City Council race heats up as Zohran Mamdani remains frontrunner in NYC mayoral race

New York’s mayoral election isn’t the only heated race in the city.

Sides are already being drawn over who the next City Council speaker will be — as outside interests push candidates they think will best stand up to Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.

Julie Menin , who reps the Upper East Side , and Crystal Hudson , who reps swaths of Fort Greene, have emerged as the current leading contenders to take over for Council Speaker Adrienne Adams come January, The Post has learned.

“Someone like Julie Menin running for speaker could be a moderating force,” one source said.

The source noted that while Menin is a “very progressive person” in terms of social issues – who shares a lot of endorsements with Mamdani, like the heavyweight Hotel Trades Council – she would be seen as “