Politics

Padernacht Calls on City & State to Halt Special Election Petitioning Process amid Pandemic

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On Tuesday, Dec. 29, District 11 City Council candidate, Dan Padernacht, announced that he and some of the other City Council candidates in the District 11 race will be holding a press conference on Dec. 29 to call on Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to immediately waive the signature requirements for two NYC Council special elections that are to be called on or about Jan. 1, 2021, due to what Padernacht described as the inherent dangers associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.   To qualify for the ballot, each candidate in these special elections [in Districts 11 and


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Elections 2021: Adolfo Abreu on Housing, Co-Governance & Policing  

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Facebook Live has been the tool of choice for many candidates running for elected office this year. For Adolfo Abreu, in his bid to win the District 14 City Council race and replace incumbent councilman, Fernando Cabrera, who is term limited, it has also proven to be a fruitful means of cultivating community conversations on each of the six specific strands of his campaign platform.   Focusing his attention on a homes’ guarantee and community control of housing, just and quality education, participatory democracy and co-governance, community health and wellness, safety and dignity in communities, and economic development, Abreu has


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Bronx Assemblyman Victor Pichardo Endorses Oswald Feliz for City Council

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Oswald Feliz, tenant lawyer and one of around eight candidates running in the 15th District Council race to replace the incumbent councilman and Congressman-elect Ritchie Torres, announced on Tuesday, Dec. 22, that he has been endorsed by Bronx Assemblyman Victor Pichardo, who represents around 30 to 35 percent of the district that Feliz seeks to represent.   “As a tenant lawyer, Oswald defended our most vulnerable residents at risk of eviction,” said Pichardo in a statement. “I know he will continue to champion the issues that matter most to Bronx residents: public education, affordable housing, and recovering from the coronavirus


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Blake Endorses Fernández for Bronx Borough President

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández, representing the 80th Assembly District and candidate for Bronx Borough President, announced on Monday, Dec. 21, that she has been endorsed by her colleague and fellow Bronxite, Assemblyman Michael Blake, who represents the 79th Assembly District. The two have a history of working together at the State Assembly.    In a press release announcing the endorsement, Blake touted Fernández’s “borough-wide experience as the Bronx regional representative for the Governor as well as her work building a diverse coalition of Bronxites to fight for criminal justice reform, equal housing opportunity and increased protections for the most vulnerable.”   


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Espaillat Gets Vaccinated for COVID-19, Will Serve on Influential House Appropriations Committee

By SÍLE MOLONEY
On Sunday, Dec. 20, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, representing New York’s 13th congressional district which covers the north-west Bronx, Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill, released a statement, in English and in Spanish, after being vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the United States Capitol.   “Our nation’s leading scientists and researchers have developed a vaccine that has been tested and produced based on science to meet our highest standards of safety and effectiveness,” said Espaillat.   “Today, I was administered the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID19 vaccine to ensure my constituents of its safety and effectiveness.


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Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson Formally Kicks Off Borough Presidency Campaign Launch

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson formally kicked off her campaign launch for the Bronx borough presidency on Thursday, Dec. 17, issuing a press release in both English and Spanish to confirm the news. The councilwoman for Bronx’s 16th City Council district focused her message on the inequities in healthcare and food security prevalent in the Bronx, in her bid to win the hearts and minds of voters, highlighting that the last year has been especially hard for those at the lower end of the income scale, but offering hope by saying together the community would make it through the crisis and emerge


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Biaggi Celebrates New Law Limiting Hate Symbols on State Property

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi was celebrating, on Dec. 15, the signing into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo of a new bill S8298B, for which she was the lead sponsor, which prohibits the State of New York from selling or displaying symbols of hate.   The bill states that the State shall not sell or display any symbols of hate or similar image, or tangible personal property, inscribed with such an image, unless the image appears in a book, digital medium, museum, or otherwise serves an educational or historical purpose.   The term, “symbols of hate” shall include, but


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Salazar, Mark-Viverito Endorse Elisa Crespo in 15th City Council District Race

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Both State Sen. Julia Salazar and former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced on Monday, Dec. 14, that they are endorsing Elisa Crespo for the 15th District City Council seat, currently held by newly elected congressman, Ritchie Torres.   In a video shared on Twitter, Mark-Viverito said, “We need a candidate who will create pathways for unemployed workers, particularly those stigmatized by race, gender identity, or former incarceration status. We must seize upon this moment to make history, and elect bold leaders who are prepared to tackle the fights ahead. That’s why I’m proud to endorse mi hermana, a fellow Latina,


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NY Working Families Party Endorses Four Bronx City Council Candidates, including Lora & Abreu

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The New York Working Families Party (WFP) announced on Friday, Dec. 11, its endorsement of four 2021 New York City Council candidates in the Bronx: Adolfo Abreu for District 14, Mino Lora for District 11, Althea Stevens for District 16, and Marjorie Velázquez for District 13. The party said all four candidates are longtime community leaders, spanning all corners of the Bronx.   Sochie Nnaemeka, state director of the party, said that this year New York City voters demanded bold, progressive candidates up and down the ballot. “As we approach the 2021 elections, we must heed this mandate by electing


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