Gustavo Rivera, an adjunct politics professor and former political aide, took the Bronx political scene by storm this year when he defeated State Sen. Pedro

Espada, Jr., for his seat in the 33rd District in the northwest Bronx.

Rivera, a 34-year-old Kingsbridge Heights resident and former aide to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, beat out a number of other primary contenders in what quickly became one of the most watched and dramatic races in the state.

He announced his candidacy in May, becoming the fourth person to challenge Espada — community activist Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, Community Board 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado, and Kingsbridge Heights lawyer Daniel Padernacht were all already vying for the seat.

One by one, all three candidates dropped out of the race, as Rivera’s campaign gained momentum and racked up political endorsements. He won the support of the Working Families Party, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the New Roosevelt Initiative, a newly formed political group that pledged $250,000 to defeat Espada.

Just a week before the primary, Padernacht, the last candidate in the race, dropped his bid to throw his support behind Rivera in a united front against Espada, who was facing a number of legal problems at the time and had gained unfavorable notoriety for his role in the 2008 State Senate coup.

On Sept. 14, Rivera won a landslide victory over Espada and went on to easily win the General Election on Nov. 3. He’s since been appointed to the Borough President’s Kingsbridge Armory Task Force, the team that will decide what to do with the long-vacant historic building. He’ll begin his term as State Senator starting Jan. 2.