Say what you will about Pedro Espada, Jr. — and don’t worry, it’s already been said — but there’s one thing everyone can probably agree on: the former boxer is a survivor who doesn’t shy away from a fight.

In January, Espada, who previously was a senator in the south Bronx, marched into office as the new state senator in the 33rd District (which includes the entire Norwood News coverage area) already dogged by controversy over his residency (despite buying a Bedford Park co-op just before the election, news organizations frequently found him at his house in Mamaroneck) and lingering legal issues relating to how he had financed past campaigns.

By the end of spring, he had upset local housing activists by cozying up to landlord lobbyists and stalling long-delayed pro-tenant legislation. The Senate leadership had denied his request to give nearly $2 million in state grants to two nonprofit organizations only recently created by two employees of his health clinic empire.

By the end of July, Espada became a political pariah after single-handedly holding up state business in Albany for more than a month. Oh, and he still didn’t have a district office or a local phone number that his constituents could call.

Despite all of that, Espada will end the year as the Senate’s majority leader, the state’s highest ranking Hispanic elected official and an apparent shoo-in for re-election in 2010. (If there are any challengers, they haven’t come forward yet.)
Last fall, Democrats wrested control of the Senate away from Republicans for the first time in more than 40 years. But the slim 32 to 30 majority was tenuous at best and Espada exploited it for all it was worth.

Before even taking his seat in Albany, Espada traded his support for Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith for a plum appointment as chair of the Housing Committee. He used that position to curry favor with landlord groups and, at the same time, avoided addressing many tenant protection bills that have long been favored by Democrats.

He then spent much of the spring plotting with Republicans to overthrow Smith. In June, with several crucial bills awaiting passage, Republicans, along with Democrats Espada and Hiram Monserrate (Queens), voted to return leadership to the GOP.

Smith and the other Democrats then shut down the Senate, first by turning off the lights and locking the doors and then by not showing up for work. Monserrate quickly returned to the Democrats, but Espada held out until Smith finally agreed to give him the title of Majority Leader, as well as money for his new district office in the swank Fordham Place building.

Espada said he did all this in order to pass certain reforms that, in essence, do balance the power somewhat between the majority and minority parties. But there’s no reason why those reforms couldn’t have been passed through debate. And they came at the cost of several important bills that deserved passage, critics say. 

Espada has spent the fall reconstructing his image as a champion of the poor and disadvantaged, taking on issues of immigrant rights, gay marriage and gun violence. He’s been holding Thanksgiving dinners and supporting local business leaders.

Clearly under pressure, he also told about 1,400 people at a Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition gathering that he would support efforts to repeal vacancy de-control. 
What Espada accomplished politically in 2009 was nothing less than a feat of opportunistic political brilliance. Whether it will be good for the community, city or state remains to be seen. 
 —Alex Kratz