www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY June 21, 2020 2
Everything you need to know for the
June 23 Democratic primary elections
BY ALEX MITCHELL,
JASON COHEN AND
JENNA BAGCAL
With the June 23 Democratic
primary less than a week away,
voters will head to the polls
to choose candidates in some
important local races, including
Congress, State Senate and
State Assembly.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS
Although the fi rst deadline
for absentee ballots passed on
June 16, Governor Andrew
Cuomo extended the deadline to
Monday, June 22 for individuals
who plan on submitting applications
in-person at a local Board
of Elections offi ce. Learn more
about absentee voting here:
elections.ny.gov/votingabsentee.
html.
EARLY VOTING
There are still opportunities
for individuals to vote early
and those who are interested
can fi nd their voting location at
nyc.pollsitelocator.com/search.
Those who want to participate
in early voting can do so until
Sunday, June 21. Check below
for early voting dates and
times:
• Thursday, June 18, 2020 – 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday, June 19, 2020 – 7 a.m.
to 3 p.m.
• Saturday, June 20, 2020 – 10
a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, June 21, 2020 – 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
WHO’S ON THE BALLOT
Here are some key races to
look out for:
Ny-14 Congressional
District
Areas: Pelham Gardens, City
Island, Country Club, Van Nest,
Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham
Bay, Schuylerville, Allerton
and Throggs Neck
Progressive incumbent Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez faces
award winning, Hispanic CNBC
journalist Michelle Caruso-
Cabrera in her primary for the
fate of the east Bronx and western
Queens.
In what has become a heated
campaign between the two Democratic
candidates, Caruso-Cabrera
accused AOC of avoiding
a debate between the two, which
a representative of Ocasio-Cortez
disputed.
Caruso-Cabrera said she
values the Democratic Party
and is the daughter and granddaughter
of immigrants. She described
how her family worked
overnight shifts and her father
was one of the fi rst to go to college.
During COVID-19, the congresswoman
has delivered
over 772 meals to the Bronx
to a Glebe Avenue NYCHA senior
complex, Pelham Parkway
houses, Parkside houses and
Throggs Neck Houses.
Her campaign’s fi eld team
and volunteers have made over
78,000 calls to check on Bronx
residents’ well-being and connect
them with local resources.
Also, the campaign has raised
nearly $576,000 for 26 community
groups exclusively through
small-dollar, grassroots donors.
Two other candidates, fi -
nancial controller and activist
Badrun Khan and professional
chess player and perennial candidate
Sam Sloan are also running
in this race.
NY-15 Congressional
District
Areas: Mott Haven, Hunts
Point, Melrose, High Bridge,
Morrisania, East Tremont,
Tremont, Morris Heights, University
Heights, Belmont, Fordham,
Bedford Park, West Farms,
the Longwood Avenue Historic
District, and parts of Soundview
This competitive race includes
12 Democratic candidates
who all vying for the
Congressional seat. Incumbent
Congressman José E. Serrano,
who has served this district
since 2013, is vacating the seat,
leaving the race wide open for a
new representative.
District 18 Councilman Ruben
Diaz Sr. appears to be a favorite
in the race despite being
criticized for his anti-LGBTQ
and misogynistic viewpoints.
The councilman failed to show
up to a virtual debate on June
2, during which 10 of the candidates
duked it out in front of an
online audience.
Recently, the New York
Times endorsed District 15
Councilman Ritchie Torres
saying that he would be the
“best positioned” to beat Diaz,
calling it an “urgent task.”
Other candidates in the
race include former New York
City Council Speaker Melissa
Mark-Viverito, New York State
Assemblyman and Vice Chair
of the Democratic National
Committee Michael Blake,
District 10 Councilman Ydanis
Rodriguez, Samelys Lopez, an
activist in the Housing Justice
for All statewide coalition and
co-founder of Local Democrats
of NY, Tomas Ramos, the program
director for Children’s
Arts & Science Workshops at
the Bronx River Community
Center, Frangell Basora, a former
Congressional intern, copy
center owner and former candidate
for Bronx Borough President
Mark Escoffery-Bey,
insurance agent Black Lives
Matter organizer Chivona R.
Newsome, entrepreneur Julio
Pabon and former New York
City Council aide Marlene J.
Tapper.
NY-16 Congressional
District
Areas: Baychester, Co-op
City, Eastchester, Edenwald,
Fieldston, Riverdale (North and
South), Spuyten Duyvil, Wakefi
eld, Williamsbridge, Woodlawn
What already was a race to
watch has now become the center
of political attention as Hillary
Clinton endorsed incumbent
Congressman Eliot Engel
while Senator Elizabeth Warren
endorsed his progressive
foe, Jamaal Bowman.
Bowman was also endorsed
by Congresswoman Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Gustavo
Rivera, Senator Alessandra
Biaggi and Comptroller Scott
Stringer, helping him become a
front-runner to upset Engel on
Tuesday, June 23.
In Washington, Engel chairs
the house’s foreign affairs committee
and is only one of two
New York delegates to serve on
that committee.
Ironically in 2018, the establishment
democrat spoke
highly of AOC after she won her
own congressional race, telling
the Bronx Times “I have no concerns
about her ability to do a
good job,” adding that he was
excited to work with her.
State Senate District 32
Areas: Parkchester, Soundview,
West Farms, Hunts Point,
Longwood, Concourse, Melrose,
Morrisania, Mott Haven,
East Tremont, and Westchester
Square
Senator Luis Sepulveda
is defending his incumbency
against Democratic challengers
Pamela Stewart-Martinez
and John Perez. Sepulveda replaced
longtime Senator Ruben
Diaz Sr., who opted to run for
City Council in 2017. Sepulveda
won the special election in 2017
and elected to a full term in
2018.
The senator currently serves
as the chairman of the Crime
Victims, Crime and Correction
Committee.
This is Stewart-Martinez’s
second run for the 32nd Senate
District seat. She worked in a
communications company for
seven years before transitioning
to the public sector. Perez
is currently the 87th Assembly
District Leader and former career
U.S. Army Sergeant.
State Senate District 34
Areas: Spuyten Duyvil, Riverdale,
Hunts Point, Castle Hill,
Throggs Neck, Pelham Gardens,
Pelham Parkway, City Island
Incumbent Senator Alessandra
Biaggi is being challenged
by James Gisondi. In
2018, Biaggi beat longtime Sen-
Photo via Getty Images
Continued on Page 7
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