The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

Norwood News spoke to voters in and around Bronx Community District 7 in the North Bronx on Election Day to ask for their reflections and views on the primaries on June 23. We first spoke to some voters in the vicinity of Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights section close to P.S. 86 and P.S. 340 polling stations.

 

Bronx Community District 7 (CD7), which covers the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Jerome Park, University Heights, Fordham Manor, and Kingsbridge Heights is, frustratingly, some would say, split across several assembly districts: A.D. 81, represented by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who, as reported, won his Democratic primary over challenger  Morgan Evers, A.D. 80, represented by Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr., A.D. 78, represented by Assemblyman George Alvarez, and A.D. 86, represented by Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia.

 

The same is true at Senate level, where parts of the district are represented by State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), and other parts by State Sen. Robert Jackson (S.D. 31) who, as reported, also won his Democratic primary. As reported, Jackson had endorsed Avila Chevalier in the NY-13 race.

 

At congressional level, the  community district is also split between NY-15, represented by Congressman Ritchie Torres who, as also reported, won his Democratic primary over challenger Rev. Michael Blake, and NY-13, represented by Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who, as reported, lost his Democratic primary to Democratic progressive, Darializa Avila Chevalier.

 

The split is also evident at City Council level, with City Council Members Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), and Oswald Feliz (C.D. 15) each representing different parts of the community district. As reported, the result is the dilution of the collective voting power of the district.

 

Norwood News asked Herman, a resident living near Poe Park, if he wanted to say who he voted for. “I’m a registered Democrat so I cast my ballot in the primary; I voted for Ritchie Torres for Congress,” Herman said.

 

Asked if he wanted to say why, he said, “Ritchie Torres has been vocal about getting federal resources into The Bronx, and I feel like he actually understands the working-class struggles here. We need people who don’t just show up right before an election but are consistently visible in the community.”

Norwood News asked what Herman’s top voting issue was. “Honestly, it’s a tie between housing affordability and public safety,” he said. “Rent prices in The Bronx are getting entirely out of hand, and a lot of families I know are being priced out. We also just want to feel secure walking home from the Fordham Road subway station at night.”

 

Norwood News also spoke to another voter and Fordham resident who declined to be identified and asked if they wanted to say who they voted for. “Let the best person win. They all say this and that and once they get the vote, they do not follow up on what they said,” the voter said. “Thankfully the ballot scanners were working perfectly fine today. The poll workers wrapped my ballot in a privacy sleeve. I slid it in, and the machine counted it on the first try: smooth sailing.”

Asked if he was a first-time voter, the voter said, “Nope, I’ve been voting in municipal and federal elections since I turned 18. I try never to miss a primary because in New York City, that’s usually where the real decisions are made.” Norwood News asked for his thoughts on early voting given he didn’t vote early and waited until Election Day, and the man said, “I think having the 9-day early voting window is a fantastic thing for the city, especially for people with crazy work schedules or kids.”

 

He added, “Personally, I just prefer the tradition of waking up and hitting my local spot on the actual Election Day. It makes me feel more connected to the neighborhood momentum, even if the lines are a little longer.”

At Montefiore Mosholu Community Center in Norwood, a temporary tent had been erected in the parking lot in order to make voting accessible to the public, since there was an accessibility constraint to have the polling site in the main building, according to one official.

 

Norwood News was informed that 203 voters had shown up to vote on the day and that there were no machine breakdowns and all went smoothly. We asked one young female voter, who declined to say who she voted for, what her top voting issue was and she said, “Definitely getting ICE [U.S. Department of Immigration, Customs & Enforcement] out of New York, definitely protecting women’s rights, definitely defunding the genocide in Palestine.” We asked if she felt there had been sufficient information out in the public domain about the candidates. She said she felt there had been.

Norwood News also spoke to Alessia, a resident of Norwood, and asked if she wanted to say who she voted for. “I voted for progressive candidates who are interested in building up The Bronx and supporting Bronx communities,” she said. Asked what her top voting concerns were, she said, “I would say making The Bronx safer, making The Bronx more affordable for its population, where The Bronx is the most deprived borough in New York. Cost of living is obviously a concern for everyone in New York City, but I think particularly important here [because of the lower average salary], making housing affordable, and creating community spaces.”

 

Alessia added, “The Bronx is the greenest borough but there’s a dearth of safe community spaces I think, and things like food deserts are a concern to me, being able to get healthy food. I’m a physician so I see a lot of patients, and these are the things that I wish I could provide for them so I’m voting for candidates who I hope can effect those changes.” Asked, as a physician, how she felt about public safety, given the prevalence of high crime in the northwest Bronx, Alessia said she did see a lot of injuries.

“But the vast majority of what I see day to day has more to do with the social determinants of health. We obviously see trauma, gang violence, that kind of thing but much more often, I see the long-term effects of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and those are things that can be positively affected by having some place to exercise, having access to good food, having safe, affordable housing so I looked for candidates who prioritized those things.” She said she didn’t feel there was sufficient information available about the candidates prior to the election for the average person, even though she, herself, was someone, who sought it out proactively.

 

We also spoke to Butta, 28, a voter, community organizer, Hip Hop and R&B artist, at Tracey Towers’ polling site in Bedford Park. Butta, whose Instagram is @butta.nyc, regularly organizes giveaways among other activities to uplift her community, she said, partnering with other collaborators to finance her mission.

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Voting Center, Norwood, Election Day, June 23, 2026 Video by Síle Moloney

“Voting is also another big thing, where I feel like some people have to see that voting is cool.” We asked if, in her experience, young people didn’t think it was cool. She said, “I think sometimes people try to ignore politics and it’s very important in the times that we’re living in to make sure your voice matters.”

 

She added, “Voting can change who is elected in a lot of areas. I think at 28, a lot of people do think that it matters. I think that, more so, younger people than me [don’t vote]. I don’t want to say everyone my age thinks it matters but I’ll have conversations with some people, and they’ll be like, ‘I don’t vote,’ and it’s like why wouldn’t you? Your voice matters and it’s important. A lot of the things that we’re voting for is important and one vote can change a lot.”

 

Asked what her voting issue was, Butta said, “So many but one thing I noticed here is when it comes to inner city neighborhoods and how we’re being treated compared to downtown in Manhattan, in terms of availability of resources. I live in a food desert. Things like that is what I look forward to changing and [resources] being added to different communities, and not just Manhattan.”

 

A poll site worker informed us that 320 voter check-ins had been registered on Election Day at the Tracey Towers polling site.

 

To read more of our recent election coverage, click here, here, here, here, here, here and here.