Republican City Council candidate makes change his primary focus at recent fundraiser

‘This is about the future — our city, our children and our grandchildren’

October 6, 2025

BAY RIDGE — George Sarantopoulos, Republican candidate for City Council District 47, which includes Bay Ridge and Coney Island, held a campaign fundraiser at the Wicked Monk on the afternoon of Sept. 27. The event drew several special guests, including mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa.

Sarantopoulos recently faced Richie Barsamian, former chair of the Kings County Republican Party (KCRP), in the 2025 Republican primary, winning by a narrow margin (50.2% to 48.1%). In November, he is slated to face off against Democrat Kayla Santosuosso, Councilmember Justin Brannan’s chief counsel.

Sarantopoulos’s campaign tagline is “George for Change NYC.” The event gathered several political figureheads in support, including newly elected KCRP Chair Liam McCabe, Kings County Conservative Party Chair Fran Vella-Marrone, Councilmember David Carr, R-50, and Barsamian.

Barsamian threw his support behind Sarantopoulos, publicly endorsing him before the audience.

“Just a few weeks ago, George and I were arguing and disagreeing about everything,” said Barsamian. “Here we are today, and we are so strong in our united approach. I want to make this very loud and clear: I endorse George Sarantopoulos. I am asking anyone who believed in my message to know that it is the message of George as well. This is about the future of our city and the future of our children and grandchildren.”

Fran Vella-Marrone speaks as Liam McCabe and George Sarantopoulos look on. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman

Richie Barsamian threw his support behind George Sarantopoulos, publicly endorsing him before the audience. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman

Mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman

Curtis Sliwa addresses the crowd. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman

George Sarantopoulos, Republican candidate for City Council District 47. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman

From left: Councilmember David Carr, Richie Barsamian, Svetlana Zelinskaya, George Sarantopoulos and Curtis Sliwa. Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman

Sarantopoulos’s background

A lifelong New Yorker and Bay Ridge resident, Sarantopoulos, 52, has more than 20 years of experience in business, public service and community advocacy. Starting out as a small business owner and restaurateur, Sarantopoulos went on to found Access One Solutions, an ATM and credit card processing company now serving customers in 36 states.

Sarantopoulos has built and led successful businesses and nonprofits across a variety of industries. He also served as chair emeritus of a national trade association, giving a voice to thousands of small business owners across the country. In public service, George worked as communications director for a New York State assemblymember and has played key roles in numerous local and state campaigns.

Sarantopoulos is also a cancer survivor, which he cites as one of the motivating factors in his decision to enter public service.

Platforms

Sarantopoulos told the Brooklyn Eagle that safety is among his main platforms.

“People just don’t feel safe,” he said. “We have a trifecta of problems on our subway system: the homeless situation, mental health and drug addiction, which is making for a very unsafe environment in our subways and on the streets.”

Sarantopoulos added, “Police officers are being taken from other districts and being moved around. We are shuffling them because we don’t have enough cops. We need more.”

When asked specifically how, if elected, his leadership would differ from that of Brannan, Sarantopoulos explained that while both “would surely agree on garbage collection,” philosophically, they are worlds apart.

“He believes that the government should do it all, that the government should fill in the gap,” Sarantopoulos said. “I believe we should give the power to the people. The people know what needs to be done to fix this city. Government just can’t do it all.”

Sarantopoulos is also a proponent of freezing property taxes for long-term seniors, keeping taxes low for small businesses and families and auditing wasteful city spending to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

“I’m not running because I need this job,” Sarantopoulos explained. “I want it. The truth is, I have always loved to help people, and as a councilmember, I hope to continue along that road.”