The Bronx Voter Guide 2020: NY State Assembly
Politicians are swarming to The Bronx as a potential stepping stone to greater political aspirations, influence, and clout. We do not want our beloved borough to be a pawn used in political gain. We want to see representatives, leaders, and politicians who will work for the best for The Bronx and its communities.
We have compiled a Voter Guide to the New York State Assembly. The Voter Guide is not an endorsement of any candidate, but an encouragement to do your research, find a candidate who aligns with your positions, and vote in the Primary Election on Tuesday, June 23.
NY State Assembly: Quick Facts
The NYS Assembly is the Lower House of the NYS Legislature. The Upper House is the NYS Senate. There are 150 seats In the NYS Assembly and ALL of them are up for re-election in 2020. There is one seat per district in New York State.
Assembly District boundaries are determined by population and boundaries shift after the census.
Assembly District 77
LATOYA JOYNER
Assumed Office: 2015
SPONSORED LEGISLATION – MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PASSED
• Establish the lease and landlord fraud public awareness program
• Create a task force on affordable housing lotteries
• Creates a temporary state commission to investigate asthma in the Bronx
• Establish a public awareness campaign for maternal depression
There is no primary for AD-77. Joyner is the Democratic Party nominee for the General Election.
Assembly District 78 Candidates
JOSE RIVERA
Assumed Office: 2001
SPONSORED LEGISLATION – MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PASSED
• Requiring day care centers and public schools to contact parents or guardians of a child when they have an unexpected absence from school or day care
• Extends the expiration date of one day admission to the zoological park
FRANCISCO SPIES
We were unable to verify the candidate’s campaign.
Assembly District 79 Candidates
Current incumbent, Assemblymember Michael Blake, elected in 2014, is not seeking re-election. Asm. Blake is currently a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House Congressional District 15.
GEORGE ALVAREZ
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Accessible and affordable housing stock
• Increase funding for pre-k, and after school programs
• Support small businesses
CHANTEL JACKSON
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
Wellness, Housing, Education, Now! (WHEN!) platform:
• Increase mental health funding
• Lower evictions and increase home ownership
• Education focus on real estate, business, credits, and stocks
DION POWELL
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Pro-life
• Mandatory civic and local engagement for residents
• School 365 days/year
• Faith based leadership to fight “moral poverty”
• Advocate of men’s rights in relation to child support
ELVIS SANTANA
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Housing not Warehousing Act proponent
•Increase tuition aid programs for CUNY & SUNY
• Environmental justice
Assembly District 80
NATHALIA FERNANDEZ
Assumed Office: 2018
SPONSORED LEGISLATION – MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PASSED
• Prohibit criminal history questions on rental applications
• Training for teachers, administrators and instructors in mental health
• Tax credit for small businesses employing a person previously convicted of a crime
• Establish a Latina suicide prevention task force
There is no primary for AD-80. Fernandez is the Democratic Party nominee for the General Election.
Assembly District 81 Candidates
JEFFREY DINOWITZ
Assumed Office: 1994
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Limit fracking
• Green initiatives
• Protecting children’s rights in court hearings
• Protect tenant rights against landlords
GEORGE DIAZ
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Address transportation infrastructure
• Expand gifted and talented programs
• Protect tenant rights
• Registry of convicted domestic abusers
• Support and increase funding for small businesses
Assembly District 82 Candidates
MICHAEL BENEDETTO
Assumed Office: 2005
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Extend ferry service to Ferry Point, coming 2021
• Increase budget for community schools
• Improved transportation design and redesign I-95
EGIDIO SEMENTILLI
Candidate does not have a campaign website.
Assembly District 83
CARL HEASTIE
Assumed Office: 2001
ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE 83RD DISTRICT (per Heastie)
• Construction of a 50,000 sf YMCA creating 100 permanent jobs
• $1.5 million for improvements at Mitchell-Lama housing
• Renovations, landscaping, upgraded plumbing at Bronxwood Towers
• City’s Trees & Sidewalks program to repair sidewalks
There is no primary for AD-83. Heastie is the Democratic Party nominee for the General Election.
Assembly District 84
Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo was disqualified from the Democratic primary for election fraud. Amanda Septimo is running uncontested.
AMANDA SEPTIMO
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Transportation: a restructuring of current tax laws to fund free MTA rides
• Education: Remove politics from school funding and close funding gaps
• Housing: change Average Median Income (AMI) guidelines to change affordable housing requirements; deduct NYCHA tenant repairs from rent
• Justice: alternatives to incarceration
Assembly District 85 Candidates
Assemblyman Marcos Crespo is not seeking re-election.
KENNETH BURGOS
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Right to Counsel for tenants in housing proceedings; end MCIs; end vacancy increases
• Police Statistics and Transparency Act
• End redlining; affordable leases for small businesses
• Invest in clean energy
WILLIAM MOORE
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Term limits for elected officials
• Reducing Unnecessary Arrests for low-level, Penal Code violating offenses
• Bill of Rights to govern the city’s shelter system and provide realistic affordable home ownership opportunities
• Increased funding for school libraries and adequate computers in all schools, along with access to music, art and gym
Assembly District 86
VICTOR PICHARDO
Assumed Office: 2013
SPONSORED LEGISLATION – MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PASSED
• Enacts the “safe streets security camera registry act” for NYC
• Establish a joint legislative committee on racial equity in New York state
• Establish a fund for the creation of affordable housing
• Tax credits for homeowners and businesses who invest in green infrastructure
There is no primary for AD-86. Pichardo is the Democratic Party nominee for the General Election.
Assembly District 87 Candidates
KARINES REYES
Assumed Office: 2019
DISTRICT ACCOMPLISHMENTS (per Reyes)
• Provided $174k to local organizations in AD-87
• Extended the Child Health Insurance Program
• Protect breastfeeding rights for working mothers
• Protect tenant rights against landlord
GARFIELD HOLLAND
CAMPAIGN POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
• Abolish ICE
• Stricter gun laws and ban assault weapons
• Tax benefits for working and middle class homeowners
• Medicare for all
• Housing as a human right
Why is there no primary for my district?
Good question. This could be due to a few different reasons, or a combination of these.
1) The incumbent is not being challenged.
2) The incumbent is not seeking re-election (either voluntarily or involuntarily) and there is only one candidate.
Why does the primary matter?
Typically, especially in predominately Democratic Districts, the primary election winner is the party nominee for the General Election in November.
What if my candidate doesn’t win the primary?
It’s OK. Representatives serve two year terms. They are elected officials, dependent on the votes of their constituents. If we, the community, do not see tangible change, they can be replaced and a proper candidate can assume their position. Two years is not that long.
Remember…
As elected officials, Representatives have to serve YOU. They work for their district, for The Bronx. Pay attention to who is running, what they do and do not do in office, and what they promised their district.
We can, and will, hold them accountable.
Sign up to follow the Road to the 2020 Elections
We will be releasing additional voter guides shortly and following all candidates to the November General Election.
