Assemblyman Vincent Ignizio won an open seat on the City Council representing southern Staten Island and another seat representing central Brooklyn appears likely to go to a Democratic doctor, according to unofficial results from yesterday’s special election.

With 100% of precincts in Staten Island’s District 51 reporting, Mr. Ignizio, a Republican, led the way with 3,902 votes, representing 72.1% of the total tallied. His Democratic opponent, Emanuele Innamorato, collected 1,511 votes, or 27.9% of the total, a spokeswoman for the New York City Board of Elections, Valerie Vazquez, said.

In Brooklyn’s District 40, encompassing parts of Flatbush and Crown Heights, Dr. Mathieu Eugene led the pack of 10 candidates, earning 1,913 votes, or 34.5% of the total, with 94.6% of precincts reporting.

A win for Mr. Ignizio means the council seat, which has been filled by a Republican for the last 21 years, will remain within the party. He will be one of three Republicans in the 51-member council.

Mr. Ignizio plans to focus on curbing overdevelopment on Staten Island, improving transportation, and creating more parks, his campaign manager, Joseph Borelli, said. Mr. Ignizio was attracted to the seat because it will allow him to more effectively solve local problems and, in part, because he wants to start a family, Mr. Borelli added.

The council’s minority leader, James Oddo, said yesterday that it is important the seat remain with a Republican.

“The reality is the three of us provide a different perspective and a different view,” Mr. Oddo said. “We’re the ones that really stir debate in the council.”

Mr. Oddo must step down from his seat in 2009, due to term limits. He said it’s likely Mr. Ignizio would succeed him as minority leader.

Dr. Eugene appeared to have edged out nine competitors in the race to fill Brooklyn’s District 40 seat, vacated by Rep. Yvette Clarke. Dr. Eugene, 54, would be the first Haitian to be elected to the council.

In second place in the voting was Jennifer James, with 846 votes, or 15.3% of the total.

Dr. Eugene is the founder and executive director of Youth for Education and Sports, a Brooklyn-based program for children and is a member of Community Board 14 in Flatbush. He has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and his ability to pivot between Spanish, French creole, and English earned him admiration from many facing his outstretched hand on the campaign trail.

During a campaign stop at Dominican Style, a hair salon on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn on Monday, Dr. Eugene greeted customers in Spanish and did not hesitate to introduce himself to two women sitting under the hood of hair dryer chairs.

“He look friendly. He looks able to speak to the people,” shop manager Marcelina Celeste Sosa said. After telling Dr. Eugene she planned to vote for him, she said it is important to her that he speaks Spanish.

The district is considered the heart of the city’s Caribbean community and is home to a significant number of Jewish, Indian, and Pakistani residents. In the days leading up to the election, Dr. Eugene’s campaign and his endorsers focused more on his ethnicity and potential for a historic outcome to the race than they did on his specific plans for the district.