Members of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club—which has heavy influence in local races—kept club matters status quo this week after its incumbent president Michael Heller overcame a challenge by newcomer Morgan Evers by a count of 243 to 153 for club president.

The election drew hundreds to the American Legion Hall in Kingsbridge, where candidates were given five minutes to lay out their platforms. Heller pointed to his decades of public service and politics dating back to his teenage years when Mayor John Lindsay spoke at his junior high school.  “Through my entire life I’ve chosen to work in areas where I think I can do a lot for the public and giving back,” Heller said.

One of the foremost issues on Heller’s mind, and a recurring theme throughout the night by candidates seeking other positions, was to ensure Bronx Democrats organize to defeat President Donald Trump, who is seeking to be re-elected this November.  “[We need to] elect our local Democrats … to defeat Donald Trump.  That’s something we can all agree upon,” said Heller.

Much of the club’s strength lies in its well-organized members in Riverdale, whose elected leaders represent districts that cross into Norwood. Councilman Andrew Cohen and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, whose have districts that overlap with Norwood, have long been endorsed by the club. To get an endorsement from the club often means getting member volunteers to gather petitions and phone bank for a candidate.

While Heller spoke about doing more within the club to bring in a younger generation of Democratic activists, Evers expressed the need to create a sense of community within the club.

After the final votes were announced, Evers spoke to the Norwood News.  “I’m really proud of the work my team did. I had so many supporters, so many people who came here and showed up,” Evers said.

Her team was largely comprised of candidates that formed her slate, with 11th Council District candidate Daniel Padernacht among them. But it was her endorsements from state Sens. Gustavo Rivera and Alessandra Biaggi that made her a viable candidate, even in the face of blowback for Rivera. His backing had nearly cost him the club’s recent endorsement when he came before it for support of his own run for re-election, as first reported by the Riverdale Press. Dinowitz, who represents the 81st Assembly District, is considered an important influencer to the club’s direction. He endorsed Heller for president over Evers.

It was reported that Rivera’s support of new leadership within the club was considered as “disloyal” by a former club president.

Asked what the voting results meant for Bronx Democrats, Evers put it in perspective.  “I guess a lot of people are happy with the status quo, but you wouldn’t have known that by the election of Alessandra Biaggi two years ago,” said Evers. Biaggi had unseated state Sen. Jeff Klein, who had one point headed the powerful Independent Democratic Conference, which routinely caucused with Republicans.

She is still hopeful for change given she secured nearly 39 percent of the vote. “There’s a lot of room in this neighborhood for growth and there’s a lot of positive work that we need to do,” Evers said.

Additional reporting by David Cruz