Phil Wong

Phil Wong is an American activist and politician who is a member of the New York City Council from the 30th district, representing Elmhurst, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, and parts of Glendale and Ridgewood. A Democrat, he was elected in 2025. He previously served as the budget director for his predecessor, Robert Holden. Wong identifies as a conservative Democrat.

Early life Wong was born in British Hong Kong before immigrating to the United States with his family in 1974. He has lived in Elmhurst, Queens since 1976. He graduated from Jamaica High School in Jamaica, Queens, attending Cornell University. He went on to co-found the local civic group Elmhurst United, and was later elected president of the Community Education Council for District 24. He was later hired by then-incumbent councilmember Robert Holden, for whom Wong served as budget director and a constituent services liaison.

Elections In 2025, Wong announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the New York City Council's 30th district. In the Democratic primary, teachers' union strategist Dermot Smyth was the heavy favorite, receiving the endorsement of the Queens Democratic Party; local civic leader Paul Pogozelski was also on the ballot. Wong narrowly edged out Pogozelski in the ranked-choice runoff, ultimately winning by 316 votes.

In the general election, Wong faced off against fellow Holden staffer Alicia Vaichunas. The race attracted citywide attention because the two general election opponents simultaneously served as coworkers in the same councilman's office; Holden remained neutral, arguing both Wong and Vaichunas would faithfully honor his legacy. The race began cordially, with both candidates promising to hire the other in the event of their victory. However, Vaichunas later attacked Wong, alleging that Wong staffer Christina Wilkinson blocked her and her volunteers on Facebook. Wong eventually won with 54% of the vote. Wong would later hire Vaichunas to serve as his deputy chief of staff.

Political views Wong identifies as a conservative Democrat and has stated that "my policies are Republican policies." He has criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his proposed rent freeze, arguing that rent control constitutes an unnecessary "handout."

Immigration Wong is an opponent of New York City's sanctuary city policy, arguing that current immigration policies are financially unsustainable.