With about 13 hours until polls open, here are some quick updates, notes and thoughts before the Sept. 13 primary.
–Polls are open tomorrow from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find out where to vote here. Vote!
–Mark Gjonaj is pulling out all the stops to unseat Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera in the 80th Assembly District. I was at Bronx Supreme Court this morning with more than 100 Tracey Towers residents, almost all of them seniors and voters. Everyone I spoke with said they were voting for Gjonaj because of how he helped them file an injunction that temporarily stalled a rent increase that would amount to 65 percent over four years. Residents said they felt abandoned by Rivera who talked a big game about helping Tracey tenants at a rally in early August, but hasn’t been heard from sense. Gjonaj’s campaign is sparing no expense. They had a sticker on the front cover of the Daily News‘ Bronx edition and spent big money in the Bronx Press-Review. (Gjonaj also took out a full-page ad in the Norwood News.) The Daily News endorsed Gjonaj. The Press-Review went a a giant step further: putting a glowing story about Gjonaj being the “front-runner” in the race and putting the endorsement on the front page. The paper, which sells for $.50 on the street, was also mailed to registered voters in the district. If Gjonaj loses, it will not be for lack of effort or expense.
–Anybody seen Naomi Rivera? (She’s still the incumbent, has the backing of County and unions and will be tough to beat tomorrow.)
–Irene Estrada-Rukaj says Gjonaj’s campaign workers have gone beyond being aggressive and “bullying” and “harassing” her on the campaign trail. She got so fed up that she filed a complaint with police at the 49th Precinct.
–Estrada-Rukaj has a daughter who is a cop in the 52nd Precinct. She also has a new campaign video.
–Talked with 75-year-old Assemblyman Jose Rivera yesterday. When I asked him how he’s campaigning this time around, he said, “I’ve been campaigning since 1959! Hey, I do it better than Obama!” Actually, though, he said he was taking the day off from campaigning yesterday to commemorate the 9/11 tragedy. He said he really likes his opponent Ricky Martinez, but doesn’t understand why he would want to run against him.
–Rivera says he’s patched things up with Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. who he says he “brought into politics” back in the day.
–After saying that he didn’t have an excuses for his less-than-stellar attendance record, Rivera mentioned several maladies that may have prevented him from voting over the past few years. He also wants to know who the 26 other pols with worse attendance records are.
Look out for more election coverage tomorrow. Vote!
I am suprised by Ms. Estrada-Rukaj’s comments regarding Gjonaj canvassers. As a canvasser, I was personally given a expletive filled rant by the “candidate” only recently, being told to “get the f*** off of her block.”
This is not the person we need to represent the integrity of our district.
Marcos Siera