Elections

South Bronx: Street Co-Naming Held in Honor of Venancio “Benny” Catala Jr.

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Family and friends of the late Venacio “Benny” Catala Jr., joined together at 166th Street and Teller Avenue just east of Morrisania on Saturday, July 29, as Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and District 16 City Council Member Althea Stevens hosted a street co-naming ceremony to honor the popular community leader for what was described as his decades of public service and community leadership.

UPDATE ELECTIONS 2023: Unofficial Results of Bronx Primary Races on Election Night & Ranked Choice

By SÍLE MOLONEY, MIRIAM QUIÑONES & DAVID GREENE
After the polls closed on Tuesday, June 27, NYC Board of Elections released the initial, unofficial results of the primary elections which took place that day, based on a percentage of returned poll site scanners.   The initial results cover both early votes and election day votes. Absentee and overseas ballots still have to be counted, as do the remaining scanners. Below is a summary of the unofficial results for The Bronx. The latest updated results as of June 28 are also now included below.   Democratic incumbent, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark led with 72.72 percent of votes


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Elections 2023: CFB Approves Final “Matching Funds” Payments to City Council Candidates

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  The NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) approved, on June 23, public matching funds payments totaling $1,316,540 in the final round of payment opportunities for 2023 City Council primaries. Board Chair Frederick Schaffer approved the payments pursuant to a delegation of authority from the Board.   As reported, to qualify for public funds, candidates must demonstrate support by raising small contributions in their communities. This encourages the candidates to spend more time speaking to voters and less time fundraising. Click here to see the exact thresholds that candidates must meet to qualify for public funds.   The table below lists


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FDNY: Stove Fire at Tracey Towers Results in No Injuries

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  A fire at Tracey Towers housing complex, located on the Norwood-Bedford Park border, on Saturday resulted in no injuries the FDNY said. An FDNY spokesperson said the department was alerted to reports of a fire at the 871-unit complex, located at 40 West Mosholu Parkway South, at around 5.10 p.m. on Saturday, June 24. A security guard later told Norwood News the fire broke out on the 27th floor.   Meanwhile, the FDNY spokesperson said the incident was caused by an “oven fire” and was contained to the stove. The spokesperson said the gas was shut down on the


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UPDATE Elections 2023: Council Member Marjorie Velázquez Endorsed by NYC PBA in Re-Election BID in District 13

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  District 13 City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez announced on Wednesday, June 21, that she received the endorsement of the New York City Police Benevolent Association (NYC PBA) in her bid for re-election in the upcoming Democratic primary on June 27. The councilwoman won her seat in 2021. Her team said the endorsement highlights what they described as “Velázquez’s unwavering commitment to public safety and her dedication to supporting law enforcement officers who serve and protect the residents of New York City.”   Representatives for the union, which represents over 24,000 active and retired police officers, said they recognize Velázquez as


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Elections 2023: Voters in City Council Districts Where There is No Primary Should Still Vote in the Bronx DA’s Race

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  Resident, Helen Krim, has contacted Norwood News to raise an urgent voting issue which she believes may mislead voters of City Council District 11.   Krim wrote, “I received a publication from NYCVotes.org. The about page states, ‘NYC Votes is an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, the independent city agency that ensures local elections are fair, inclusive, and open’.” Krim continued, “Page 14 of that publication announces, ‘There is no Primary Election in City Council District 11’.” She added, “This is not true. There is a very important primary election for the Bronx District Attorney


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UPDATE Elections 2023: Bradshaw Takes Challenge of District 14 Seat to the Streets

By DAVID GREENE & SÍLE MOLONEY
State committeewoman for Assembly District 78, Rachel Bradshaw, Fordham Hill Co-op board secretary, and candidate in the upcoming Democratic City Council primary election for District 14, joined a group of supporters on Saturday, May 27, as she took her campaign to unseat the incumbent, Council Member Pierina Sanchez who has held the seat since 2022, to the streets of Fordham Manor.   District 14 broadly encompasses some or all of the neighborhoods of Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham Manor, Fordham Heights, Bedford Park, University Heights, Mt. Hope and Morris Heights. It is bordered to the south by the Cross Bronx Expressway.  


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Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on Former President Donald Trump’s Indictment on Federal Charges

By DAVID GREENE
This week, we asked readers for their thoughts on former U.S. President Donald Trump becoming the first former president of the United States to be indicted on federal charges.   “Well, if he did something wrong, he should be indicted. He seems like he’s scattered by one thing after another. I think he should be held responsible for it all. Will he be convicted? It’s hard to say because he has good lawyers and sometimes, he gets out of some things; it’s possible.” Mazie Robinson, Fordham Manor “Donald Trump is a person with every right accorded [to] someone accused of a


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UPDATE Elections 2023: Candidate for Bronx District Attorney Tess Cohen Profiled

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.   A criminal defense and civil rights attorney who has represented victims of sexual assault, among others, both in civil and criminal court, Tess Cohen is challenging incumbent Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark for the role she has held since 2016 in the upcoming Democratic Primary on June 27. Cohen is broadly running on a platform of reforming criminal justice policy and prioritizing prevention over punishment.   Before working as a defense attorney, Cohen worked for 8 years at the NYC Office of the


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