City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson, became the first citywide leader to endorse Eric Dinowitz in the District 11 City Council race on March 11. Dinowitz, a teacher and district leader in the 81st assembly district and son of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, earned Johnson’s support 11 days ago, giving his campaign another boost ahead of Election Day, March 23.   

Johnson, who also represents Manhattan’s City Council District 3, which includes Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Greenwich Village, West SoHo, Hudson Square, Times Square, Garment District, Flatiron, and the Upper West Side, said he was excited to endorse Dinowitz who he said, over the years, has proven himself to be the kind of leader the city needs in this time of crisis.

“As a Democratic district leader, he worked to make our voting process easier and more accessible. As aging chair of Bronx Community Board 8, he directed critical social services to our seniors. He has also been a public school special education teacher for 14 years, tirelessly serving our kids with the greatest needs,” Johnson said.

“I cannot overstate how important it is to elect public school educators to office, and I know he will be a positive force for change while maintaining the high level of public service of Former [District 11] Council Member Andy Cohen. I look forward to working with Eric to craft a budget that delivers for working families in the Bronx.” As reported by Norwood News, Johnson, who is currently running for the position of city comptroller, recently endorsed Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson for the position of Bronx borough president. Gibson, in turn, provided her endorsement of Cohen for the position of city comptroller.

Reacting to the endorsement, Dinowitz said he was honored to have Johnson’s support, describing him as a dedicated, progressive leader who has worked to bring people together to address some of the biggest challenges facing the city. “The Speaker’s endorsement gives us a major boost,” he said. “This special election is tremendously important for the future of the Bronx, and I am excited to work with the speaker to ensure an equitable recovery for the Northwest Bronx.”

Norwood News reported previously that 32BJ SEIU, DC37, Hotel Trades Council (HTC) had endorsed Dinowitz. We also reported that the District 11 candidate had previously been endorsed by Congressman Adriano Espaillat representing the 13th congressional district which includes parts of the Bronx and Manhattan, the United Federation of Teachers, and by both U.S. Congressman Ritchie Torres, who represents the 15th congressional district in the Bronx and who was seen campaigning in the borough for Dinowitz in recent days, and Bronx Democratic Chairperson, State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey, as well as by Bronx Borough President Ruben Díaz Jr.

Other endorsements included Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) of Greater New York-FDNY and Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors Local 2507, New York State Assembly Member Chantel Jackson, New York City Council Members Danny Dromm and Mark Treyger, the Bronx Democratic Party, Central Labor Council, the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC, and amid some controversy, the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club.

In accordance with the matching funds program, each dollar raised between $10 and $175 from New York City residents, is matched 8 times, using public funds. For the special election, the maximum payout from the matching funds program is $142,500, and spending is capped at $190,000.

BronxNet aired the first of a series of debates between the District 11 City Council candidates on Feb. 2, and that debate can be viewed online here. The Norwood News later provided a brief recap of the debate. Northwest Bronx Indivisible and Riverdale Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture hosted a further virtual debate among the candidates on Feb. 7. That debate can be viewed here.

Another debate was hosted by the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition in conjunction with LAAL, a nonprofit supporting Bengali women in the Norwood section of the Bronx on Feb. 10. That debate can be viewed here. A further debate hosted by City Limits was held on Feb. 14. That debate can be viewed here. A Woodlawn Candidate’s Forum was held on Feb. 15, moderated by BronxNet’s Gary Axelbank. That forum can be viewed here.

A City Council Town Hall, presented by the SAR High School EPG Club, based in Riverdale in the Northwest Bronx, was held on Feb. 17 and can be viewed here. A further District 11 City Council candidates’ forum was held on Feb. 22, hosted by the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association. This can be viewed here.

Riverdale Nature Preservancy has also hosted a virtual conversation with the District 11 special election candidates. Those conversations can be viewed in two parts, here and here. A second BronxNet debate was hosted by BronxTalk host, Gary Axelbank, and aired on Monday, March 15, at 9 p.m. on Optimum channel 67, and Fios channel 2133. That debate can be viewed here.

The District 11 race is one of the first two elections in the Bronx which will incorporate the new method of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), the other being District 15. RCV is a voting method whereby voters can, but are not obliged to, rank up to five candidates in order of preference, instead of choosing just one, and irrespective of the number of candidates on the ballot. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, that candidate is the winner. If no candidate earns more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, then counting will continue in rounds. At the end of each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated.

If a voter ranked the eliminated candidate first, then the next highest ranked candidate on the voter’s ballot will be taken into account in the next round of counting. The process continues as such until there are two candidates left. The candidate with the most votes wins. For official information on ranked choice voting, go to the NYC Campaign Finance Board FAQ page or the New York City Board of Elections website.

The Bronx Democratic Party hosted an informational session on Ranked Choice Voting which can be viewed here in conjunction with the group, Rank the Vote NYC. Norwood News checked with the City’s Campaign Finance Board about the expertise of Rank the Vote NYC and were advised that the group is a reputable source on the topic and is a voter education campaign that is run by Common Cause NY.

Important dates relating to the March 23 special elections for District 11 [and District 15] are outlined below.

The Bronx Board of Elections confirmed that it is accepting applications for absentee ballots from voters in District 11 (and in District 15) who wish to vote by mail. Further information can be found here or by calling the Bronx Board of Elections at (718) 299-9017 and selecting Ext. 1875. Polls are open on election day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Early Voting Period is from March 13, 2021 to March 21, 2021. Voters must vote at their assigned early voting site.

Early Voting Hours

District 11 includes Kingsbridge, Norwood, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, Riverdale, Woodlawn Heights and part of Bedford Park. Whoever wins the March 23 special, nonpartisan election will serve until Dec. 31, 2021. Future representation in the District beyond that point will likely be determined via a June 2021 primary and a November 2021 general election.