NEW YORK — A decade-old arrest of Councilman Jumaane Williams has surfaced in the final stretch of the New York City public advocate’s race, roiling what had already been an unpredictable contest as his rivals demanded more information just before the polls were set to open Tuesday.

Williams, 42, acknowledged Monday that he had been arrested a decade ago on harassment and criminal mischief charges and spent a night in custody after what he called a “verbal disagreement” with his girlfriend at the time. Charges were dropped and the arrest record itself is sealed.

Williams is seen as a leading candidate in the public advocate contest after he finished a close second in his insurgent run for lieutenant governor last year against the Democratic incumbent, Kathy Hochul.

The field for the special election features 17 candidates, and several female rivals used the last-minute revelation of the arrest to raise questions about Williams’ fitness for the position. Another City Council member, an ally of Williams, called for an investigation into who leaked what had been a sealed arrest record.

A law enforcement official said Williams’ girlfriend at the time had called the police on the evening of Jan. 9, 2009, after a dispute with Williams that included him throwing items at her, putting her in fear for her safety.

A chair, a wall and a Christmas ornament were damaged but the damage did not exceed $250 in value. There were no injuries.

In an interview Monday, Williams said the events leading up to the 2009 arrest began as an argument, but he did not recall what it was about. During the argument, Williams said that he threw his girlfriend’s purse on the floor and left the apartment to get food for both.

“I went to turn to leave and I tripped over a chair, the chair hit the wall and a snow globe fell from a half shelf,” he added. Williams said he did not intentionally damage the chair or the snow globe. He denied throwing anything at the woman.

After returning from getting food, Williams said that he was surprised to see police officers at his home. “They told me to turn around and put your hands behind your back,” he said. He said he did not know who had called the police.

A police official said that arrests are mandated in domestic violence cases where there is probable cause. Williams said he was not formally charged with anything and returned to court one more time in the matter. During that appearance, the judge dismissed the case and sealed the records.

Williams’ ex-girlfriend, whom The New York Times is not identifying because she was an alleged victim in a possible abuse case, declined to comment. She had been with Williams for five years at the time of the arrest.

Campaigning in Brownsville, Brooklyn, a day after news of his arrest became public in The New York Daily News on Sunday, Williams said, “I still wonder why something that was dismissed and sealed, why that would be leaked?”

Williams said the incident is being used to perpetuate stereotypes about black men.

“There is a tendency to talk about black men in this way as angry. There is a tendency to use things like this to inform that. It’s a thing,” Williams said.

He also criticized Melissa Mark-Viverito, a former City Council speaker, and Nomiki Konst, a progressive activist, for holding a joint news conference to call attention to the arrest.

“They both know how easy it is for ‘black man syndrome’ to take hold,” Williams said. “I wish they would be more responsible. If you want to have this discussion, there is a better way.”

Mark-Viverito and Konst, who have sparred aggressively with each other at debates, joined together to call for more information from Williams.

Mark-Viverito said she was “deeply concerned” by the arrest report. “Let’s not forget,” she said pointedly, “this public advocate’s race began because of violence against women.”

It’s true that a February special election is taking place because the previous public advocate, Letitia James, left the office after she was elected New York state attorney general. And that office only became open last year because Eric T. Schneiderman resigned in disgrace following accusations that he had physically assaulted multiple women.

Another female candidate for public advocate, Dawn Smalls, who is a lawyer, on Monday called for Williams or his lawyer to release his sealed arrest record, even as she said “the timing of this report raises red flags given the election is tomorrow.”

The disclosure of the arrest led the City Council majority leader, Laurie A. Cumbo, to send a letter to the Police Department’s inspector general’s office requesting that the leak be investigated for violations of police and city policies.

Williams’ supporters continued to stand by him on the eve of the election.

“Jumaane has been transparent. It was a learning experience, it was a long time ago and no one got hurt,” said Gale A. Brewer, the Manhattan borough president, who endorsed Williams. “This is not a #MeToo situation.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.