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Julie Won

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Julie Won
Member of the New York City Council
from the 26th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2022
Preceded byJimmy Van Bramer
Personal details
Born (1990-04-17) April 17, 1990 (age 36)
South Korea
PartyDemocratic
SpouseEugene Noh
EducationSyracuse University (BA)
WebsiteOfficial website
Campaign website

Julie Jaehee Won (born April 17, 1990)[1] is a Korean-American politician. She is a member of the New York City Council for the 26th district, which covers the western Queens neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Long Island City, Woodside, and Astoria.[2] She chairs the Committee on Workforce Development.[3]

Early life and career

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Won was born in South Korea and immigrated with her family to the United States in 1998, when she was eight years old. Her parents, who had left their jobs in South Korea after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, both worked in local small businesses. She grew up in Long Island and attended George W. Hewlett High School.[4] Won received her undergraduate degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.[5]

Prior to entering politics, Won worked as a consultant and a federal client relationship representative at IBM in Washington, D.C.[5] While in DC, she served on the Mayor of the District of Columbia's Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs.[6] After moving to NYC, in June 2020, acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee appointed Won to Queens Community Board 2.[7]

Political career

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2021 city council campaign

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In October 2020, Won announced her 2021 campaign for the 26th district of the New York City Council, held by term-limited Democrat Jimmy Van Bramer.[8] Won had been serving as a member of Queens Community Board 2 for most of the year, and cited the difficulties her family faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for her campaign. Won emphasized her work in the technology sector and her support for citywide free WiFi.[9]

Won faced 14 other candidates in the Democratic primary, many of whom also ran on progressive platforms, with no clear frontrunner among them. In part because of the size and volatility of the field, many would-be endorsers chose to remain on the sidelines, while others – including Van Bramer and the influential Working Families Party – coalesced around New York City Census deputy director Amit Singh Bagga.[10]

On election night, Won finished neck-and-neck with Bagga, receiving 18.5% of the vote to Bagga's 17.7%; every other candidate lagged behind in the single digits.[11] Won received a major boost, however, when absentee ballots and ranked-choice votes were counted, and prevailed over Bagga 57-43% in the 15th round of ranked-choice tabulation; she formally declared victory on July 6.[12][13] She faced minimal opposition in the November general election, and won easily.[2]

Subsequent City Council elections

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Won won re-election in 2023[14] and 2025.[15]

Actions as Councilmember

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Won supports intersection daylighting[16][17] and more control by the City Council over appointments to neighborhood Community Boards.[18] The New York League of Conservation Voters rated Won 100 percent on their environmental scorecard in 2024 and 2025.[19] Won is skeptical of the proposed Sunnyside Yards development project, arguing that poor soil quality and existing train infrastructure make the project less cost-effective than other ways to address housing shortages.[20]

2025 mayoral election

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She endorsed Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Her husband, Eugene Noh, who managed the re-election campaign of Staten Island congressman Max Rose, was hired as the campaign manager for Eric Adams's embattled re-election campaign.[21][22] In an unusual arrangement, Noh's hiring had been facilitated by right-wing hedge fund managers Ken Griffin and Daniel S. Loeb.[23]

2026 congressional campaign

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In February 2026, Won announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives to represent New York's 7th congressional district, after incumbent Nydia Velázquez announced she would retire.[24][25] Won was endorsed by John C. Liu and Ron Kim.[26]

Won's campaign is centered around a "Lifetime of Care" platform, which advocates for comprehensive lifetime social support systems. Her primary legislative priorities include establishing universal paid leave, securing affordable childcare, expanding access to universal healthcare, and systematically improving the care economy.[27] During the election, Won was the only candidate in primary field of the race who refused to accept funding from super PACs.[28]

