When Marcos Sierra stepped down as male district leader for Norwood’s 80th Assembly District, which stretches from Norwood to Morris Park, he was on the verge of being a dad again. His mother, meantime, was facing critical surgery.

It was too much for Sierra, once a member of Community Board 7 who now serves as assistant program director for R.A.I.N., who decided to step down.

John Zaccaro Jr., also a former CB7 member and current chief of staff to Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr., soon stepped up, appointed by the Bronx Democratic Party to fill the post. Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez currently represents the 80th Assembly District.

But now Sierra looks to reclaim the seat he relinquished in 2017, mounting a run for the district leader post, and framing Zaccaro as an absentee party emissary.

“One of the common things that I hear is that people still think that I’m the district leader and when I mention that I’m not, and let them know who is, they have no idea who this guy is,” said Sierra of Zaccaro.

District leader posts are party positions that call attention to issues that are relayed to the party. They’re also key decision-makers when it comes to voting who gets on the party’s executive committee, which shapes the party’s direction.

It’s a post that Zaccaro said is “what you make of it.” “For a district leader to be effective on a political level, you need to have your ears to the ground. You need a buy-in from the community,” said Zaccaro.

For Sierra, the position should mean holding people accountable, including elected officials. He’s found that isn’t always the case. In one exchange he remembered having with Daniel Johnson, political director for the Bronx Democratic Party, told Sierra to that “first rule of Bronx politics is you don’t betray the chairman of county.” Johnson said this exchange never happened.

Without mentioning many woes specific to the Norwood side of the district, Sierra did point to issues that have gone unaddressed in parts of the district, notably gentrification, under-employment, the lack of business incubators, and the proliferation of drug treatment facilities popping up as of late.

“[W]hen you speak to elected officials, they act as if they don’t know what’s going on,” said Sierra.

Zaccaro, however, said that quality of life issues, including crime, housing, and senior services are hampering the Norwood side of the district. Greater education on the state’s rent laws and the Green Light Law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses have also been priorities for Zaccaro. “The issues stem far and wide, and so I’ve actually been happy to work with various community groups and issues,” said Zaccaro, who serves as the Liberty Democratic Association and a member of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association.

Zaccaro did not directly respond to Sierra’s assertions of being an absentee district leader, but focused squarely on his ability to be a coalition builder.

“Granted, there can be a lot said about our local elected officials, and how they legislate, and some of issues that they’re dealing with, but at the end of the day this is really all about addressing and working with folks to address local issues, and I think I’ve done just that,” said Zaccaro.

Petitioning to get on the ballot starts on Feb. 25.

Editor’s Note: Sierra had once intern for the Norwood News prior to the current editor’s arrival.