AD54 Democratic Primary Results — June 23, 2026
Christian Celeste Tate won the Assembly District 54 Democratic primary on Tuesday, defeating nine-year incumbent Erik Martin Dilan by a margin of 62 to 38 percent. With the district's Democratic registration making her the overwhelming favorite in November, Tate is on track to become the next Assemblymember representing Bushwick, Cypress Hills, and East New York.
This was not close. Previous DSA challenges to Dilan ended in near-ties — the 2024 race was decided by 190 votes. Tuesday's result was a decisive shift. Tate received 4,054 votes to Dilan's 2,479, according to Patch.
Who Is Celeste Tate
Christian Celeste Tate — known as CCT — is an anti-poverty activist and Democratic Socialist running on housing, healthcare, and anti-displacement. He is backed by NYC-DSA and the Working Families Party, aligned with the same political network that elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani and powered Claire Valdez's win in the NY-7 congressional race Tuesday night.
Dilan, who has held the seat since 2017, had the support of major unions including 1199SEIU, DC37, and the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. The unions outspent the DSA on the race. The votes went the other way.
What It Means for East New York
Assembly District 54 covers Bushwick, Cypress Hills, and East New York. For ENY residents, this is the state legislature seat that votes on housing funding, Medicaid, school budgets, and the criminal justice laws that shape daily life in this neighborhood.
Dilan was not absent from the community. He was a familiar face at Community Board 5 Brooklyn meetings — residents who attended those meetings knew him, saw him regularly, and had direct access to him at 127 Pennsylvania Avenue. That kind of accessibility matters in a district like this one.
His loss is not a verdict on that accessibility. It is a verdict on the direction residents want the district to move. Tate ran on anti-displacement and housing equity — the same issues this publication has been covering through the AMI explainer, the CityFHEPS fight, and the Innovative Urban Village series. East New York voters heard that platform and chose it decisively.
"The same network that elected Mamdani — housing equity, anti-displacement, DSA — just won a state assembly seat that covers East New York. The question now is what Tate does with it."
The Bigger Picture
Tate's win was part of a broader sweep by Mamdani-aligned candidates Tuesday night. Claire Valdez won NY-7 by 20 points. Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated a 71-year-old incumbent in NY-13. Brad Lander won his race. The political realignment that started with Mamdani's mayoral victory is now moving through Brooklyn's state and federal delegation.
For East New York specifically, the next questions are practical:
What to Watch Under Tate's Representation
- CityFHEPS expansion — Will Tate push for state action on rental vouchers to match what Nurse and Banks are doing at the council level?
- Innovative Urban Village — Phase 1B is under construction. Phase 2 just filed. What is Tate's position on AMI targeting and community preference enforcement?
- Commercial rent stabilization — Gallagher and Salazar have a bill in Albany. Will Tate co-sponsor it? This directly affects ENY small businesses and cultural spaces.
- NYPD accountability — Tate ran on criminal justice reform. The 75th Precinct covers East New York. How does his platform translate to the precinct level?
- Broadway Junction — $495M in transit investment. Tate will have a seat at the table for how that money reaches ENY residents directly.
What Comes Next
Tate faces the November general election. Given AD54's Democratic registration, she is heavily favored. The East New York Times will request an interview with Tate-elect on her priorities for the East New York portion of the district. This story will be updated.
Erik Dilan's office has not issued a public statement on the results as of publication. This story will be updated when a statement is available.
Get East New York election coverage as it develops.
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