Bronx 15th. If Not Radame, WHO?

February 2, 2013


So last week, we received an email from Radame Perez indicating he WILL NOT be seeking the seat that is being vacated by current Councilman Joel Rivera (I think everyone at this point knows, Joel is term-limited and thus unable to seek same seat).

While we believed that Perez would have been the most viable candidate, we respect his decision and wish him continued success in his business and many congrats on the soon-to-arrive birth of twins.

Now, let us look at the other possible candidates.

First, there has been strong rumors that current Executive Director of the Bronx Democratic Party Ischia Bravo is (possibly) interested. Bravo has expressed strong interest (among her close friends) that she would like to run for State Assembly seat held by the former Chair of the Bronx Dems and Joel's father, Jose Rivera. As Bravo prepared for possible race (against Goliath), the elder Rivera proved to be wiser than the mid-30s single mom by making sure that the final lines of the district removed Bravo's residence (more details on that here). Clever, clever, clever!

In the 15th, IF she decides to throw her hat in the already-crowded race, it is obvious that Bravo will enjoy the support of the Bronx political establishment. This could, however, stir the pot that eventually brought down the former Chair (Jose Rivera) since there are two candidates of Dominican descent that have already declared (or have been fundraising for this), Yudelka Tapia and Raquel Batista, both Dominican-Americans. On a side note, we heard that Bravo had a tantrum at the last meeting of the Bronx Young Democrats last week, when one of the attendees raised an issue dealing with parking in the neighborhood (by Montefiore Hospital). We suppose she may have taken offense (do not see how or why) but our sources confirmed that she went on for a good five-minutes talking about how "we need to be the change we want to see" and talking (or was it shouting?) about residents joining the community boards, which we know they are becoming less and less meaningful in terms of affecting "change" in our communities. Bravo, if in fat you had a tantrum because a concern raised by one of the residents, then you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Be careful...and always smile!

We doubt this is something Chairman Carl Heastie is concerned with (at least for now) but we must keep in mind that this was, and we repeat, what eventually led to a revolt by some a few years ago that allowed for Heastie to be where he is today. Something to keep in mind.

In the event that Bravo decides it is also not her time, Tapia (current District Leader in the 86th Assembly District) would probably have a better chance of being the party's favorite. Tapia however, has a few problems of her own. First, she needs to account for a little over $70,000 that she spent but has no receipts to account for, which could mean she needs to raise enough to pay this amount to the Campaign Finance Board AND then for the campaign. This if she wants to qualify for matching funds which from her fundraising history, she NEEDS in order to stand a chance of winning. With only a few months to go, she better get going. Second, this is not her first or second or third time she makes a run for office, and lost. The saying of try until you get there is not really applicable in politics, or Bronx politics at least. One can only wonder until when will her supporters continue to invest in failed campaigns. Finally, Tapia does not reside in the district (which is OK to run since the district lines were recently redrawn due to figures from the Census). The 86th Assembly District only covers like 10% (maybe) of the 15th Council District she's trying to represent so to most voters, she's a complete stranger. Nonetheless, she is a very strong candidate who probably is more aware of the issues affecting the community.

Albert Alvarez, Joel's Chief of Staff, has also put his name in the mix. However, he did not report any fundraising and for those who have had the opportunity to speak and mingle with Alvarez, we know he is not a politician, or anything close to that. Definitely a great Chief of Staff but his prospects of seeking AND winning public office are very very slim. Even if his boss decides to support him, at this point in the game, it will prove very challenging for Alvarez to raise enough to become a viable candidate. However, if Heastie, Bravo and the Bronx Party throws its support behind him, he then stands a chance.

William Rivera may have the same last name as the current office holder but that may not be enough for him. Or it may be. The district has a high population of seniors who for the last twenty years, have been voting for a Rivera. This is likely to get him a few hundred or thousand votes. But his ability to fundraise and lack of community connections may prevent him from either getting on the ballot or elected in September.

Finally, there's Raquel Batista. Batista is sort of a newcomer in Bronx politics. She's more known in the circles of Washington Heights. We were (and remain) surprised that Batista decided to jump in the race as well since by doing so, she hinders the chances of Tapia. Is Batista out to make sure her fellow countrywoman (Tapia) is not elected? This is only one of the rumors out and about in Bronx and Washington Heights circles. One can only wonder why Batista believes she's a stronger candidate than Tapia given that the latter is well-established in Bronx politics.

The 'dimes y diretes' are ongoing folks. Let's see who Heastie and the Bronx Democratic (?) Party decides to support. It might prove wise to avoid the possibility of accusations that the Bronx Democratic Party is an anti-Dominican machine and go with Tapia. Only Heastie and his inner circle can decide that.

As always, we encourage you to share and comment in our posts. We apologize for not being more active but like everyone else, we also have other things to do!

*Note: Apologies for any typos.