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.