Personal life

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Won used to live in Sunnyside, Queens, with her husband, Eugene Noh, campaign manager for Eric Adams' re-election bid in 2025 and an alum of Max Rose's campaign team.[29][30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Won, Julie [@juliewon2021] (April 17, 2021). "Today is my birthday! thankful to be vaccinated so that I could celebrate w family & loved ones this year! come join me at 12pm to celebrate with some boba🧋" (Tweet). Retrieved July 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b Claire Wang (November 3, 2021). "NYC Council has 5 new Asian Americans, a record that mirrors city more accurately". NBC News. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  3. ^ "District 26". Julie Won. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
  4. ^ Michael Dorgan (October 20, 2020). "Long Island City Resident Julie Won to Run for 26th District Council Seat". Queens Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Meet Julie". Julie Won for City Council. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. ^ "Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs Commissioners' Biographies" (PDF). Mayor's Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  7. ^ "Borough President Lee Announces Appointments For 2020-2022 Term on Queens Community Boards" (PDF). Queens Times. June 4, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  8. ^ Angélica Acevedo (October 20, 2020). "Tech change agent Julie Won announces candidacy for western Queens City Council seat". QNS. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  9. ^ "Julie's Vision". Julie Won for City Council. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Allie Griffin (February 25, 2021). "Working Families Party Rejects Queens Chapter Pick in Western Queens Council Race". LIC Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Allie Griffin (June 23, 2021). "Julie Won and Amit Bagga Lead Pack in 15-Person Race for the District 26 Council Seat". Sunnyside Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Kayla Levy (July 6, 2021). "Julie Won Wins LIC's 26th District City Council Primary Race". Patch.com. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  13. ^ Won, Julie [@juliewon2021] (July 6, 2021). "Julie won, WE WON!! 🥳🌻" (Tweet). Retrieved July 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Election Results Summary 2023: NYC Board of Elections". www.vote.nyc. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  15. ^ Schwach, Ryan (November 6, 2025). "Queens elects three new councilmembers, sends all incumbents back to office". Queens Daily Eagle. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  16. ^ Gannon, Michael (December 18, 2025). "Sunset on daylighting until at least 2026". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  17. ^ Donaldson, Sahalie (November 20, 2025). "Here are all the major bills still before the New York City Council". City & State NY. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  18. ^ Lee, Katharine. "City Council members seek more control over community board appointments in new bill". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  19. ^ Simões, ByMariana (January 29, 2025). "Is Your City Councilmember Passing Green Legislation? Look Them Up Here". City Limits. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  20. ^ Way, Katie (May 26, 2026). "'Feral Progressive' Julie Won Has a Bone to Pick With Mayor Mamdani". Hell Gate NYC. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  21. ^ Ngo, Emily; Reisman, Nick; Coltin, Jeff (July 9, 2025). "Progressive pressure to back Mamdani". POLITICO. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  22. ^ "Eric Adams Asked Bill Ackman to Vet Campaign Manager Before Hiring Him".
  23. ^ Fandos, Nicholas; Mays, Jeffery C. (July 9, 2025). "Eric Adams Asked Bill Ackman to Vet Campaign Manager Before Hiring Him". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  24. ^ Fandos, Nicholas (February 2, 2026). "Third Candidate Enters Heated Race for Open House Seat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  25. ^ McDonough, Annie (February 2, 2026). "Julie Won files to run in NY-7". City & State NY. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  26. ^ O'Brien, Shane. "CM Julie Won officially launches congressional campaign for NY-7", QNS.com, March 10, 2026. Accessed June 9, 2026.
  27. ^ ""A Lifetime of Care:" The Making of Julie Won's Congressional Run". Queens Ledger. April 22, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  28. ^ "Independent Expenditures and PAC Funding: NY-07, 2026 Cycle". Capitol Hill Access. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  29. ^ Christian Murray (January 14, 2020). "PODCAST: We Talk to Julie Won, Candidate for the 26th District Council Seat". LIC Post. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  30. ^ Fanos, Nicholas; Mays, Jeffery C. (July 9, 2025). "Eric Adams Asked Bill Ackman to Vet Campaign Manager Before Hiring Him". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
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