Last week, it appeared, for all intents and purposes, the Bronx found a replacement for now-departed former borough president Adolfo Carrion, who took a job with the Obama administration in February.
One by one, potential Democratic rivals to Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s run at the borough presidency fell by the wayside. And last Monday, Diaz, Jr., a 35-year-old career politician who was first elected to the assembly at age 23, was swarmed by supporters at a campaign kickoff at Borough Hall.
It might as well have been a coronation ceremony.
At the event, former borough president Freddy Ferrer (who preceded Carrion and unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2005) and new County Democratic Party Chairman Carl Heastie stumped for Diaz, Jr.
Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson also assured the media that he has Diaz, Jr.’s back. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was also there to support him.
Ferrer basically congratulated him on taking over the post he once held.
“I’ve seen Ruben Diaz, Jr. grow in his public service over the years,” Ferrer said. “I’m happy for him. I’m happy for the people of the Bronx. I think the Bronx would be in very, very good hands.
For a while, this looked like it might be a race, but with Councilman Joel Rivera dropping out and throwing his support behind Diaz, Jr., it appears the outcome of the April 21 election is a foregone conclusion.
(It should be noted that Anthony Ribustello, a Republican district leader from Throggs Neck who also appeared in a handful of “Sopranos” episodes, is also in the running, says GOP spokesman Vincent Trabone. Ribustello, however, has not filed financial disclosure forms with the Board of Elections and is facing near impossible odds in the race. He couldn’t be reached by press time.)
Last Thursday, Diaz, Jr. held a fund-raising event at the Sofa Lounge (formerly the X Bar) on Fordham Road. The event was a who’s who of Bronx political figures and featured an appearance by Diaz, Jr.’s buddy, Bronx rap star Fat Joe.
At the event, Diaz, Jr. addressed the borough’s unemployment problems and said he wanted to keep the Bronx affordable.
admin
Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.