BP Diaz, Jr is out. Bronx County Chair Crespo is out. So who's in?

Never has the name of our blog being more precise than today.

As we all know by now, two of the borough’s most prominent officials – Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and County Chair Marcos Crespo – will no longer be in Bronx politics. In January, Rubencito announced he will finish his term in 2021 and no longer run for any political post. A month later, Crespo followed by announcing he will not seek re-election to his Assembly seat.

Yes, this was a shock to many here in the Bronx. Rubencito was expected to run for Comptroller in 2021 (since his Mayoral prospects seemed to disappear for several reasons). Crespo was expected to follow him into Bronx Borough Hall. All of a sudden, those plans came down crumbling, catching everyone by surprise.

On Friday, Crespo abruptly announced that he was resigning from his Assembly seat AND as Chair of the Bronx Democratic Party. Why not wait it out until end of the year? This is a question everyone is asking. This is a question that has gone unanswered.

Last week’s Congressional elections in the 15^th district also put the party apparatus and leadership in question. The presumptive winner is Ritchie Torres, who is not known to be a soldier of the Bronx machine. Michael Blake, who came in second, and refuses to concede until all votes are counted, also is not soldier. Reverend Ruben Diaz – The Rev – came in a surprising third, getting a mere 15% of the votes. This was a bit surprising since all the politicos were saying that the race was between Ritchie and the Rev. It could not be clearer that the voters of the 15^th sent a strong message that the Reverend’s position (pro-Trump, anti-gay, anti-women) was not the direction they wanted to go. While the Reverend remains Councilman, he will have a very tough primary next year with his opponent: progressive and charismatic Amanda Farias.

But what everyone knows but are not speaking about in public is that the Diaz kingdom has fallen. But not only the Diaz. The Bronx party establishment has proved what many have been saying for some time now: it’s slowly losing their ability to be united and elect their candidates.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

With Crespo’s resignation from the party, there’s a power struggle for that position. Several have been rumored to be interested while others are rumored to be pushed by Assembly Speaker (and former Bronx Party Chair) Carl Heastie.

First, there’s Northwest Bronx Assemblyman Victor Pichardo who last week went on Twitter to say that he is pursuing the post. This was a surprise to many since it has long being rumored that Pichardo has been looking for a new gig, outside of elective politics. In his Twitter exchange with political commentator Gerson Borrero, he seemed to back-tracked and now is interested in staying in office.

We also hear that Assemblyman Karines Reyes is also a very possible choice to lead the Bronx Democrats. While Reyes was elected in 2019, she has been one of the most active members of the Assembly. During the pandemic, she put on her uniform as a nurse and went back to the hospital and helping to save lives. Reyes, offers a very unique opportunity for the party. It has never been run by a woman and in a borough with majority Latino population, Reyes would seem the logical choice. But, that’s only the opinion of some. Others may think differently.

Another Bronx Democrat out there is Latoya Joyner, who, as it has been reported in some outlets, is Heastie’s favorite. While Joyner has more time in the Assembly than Reyes, this would be a slap in the face for Latinos in the Bronx.

One thing is clear: the Bronx is lagging behind other boroughs in having women in leadership roles. This an opportunity to change that.

With the 2021 municipal elections around the corner, where the majority of the Bronx City Council delegation is term-limited and new Councilmembers will be elected, the Bronx Democratic Party stand to be a powerhouse or simply become irrelevant.

The voters are changing. Bronx politics is changing.

Part 2 of 2: Who will take over Congressman Serrano's seat?

Part 2  of 2: Who will take over Congressman Serrano's seat?

Not much has happened since our part 1 of this post so we'll just cut to the chase.

YDANIS RODRIGUEZ: Rodriguez, who is term-limited in 2021 from his current gig at the City Council (from neighboring Washington Heights), seems to THINK that he actually has a strong chance at winning the Congressional seat. However, there are a few obstacles that can prevent him from becoming the second member of Congress that is of Dominican descent. 

First, he's not from the Bronx, nor has he has a base of support. He's relying on the Dominican vote but he should know that unfortunately, the Dominican vote is too scattered and very unreliable during a Primary election. The district has been said to be heavy on Puertoricans, followed by African-Americans. Rodriguez is relying on the "support" of Congressman Adriano Espaillat and his troops who have been slowly dispatched to "help" his campaign. However, the political war of Rodriguez and Espaillat is one that everyone knows of and Rodriguez should not rely much on Espaillat as he may be led to believe. The truth of the matter is that Espaillat, as one source close to the Congressman said, is looking to 'take out' Rodriguez from the political arena and this is one way. No, not because they truly believe Rodriguez has a shot at the seat but by discrediting his ability to get elected (Rodriguez tried unsuccessfully for City Council Speaker, Manhattan Borough President and more recently, for Public Advocate). He has failed in all his attempts and this race will be no differently.

