by Elijah Snyder

North Bronx Voters Weigh in During June 23rd Democratic Primary.

Voters in Co-op City and the North Bronx headed to the polls on June 23 for the Democratic primary, where incumbent candidates in State Senate, State Assembly, and U.S. House races largely secured renomination, setting the stage for the November general election. 

The results largely reinforce the existing political leadership in the region, with most sitting officials maintaining their nominations. In areas that lean left, such as the North Bronx, Democratic nominees tend to have a significant advantage in the general election. Thus, the results from this past Tuesday will likely carry over into November, shaping ongoing representation in Albany and Washington. 

In almost all elections representing the North Bronx, voters cast ballots for long-standing incumbents. The results of these contests will determine who advances to the general election, where they will be heavily favored.

House Race

Ritchie Torres secured the Democratic nomination for New York’s 15th Congressional District, defeating challenger Michael Blake.  The incumbent, Torres, maintained a strong lead throughout, bolstered by a variety of endorsements and a significant fundraising advantage. Preliminary results reported by the New York Times show that Torres won by approximately 50 percentage points.

The results reflect the strength of incumbency in the borough. While some other districts saw incumbents like Dan Goldman and Adriano Espillat ousted in favor of more progressive candidates, District 15 followed a more traditional pattern, favoring the sitting official.

State Senate

Jamaal Bailey:

Jamaal Bailey represents New York’s 36th State Senate District, covering the Bronx neighborhoods of Woodlawn, Williamsbridge, Co-op City, Wakefield, Baychester and the Westchester city of Mount Vernon. 

In the most recent Democratic primary, Bailey won his party’s nomination for the third straight time, maintaining his position as the district’s incumbent. His campaign focused on issues including criminal justice reform, police reform, and equitable insurance coverage, areas he emphasized during his previous terms.

Gustavo Rivera:

Senator Gustavo Rivera represents New York’s 33rd State Senate District, comprising Fordham, Belmont, Riverdale, Kingsbridge Heights, Norwood, Bedford Park, Pelham Parkway, Van Nest, Morris Park, and parts of Allerton. 

Rivera, chair of the Senate Health Committee, acquired the Democratic nomination in the June 23 primary. Throughout his campaign and tenure, he has prioritized expanding access to healthcare, reducing medical debt, strengthening patient protections, preventing opioid overdoses, establishing hospital staffing standards, advancing affordable housing, and improving mental health services. 

State Assembly:

Like the state senate primaries, the state assembly primaries also favored incumbents, with Carl Heastie and Michael Benedetto both maintaining their seats.

Carl Heastie:

Carl Heastie represents Assembly District 83, covering Co-Op City, Baychester, Edenwald, Eastchester, Wakefield, Williamsbridge, and Woodlawn.

Like many of his fellow incumbents, Heastie also secured renomination from the Democratic Party. According to his official platform, Heastie’s priorities as Assembly Speaker include addressing affordable housing, education, public safety, economic opportunity, and healthcare. As Speaker of the New York State Assembly, Heastie plays a leading role in determining the body’s agenda.

Michael Benedetto:

Michael Benedetto has represented District 82 since 2005, and it looks like he’ll be serving for at least another term. The neighborhoods of Co-op City, Throggs Neck, Pelham Bay, Westchester Square, Country Club, and City Island are all under his jurisdiction.

Benedetto, an experienced educator, secured nomination after facing Jake Kuhl and Felix Omozusi. His priorities as chair of the education committee include Education, Special education, Veterans’ affairs, Public Safety, Quality of Life in East Bronx, and support for parks and community projects With the primary concluded, the winning candidates will advance to the November general election. For voters in the North Bronx, the results indicate that representation in Albany and Washington will likely remain unchanged following November.