AOC organizer to challenge Benedetto ‘for real this time’
BY ALIYA SCHNEIDER
Progressive Democrat Jonathan
Soto was the third candidate to announce
that he is challenging longtime
state Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto in the June primary, but
it’s not his fi rst time seeking out the
position.
Soto, of Throggs Neck, announced
in June 2019 he would challenge
Benedetto in the 2020 Democratic
primaries, but dropped out in September
because he was preoccupied
rebuilding a school in Puerto Rico,
representing former Mayor Bill de
Blasio’s Hurricane Maria relief efforts.
But Soto is “running for real this
time,” he told the Bronx Times.
The 36-year-old is confi dent he
will bring new voters to the polls
with support from public school
parents — who he said have felt the
brunt of the pandemic and is the
“most activated” constituency —
and faith leaders. Soto led de Blasio’s
Clergy Advisory Council and was
the associate vice president of strategic
initiatives at Union Theological
Seminary.
As an organizer for U.S. Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, Soto developed
Homework Helpers, a volunteer
NYC’s #1 Source for Political & Election News
tutor program. He believes every
school should be a community school
— a model that offers a variety of services
to students and their families
— saying there are creative ways to
utilize the city’s education budget.
The public school parent has a
fi erce opposition to mayoral control
of schools, which he called “mayoral
tyranny,” and said it gives a dangerous
amount of power to the mayor
and takes away parents’ sense of
control over their children’s safety.
Mayoral control has been in place
since 2002 and lets the mayor appoint
the schools chancellor and nine out
of 15 members of the city’s Panel for
Educational Policy, instead of giving
power to locally elected school
boards. Soto, who has advocated for
schools to offer both remote and inperson
options, blames Benedetto,
who chairs the Assembly Education
Committee, for mayoral control.
Benedetto said while he doesn’t
have the sole authority to implement
mayoral control since it’s a collective
decision among state lawmakers
that will be reconsidered in June,
he thinks “the outcomes are essentially
the same” whether local school
boards or the mayor have authority
over schools.
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Jonathan Soto speaks to an Instagram live audience at a “landback ceremony” to launch his
campaign in front of Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point on Jan. 6, surrounded by David Galarza,
City Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan and state Senate candidate Ali Dini.
Photo | Aliya Schneider
That being said, the incumbent
prefers mayoral control, saying it
holds mayors accountable for their
education plans.
Soto also criticized Benedetto,
74, for accepting $2,500 from Donald
Trump in 2014 and $4,100 from
Trump Links Golf Course in 2015,
which Benedetto called a cheap
point, saying he redirected the donation
to the New York Coalition for
Immigrants once Trump was elected
into offi ce. Benedetto also referred to
Trump as a “disease of this country.”
Soto also points a fi nger at Benedetto
when it comes to the public
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point
Park, which he believes is “the most
racist and ineffi cient land use ever”
that stands in the way of residents
and the NYC Ferry, saying climate
infrastructure is a better investment.
Benedetto said he was not involved
in the development of the golf
course, which fi nished construction
in 2013 and fully opened in 2015, but
he was glad to see a former landfi ll
riddled with drag-racers, drinkers
and underground fi res developed
into “quite a beautiful golf course”
with a waterfront promenade.
This election cycle, Benedetto is
also being challenged in the June
28 Democratic primary by Progressive
Matthew Cruz, the district manager
for Community Board 10, and Al
Quattlebaum, a minister and business
owner.
“I cannot comment on his (Soto’s)
campaign, as I have spent many
years as an aide to then-Councilmember
(James) Vacca and having
been District Manager of my community
for over 4 years, I am unaware if
Mr. Soto has ever been active in our
community or if he has had any relationships
with other community
leaders,” Cruz said in a statement to
the Bronx Times.
Soto also questioned Cruz’s leadership,
saying the community board
was complicit in the golf course deal.
“It is good to see that our democracy
is alive and well; everyone has
the right to run,” Quattlebaum said
of Soto’s bid. “I look forward to discussing
the issues with Mr. Soto on
his views on issues like defunding
the police and school safety.”
Quattlebaum lists public safety
as a top priority, and says he will not
“cave in to buzz words” like “defund”
and “bail reform.”
Soto said he supports investing
in crime-preventing social services,
and letting victims of gun violence
sue manufacturers.
“Let’s invest in the healing of our
neighbors and stop investing in systems
that cause us all harm,” Soto
said.
Members of the New York State
Assembly make $110,000 annually
plus per diem, and their terms last
two years.
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