Lastly, Rodriguez has failed to get the support of any of the Bronx elected officials, particularly those of Dominican descent (Victor Pichardo and Karines Reyes) nor any influential community leaders that can move votes. He has been on the Spanish news outlets lately but many see it as pandering. Let's see if he can mobilize the Dominican community and become the first Dominican member of Congress from the Bronx.

SAMELYS LOPEZ: Samelys recently picked up the endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which was the group that helped elect Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC). But this race is nothing like that of AOC, where she went up against a giant (Queens Democratic Party boss) Joe Crowley. Samelys is very bright, prides herself in her district roots and upbringing and has been gaining some traction.

It is the year where more women are running for office and challenging the status quo. Samelys, if she continues running a grassroots campaign, as we have seen in her social media, making it a point that she's not with the party establishment, combined that with some more media, she can pull off an upset. It is surprising she's not highlighting or taking advantage of the fact that she's a woman and this is a great time to send a woman to Congress. She's charismatic and can convince voters easily. If AOC comes out for her, sooner rather than later, we could be looking (or writing) about Congresswoman Samelys Lopez.

MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO: MMV was expected to be the front-runner in this race as it was speculated for some time that she was pursuing this seat, even before current Congressman Jose Serrano announced he was not running for re-election the year. Having served as the last Speaker of the City Council, she had clout.

However, as she became more focused on Puerto Rico, she also became too distant from the district. This is now catching up to her and unfortunately, with little to no traction nor any grassroots support, we shouldn't be surprised if Samelys gains more votes than MMV.

It is worth noting that the Bronx Democratic Party, nor any Bronx elected official for that matter, has come out in support of any candidate. We suspect that it will remain as such given that in the middle of all this, is the father of the Bronx Borough President who would like to be Mayor in 2021. So rather than to upset the Diaz dynasty, folks seems to be what any good soldier does: follow orders.

Who will take over Congressman Serrano's seat?

BLAKE, DIAZ, SR., LOPEZ, MARK-VIVERITO, RODRIGUEZ & TORRES 

(in alphabetical order) Part 1 of 2

We are starting off with what seems to be the most contested race in the Bronx right now: who will be the next Congressmember representing the 15th District in 2020? 

After Congressman Jose Serrano announced that he will not be seeking re-election in 2020, many candidates jumped in right away. Councilman (and Reverend) Ruben Diaz Sr., Assemblyman Michael Blake, Councilman Ritchie Torres,  Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, Bronx activist & Co-Founder of Bronx Progressives Samelys Lopez, Tomas Ramos and former Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito are just a few. 

It is clear that the top three candidates are Reverend Diaz Sr., Torres and Blake. We could also add Samelys Lopez, who has close ties to Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) who, as we all know, has more political muscle than many if not all Bronx electeds put together. Should AOC throw her support for this young, passionate and clean activist, the scenario could be very different. 

In its first financial filing, Torres raised over $500K. Yes, over half a million dollars for a race where Serrano barely ever raised more than $10,000. Torres also has strong support from the LGBTQ community, probably given that he is the first and only gay elected official from the Bronx (that we know of). Most recently, Torres received the support of Bold PAC, "the fastest growing Democratic Political Action Committee dedicated to increasing the diversity of our leadership in the House and Senate. It champions progressive Democrats fighting for change." Important to note that Congressman Serrano is on the leadership of BOLD PAC, as well as Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. 

Torres definitely has an upper hand in the race and if he, like Blake, is able to build a strong team of activists - from the district - we could be looking at the next Member of Congress. 

Assemblyman Blake, who is known for his many appearances and speeches around the country, as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), seems to be behind Torres in terms of fundraising. He lacks support from the community and with a district that is predominantly Latino, his chances are not as good as Torres. However, if he's able to put together a strong team and use his money wisely, he could give Torres and Reverend Diaz a run for their money. 

Reverend Diaz is one who lacks in fundraising. However, everyone knows he already has what money will buy: name recognition. His anti-gay comments (repeatedly) is definitely something that has fueled the gay community to go all out for Torres. Diaz, Sr. has good support from local activists, primarily from Dominican livery drivers, which could be a problem for Ydanis Rodriguez (more on that in the next post). Worth noting that the Reverend does not have the support of his son, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, JR. Will the Reverend's "a votar, a votar, a votar" vans deliver for him the seat and be in Congress come 2020 remains to be seen. 

