State Senator and Bronx Democratic chair, Jamaal T. Bailey released the following statement on Sunday, Sept. 26, on the nomination of Yudelka Tapia as Democratic nominee for the 86th Assembly District. 

 

“We are proud to congratulate District Leader Yudelka Tapia on her nomination by the 86th Bronx Democratic county committee to serve as the next Assemblymember of the 86th Assembly District,” he said. “The Bronx continues to make great strides towards leadership that is representative of our great borough. For the first time, The Bronx’s Assembly delegation is primed to be comprised of a majority of female members. Yudelka Tapia is shattering a glass ceiling, as she will be the first woman to represent the 86th Assembly District.”

Bailey went on to describe Tapia as a Dominican mother of four who raised her family in the Bronx and who works tirelessly to champion working families and serve her community as a union leader, organizer, and Democratic district leader.

 

“With over three decades of experience advocating for investment in our public schools, worker protections, safe and affordable housing, and criminal justice reforms to advance racial justice, Yudelka Tapia has long demonstrated her vision and leadership, and there is no one better-equipped to carry the mantle of leadership forward,” he said. “We look forward to working with her in this new capacity to fight hard for the resources we need for a fair recovery that lifts all of our communities.”

 

Tapia recently accepted the nomination to replace former Assemblymember Victor Pichardo, who left the office on Sept. 10. Accepting the nomination, Tapia issued a lengthy statement, in which she said, “The Bronx has been underserved and overlooked for far too long.” Her statement can be read in full below.

 

A district leader in district 37, as reported, Tapia was runner-up but ultimately lost the recent District 14 City Council primary in June to Pierina Sanchez, as reported, with Tapia winning 37 percent of the vote to Sanchez’s 62.

 

Tapia was also a 2013 Democratic candidate in the special election for the Assembly District 86 seat, and came in third in the District 14 City Council primary election in 2009 behind the incumbent Maria Baez and the winner, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, as reported.

In 2013, as previously reported, a judge upheld the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s decision to hold Tapia accountable for more than $100,000 in penalties and reimbursement payments, stemming from her unsuccessful City Council campaign in 2009.

 

During and following her 2009 run in the 14th Council District, Tapia racked up 12 campaign finances violations for a total of $47,774 in penalties. The violations included, among other things, making late filings or not making required filings, accepting money from a corporation, not reporting expenditures and not responding to draft reports. Tapia appealed the decision up to the Supreme Court, citing her son’s illness at the time. He had acted as her treasurer.

 

Ultimately, the judge ruled against Tapia and she had to repay $59,930.86 in matching funds that weren’t considered “qualified expenditures” and $47,774 in fines, before she was allowed participate, again, in the City’s matching funds program. Because he was treasurer, Tapia’s son was also responsible for paying back the funding and the fines. The penalties didn’t preclude her from running for office at the City or State level afterwards.

 

Norwood News reached out to the CFB earlier this year to check on the eventual outcome of that case and officials confirmed that the repayments were duly made. They added that it would not be accurate to say that Tapia was cleared of the violation however. We also reached out to Tapia’s campaign for a comment on that issue in the context of her latest District 14 City Council candidacy.

 

A campaign representative said, “What the CFB said will be accurate, and she [Tapia] got matching funds this cycle [the 2021 District 14 City Council primary race], so it has been resolved. As this was several years ago and didn’t have an impact on this race. We have no further comment on it.”

 

Meanwhile, on Monday, Bailey joined Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and District 16 City Councilwoman and Democratic nominee for Bronx borough president, Vanessa Gibson, to welcome Gov. Kathy Hochul to the Bronx at a Somos event held at a senior center in the borough on Monday, Sept. 27, to promote the roll out of booster COVID-19 shots for certain populations across the City. The full press conference can be watched here.