meetings to keep residents informed and engaged.

Plans to implement programs like the ACE, which employ homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals to provide cleaning services to neighborhoods.

Plans to co-sponsor a bill banning PFAS-containing (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) artificial turf from city parks.

Plans to co-sponsor a bill banning PFAS-containing (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) artificial grass from city parks.

- Supports regular town halls and community meetings to keep residents informed and engaged.
- Plans to implement programs like the ACE, which employ homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals to provide cleaning services to neighborhoods.
- Plans to co-sponsor a bill banning PFAS-containing (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) artificial grass from city parks.

Supports increasing funding for social housing programs and fulfilling the city's commitment to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

Opposes the privatization of NYCHA management, which has been shown to increase evictions.

Opposes the privatization of NYCHA management.

Plans to improve the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program by dedicating a staff member to help eligible older residents enroll promptly, ensuring they benefit from rent freezes.

Plans to hire staff to help older residents apply for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE).

Supports increasing funding for the city’s Right to Counsel program to ensure tenants have legal representation during eviction proceedings.

Supports increasing funding to help tenants get legal representation during eviction proceedings.

Plans to increase funding for affordable housing by renegotiating the Community Benefits Agreement with Columbia University.

- Supports increasing funding for social housing programs and fulfilling the city's commitment to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).
- Opposes the privatization of NYCHA management.
- Plans to hire staff to help older residents apply for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE).
- Supports increasing funding to help tenants get legal representation during eviction proceedings.
- Plans to increase funding for affordable housing by renegotiating the Community Benefits Agreement with Columbia University.

Supports investing in community-oriented solutions to improve safety, such as increasing funding for mental health programs and providing permanent housing and mental health interventions.

Opposes criminalizing delivery workers and advocates for regulating e-bikes used by delivery workers.

- Supports investing in community-oriented solutions to improve safety, such as increasing funding for mental health programs and providing permanent housing and mental health interventions.
- Opposes criminalizing delivery workers and advocates for regulating e-bikes used by delivery workers.

Supports processing the backlog of street vendor permit applications to allow legal operation of street vendors.

Supports bolstering the Fair Fares program by raising the income eligibility threshold to 200% of poverty level and automatically enrolling people who qualify for other programs such as SNAP.

- Supports processing the backlog of street vendor permit applications to allow legal operation of street vendors.
- Supports bolstering the Fair Fares program by raising the income eligibility threshold to 200% of poverty level and automatically enrolling people who qualify for other programs such as SNAP.

Supports New York City's goal of generating 1,000 megawatts of solar power by 2050 and believes in funding Public Solar NYC to help small and medium-sized building owners install solar arrays, contributing to 600 megawatts of new solar power over 8 years.

Supports funding Public Solar NYC to help small and medium-sized building owners install solar panels.

- Supports funding Public Solar NYC to help small and medium-sized building owners install solar panels.

Supports increasing funding for the city’s mental health court program.

Said, "I will not seek or accept endorsements from anyone who opposes LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, and I will denounce any such individuals and organizations."

Supports increasing investment in the Department for the Aging, raising caseworker pay, and addressing food insecurity among older adults.

Supports providing access to Medicaid or subsidized health plans for undocumented immigrants.

Opposes reducing healthcare benefits for public service retirees and plans to co-sponsor legislation to protect their healthcare access.

- Supports increasing funding for the city’s mental health court program.
- Said, "I will not seek or accept endorsements from anyone who opposes LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, and I will denounce any such individuals and organizations."
- Supports access to abortion care.
- Supports increasing investment in the Department for the Aging, raising caseworker pay, and addressing food insecurity among older adults.
- Supports providing access to Medicaid or subsidized health plans for undocumented immigrants.
- Opposes reducing healthcare benefits for public service retirees and plans to co-sponsor legislation to protect their healthcare access.

Support increasing pay for paraprofessionals to help fill in special education teacher vacancies.

Opposes school closures and mergers, believing they disrupt communities and families, and plans to support parents and school leaders to sustain enrollment.

- Support increasing pay for paraprofessionals to help fill in special education teacher vacancies.
- Opposes school closures and mergers, believing they disrupt communities and families, and plans to support parents and school leaders to sustain enrollment.

Twitter

Edafe Okporo

- Support increasing pay for paraprofessionals to help fill in special education teacher vacancies.

As of September 5, 2025, Edafe Okporo’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- Supports increasing funding for the city’s mental health court program.
- Said, "I will not seek or accept endorsements from anyone who opposes LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, and I will denounce any such individuals and organizations."
- Supports access to abortion care.

- Supports increasing funding for social housing programs and fulfilling the city's commitment to the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).
- Opposes the privatization of NYCHA management.

- Supports universal childcare.
- Raise pay for paraprofessionals to help fill special education teacher vacancies.

Shaun was born and raised in Northern Manhattan. He holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia University and a law degree from Tulane Law School. He lives in Washington Heights with his partner and stepdaughter.

Before joining the City Council, Shaun worked as a tenant rights attorney. He previously held roles at the New York Legal Assistance Group, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Shaun Abreu - Ballotpedia

Shaun Abreu is the current City Councilor for New York City City Council District 7. He started serving in 2022 and is running for his second term.

As of August 5, 2025, Shaun Abreu’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Opposes proposed changes to the AirBnB law that would turn permanent homes into hotels.

Supports a comprehensive approach to rent affordability, including building more units, protecting rent-stabilized units, implementing a rent freeze, providing housing subsidies, improving the voucher system, and establishing a public land trust.

- Opposes proposed changes to the AirBnB law that would turn permanent homes into hotels.
- Supports a comprehensive approach to rent affordability, including building more units, protecting rent-stabilized units, implementing a rent freeze, providing housing subsidies, improving the voucher system, and establishing a public land trust.

Opposes the Progressive Caucus's requirement to cut funding to the NYPD in favor of alternative safety infrastructure.

Supports closing Rikers Island and opening borough-based jails.

Supports ending qualified immunity for police and law enforcement.

Supports removing police from schools, mental health response calls, homeless outreach and social services, and traffic enforcement.

Supports eliminating law enforcement "Vice Squads."

Supports the right to counsel for immigrants.

- Opposes the Progressive Caucus's requirement to cut funding to the NYPD in favor of alternative safety infrastructure.
- Supports closing Rikers Island and opening borough-based jails.
- Supports ending qualified immunity for police and law enforcement.
- Supports removing police from schools, mental health response calls, homeless outreach and social services, and traffic enforcement.
- Supports eliminating law enforcement "Vice Squads."
- Supports abolishing the gangs database.
- Supports the right to counsel for immigrants.

Supports the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces in their district.

Supports "unrestricted right to reproductive care and abortion."

- Supports the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces in their district.
- Supports "unrestricted right to reproductive care and abortion."

Supports universal access to after school programs.

- Supports universal access to after school programs.

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Shaun Abreu

- City Council Members work together to enact local laws, approve the city budget, and oversee land use and zoning regulations. ​
- Council Members oversee city agencies, ensuring they effectively serve the public and address community needs. ​

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