We will continue with this post later this week with the other candidates. Remember, your comments are welcomed. We will delete any comments with profanity language. 

CBxP is Back!

Dear Readers,

Our sincere apologies for the short absence but, we are back. 

Changing Bronx Politics (CBxP) will now be publishing more on what is happening in Bronx politics. Please note that we are not affiliated with any elected official, media outlet or political organization/club. We are simply an independent forum of ideas. 

We always encourage our followers/readers to leave us their comments. Unlike other platforms, we do not screen nor delete any of the comments. 

Yours truly,

CBxP

Ruben Diaz, Jr. For Mayor in 2021

Bronx BP Diaz, possible mayoral contender, does Staten Island homework

Diaz said that the Bronx and the Island have a lot in common.

“We do have that certain kinship,” Diaz said. “We’re two of the smaller boroughs, we always feel like we are the forgotten boroughs.”

And like the Island, the Bronx is looking to re-brand itself, tout its economic development successes and to draw tourists in by highlighting its parks, beaches and cultural attractions.

That “Bronx renaissance” will no doubt be a key part of the campaign platform should Diaz run for mayor.

Seems like Bronx Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda's Speech was BOOOORRRIIINNNNGG for Bronx Colleague

You be the judge of how, ummm, not-so-exciting Assemblyman Luis Sepuvelda's (87th Assembly District) speech seemed to be for his Bronx colleague Victor Pichardo (86th Assembly District).

This was last week (March 25th, 2014) when Assemblyman Sepulveda was speaking in favor of the National Public Vote.

Since Assemblyman Pichardo is the new kid on the block, maybe someone should let him know that the cameras in the Assembly chambers are always running. Let us not forget how he 'won' that September 2013 primary where Bronx Times reporter Bob Kappstatter dubbed him Assemblyman 'Levergate'. Hope this serves as a learning experience for the young Assemblyman.

Check out the video here and look how much fun Pichardo is having at the 40 seconds mark.

Yudelka Tapia Joining Forces with Victor Pichardo?

Victor Pichardo and Yudelka Tapia @ Bronx Centennial KickOff - January 9, 2014
Picture by www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com

Word on the street is that Yudelka Tapia, Female District Leader for the 86th Assembly District in the NW Bronx, is joining her former political rival and eventual winner Victor Pichardo in the upcoming September 2014 primaries as she seeks to keep her District Leader seat.

Yocasta Polanco

One of her potential challengers is Yocasta Polanco, former State Committeewoman under former disgraced Assemblyman Nelson Castro. Polanco has been rallying up troops from Castro's camp, which for better or worse, remain active in community issues. Recently, Congressman Rangel was the guest speaker at the William Jefferson Clinton Democratic Club, which she serves as one of its leaders. Polanco is also part of the team led by Male District Leader Steve Santana and potential candidate for State Senate (33rd District) Manny Tavarez.

When asked about Tapia's decision to join with Assemblyman Pichardo's slate, one of the former candidates for State Assembly stated that "she [Tapia] will do whatever she needs to do to stay as District Leader and/or be elected into office, even if that includes selling her soul to the devil."  A Bronx political operative with knowledge of this scenario stated that "Tapia and Pichardo are talking" and further added that "Tapia knows what's best for her."

We tried reaching out to Hector Ramirez and Haile Rivera, two of the other candidates who ran in last year's Democratic primaries against Pichardo. Ramirez did not respond to our email and Rivera simply stated that "I'm focused in my family and whatever Yudelka decides to do is her decision to live with."

Ramirez has been reaching out to folks in his effort to challenge Pichardo while Rivera has been rumored to be potentially seeking the District Leader. There are also several names floating around for this position (more on that later).

As far as who will County Chairman Carl Heastie support (Tapia or Polanco) remains to be seen but we suspect that they will rather have nothing to do with anyone who is tied to Nelson Castro. On the other hand, Tapia still has that $108,000 fine pending with the New York City Campaign Finance Board for failure to account for $60,000 in matching funds received from her unsuccessful 2009 City Council run. Not sure how Heastie is able to back Tapia with this heavy baggage (we confirmed with the NYCCFB last week that this matter remains pending).

Politics, particularly in the Bronx, is unpredictable and yes, interesting. Stay tuned for more updates on this race!