BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Ripple effects from recent elections are being felt in Chelsea and its nearby nabes, turning winter’s normal dormancy into a whirlwind of online forums, in-person petitioning, and endorsement announcements—all part of the process culminating in April 28’s Special Election for City Council District 3.

That seat was vacated last week, when Erik Bottcher handily won his bid to become the NYS Senator representing District 47. (Bottcher succeeds longtime office holder Brad Hoylman-Sigal, now in his second month as Manhattan Borough President.)

That leaves one more political puzzle piece in play—with a field of familiar locals seeking to represent the Hudson Square, West Village, Chelsea, Hudson Yards, Meatpacking District, Garment District, Times Square, and Hell’s Kitchen areas that comprise Council District 3.

Chelsea Community News recently sent each candidate the same set of questions, yielding detailed and revealing Q&As. Click on the candidate’s name to access their answers…

—Council District 3 Candidate Leslie Boghosian Murphy

—Council District 3 Candidate Lindsey Boylan

—Council District 3 Candidate Layla Law-Gisiko

—Council District 3 Candidate Carl Wilson

—END—

Note: The headline and one line of text were altered on the evening of Feb. 11, 2026 to reflect the fact that a fifth candidate is seeking the Council District 3 seat.

ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent, single-owner online newspape. providing news, arts, events, and opinion content to Manhattan’s Chelsea community and its adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad and Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen, Broadway/Times Square, and the Penn Station area). Our editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here for our GoFundMe campaign). To join our subscriber list, click here to receive ENewsletters containing links to recently published content–as well as an occasional “Sponsored Content” email featuring an advertiser’s exclusive message.