By DAVID CRUZ

With the Congressional Primary set for June 24, the Norwood News spoke to the top three candidates for the 13th Congressional District over the issues miring the Bronx side of the district. Part one of this three-part series  focuses on the incumbent, State Senator Adriano Espaillat. 

Sen. Adriano Espaillat – A Harbinger for Changing Political Tides in the 13th CD 

State Senator Adriano Espaillat has spent the last two years regrouping since his narrow defeat from Congressman Charles Rangel in the 13th Congressional District. For the past two years, Espaillat has attempted to perfect his balancing act—juggling the tasks of a state senator representing Manhattan while assimilating in the Bronx. His time in the borough has been rewarded, given the endorsement of the Bronx political machine.

Like his rivals in the race, Espaillat has made Bronx appearances. At a recent campaign stop, Espaillat stood outside the Mosholu Parkway subway station on the 4 line, assisted by members of the Northwest Bronx Democrats to hand out pro-Espaillat fliers. A young man passed by, took a flier, and muttered, “That’s the Dominican guy.” Espaillat remains the de facto face of change of racial politics in the 13th Congressional District, which has historically been African-American.

But Espaillat, who is Dominican-born, downplayed his ethnic roots in a phone interview with the Norwood News, instead pegging himself as a consensus builder across all ethnicities.

“I’m optimistic that with a new vision and renewed commitment across the district with a diverse coalition I put together politically–from Jeff Dinowitz, to Melissa Mark-Viverito to Carl Heastie to Billy Thompson to Ruben Diaz Jr. to Mark Levine,” said Espaillat, “I believe with all that I will be taken seriously in Washington.”

Though he didn’t cite specific issues plaguing the borough, he has seen the same problems at the Manhattan side of the 13th District engulfing the Bronx side. Of all the issues Espaillat intends to address on the federal level is the persistent jobless rate that’s mostly impacted young Bronxites. To fix the problem, Espaillat looks to drive up the local economy by expanding the Empowerment Zone program to the northwest Bronx. The program offers tax cuts of $3,000 per resident employee to job creators. Espaillat wants small businesses to reap the benefits.

“I will double that tax credit for small businesses to be able to hire local folks, and companies will be able to write that off as a tax credit so that is important,” said Espaillat in a phone interview with the Norwood News. “Small businesses are getting very little help.”

Though not directly citing Rangel, Espaillat has pegged the failure of immigration reform on Congress.

The race is certainly a litmus test over whether the black voting bloc in the 13th Congressional District has been replaced by a multi-cultural shift. “The whole nation is paying attention to this race,” said Espaillat, “if not the world.”

Next part will focus on Reverend Michael Walrond.