New York City Council's 2nd district covers the East Village, Alphabet City, Peter Cooper Village, Rose Hill, Kips Bay, Gramercy Park and parts of the Lower East Side. It is currently represented by Rosie Méndez.
In 2006, the district had an estimated population of 157,410, with a median household income of $64,247. 78.47% of residents held rented accommodation. 58.2% of district residents were white, 19.2% were Hispanic, 7.3% were African American, and 13.3% were Asian or Pacific Islander. 2% identified as 'other'. The district's demographics are widely diverse, ranging from white-majority areas in the north of the district (around Kips Bay and Gramercy Park) to predominantly Hispanic areas in Loisaida.
The district is a safe Democratic district. Between 1974 and 1991, the district was represented by Miriam Friedlander, who was narrowly defeated in the Democratic Party primary by Antonio Pagán, the first openly gay politician to represent the district. Pagán's conservative stances and support for Mayor Rudy Giuliani alienated large segments of his liberal-leaning constituency. In 1997, Pagán launched an unsuccessful campaign for Manhattan Borough President; he was succeeded on City Council by Margarita López. In 2005, Rosie Méndez succeeded Margarita López. She was re-elected in 2009 with 83.9% of the vote, against 16.1% for Republican challenger Bryan Cooper.