The re-election campaign for Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, who represents the 81st assembly district, announced on Wednesday, March 16, that the assemblyman has been endorsed by Tenants PAC in his run for re-election in the Northwest Bronx in the upcoming 2022 Democratic primary.

 

According to the PAC’s website, the organization raises funds from tenants, progressive labor unions and other supporters of tenants’ rights and affordable housing. “We recruit tenants as volunteers in targeted elections,” an extract from the organization’s website reads. “We are an all-volunteer organization, so all contributions are used only for our modest costs of operation and to support our targeted candidates.”

 

The extract continues. “While tenants will never be able to match the landlords’ money, our financial contributions to pro-tenant candidates can make a big difference, and tenants can play a big role in elections by volunteering to knock on doors and to staff phone banks.”

 

Reacting to the endorsement, the assemblyman said he was excited to have Tenants PAC’s endorsement as he runs for re-election. “Empowering tenants and creating affordable housing have been some of my top priorities in the Assembly, and they’re even more important as we come out of the pandemic and housing costs are on the rise again,” he said. “I will continue to fight to protect tenants and hold landlords accountable.”  

 

Meanwhile, Michael McKee, treasurer of Tenants PAC, said the organization was proud to endorse the assemblyman for re-election. “Assembly Member Dinowitz is a statewide leader on preventing evictions, standing up to wealthy real estate interests, and passing historic rent protections,” McKee said. “He will continue to be a leader to prevent unfair evictions and protect tenants. Assembly Member Dinowitz is the advocate the North Bronx can count on in the Assembly.”  

 

According to the assemblyman’s campaign, Dinowitz has been one of the State’s most prolific supporters of tenants, adding that it was his legislation that enacted the eviction moratorium that kept tens of thousands of tenants in their homes during the pandemic. Campaign officials added that the assemblyman has also passed bills that have cracked down on abusive landlords and strengthened tenants’ rights on court-ordered repairs.

 

 

Indeed, among the housing related bills which the assemblyman has supported, is Jashawn’s Law, a bill put forward by Dinowitz in 2003 in response to the Aug. 6, 2002 blaze at 3569 DeKalb Avenue in Norwood which took the life of Jashawn Parker, aged 8, who lived there with his father and brother. At the time, the building had over 350 building code violations, and its owner had been ordered to make repairs by a housing court judge but those repairs were never made. The law, which passed finally in 2020, establishes deadlines for landlords to make court-ordered repairs to buildings.

 

Despite Dinowitz’s efforts in respect of housing related legislation, not all housing activists have always been aligned with his housing policy proposals, and have even gone as far as rallying against them, as reported.

 

The assemblyman is regarded as a moderate Democrat, though he has passed a number of bills relating to, for example, expanding voter franchise and on the recent COVID-19 vaccine mandate in public schools. In doing so, he has drawn the ire of some parents, and even some members of his own Jewish community, as reported. He has also gone out on a limb to clamp down on issues like curbing the proliferation of fake vaccination cards.

 

The assemblyman’s son, Eric Dinowitz, is the councilman for City Council District 11, which covers much of the same area as Assembly District 81. The fact that both elected officials are from the same family has led some to call for an end to family political dynasties in The Bronx. Dinowitz’s critics have also called him out for being too embedded in what has been described by some as Democratic Party machine politics.

 

The assemblyman was reportedly a close colleague of former State Sen. Jeffrey Klein who was ousted from his position in the  2018 Democratic primary by now incumbent State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (S.D. 34) in a 46% to 54% vote breakdown. In the meantime, Biaggi and Dinowitz have been known to clash on some matters of policy in Albany, though they have also worked together on other legislation.

 

The Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) in the Albany Legislature was led by Klein and was a group of eight New York State senators who were elected to office as Democrats but who formed a coalition with Republicans, blocking most progressive legislation in New York State for over seven years. It was disbanded in 2018, as reported.

 

During a recent candidate forum held on Sunday, March 13, hosted by Northwest Bronx Indivisible, Dinowitz was asked about supporting candidates in the past who held up such progressive legislation. The question was raised by fellow candidate, George Diaz, whose candidacy was recently profiled by Norwood News. Diaz challenged the assemblyman for highlighting certain legislation which he has since passed, but asked him why he had not done so at an earlier stage than he did when he had the opportunity.

 

 

Dinowitz replied, “I don’t have the count but I’ve supported probably hundreds of candidates during the time that I’ve been in office. Some of them were great. Some of them may not have turned out the way we would have liked, but I think on balance, I have supported candidates that I’m very proud to be associated with.”

 

He added, “My record of accomplishment is what I look at. I can’t speak to other people’s records. I’ve passed under 175 laws and a constitutional amendment in the State of New York that affect people’s lives, and in many cases have saved lives, whether its on tenants’ or on election laws.. it’s just… so many different issues, and if you don’t like every candidate I’ve ever endorsed, I can’t help it.”

 

He continued, “I mean nobody likes every candidate that I endorse. I’m not even sure I like every candidate I’ve endorsed looking back at a couple of them but I supported really very good people for office but the most important thing is I hope people support me because of what I’ve done and because of how hard I’ve worked for the people in this district and for the people of the State of New York.

 

 

More recently, the assemblyman issued the following statement in support of including more provisions for childcare in the next State budget. “If we want to talk about getting New York’s economy back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic, then we need to talk about investments in child care,” he said. “It is critical that our state help as many families as possible gain access to child care, and that means an even larger investment than what has been proposed. This is not the place to pinch pennies. This is the place to invest heavily in child care so that parents can focus on working and keeping their families warm, fed, and happy.”

 

Meanwhile, other candidates which the Tenants PAC has endorsed include New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, regarded as a progressive, Attorney General Letitia James, and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

 

In addition to Dinowitz and Diaz, also running in the Democratic primary in A.D. 81 is Jessica Altagracia Woolford. In terms of campaign contributions raised to date, according to the NYS Board of Elections data, Diaz has raised $2,705.85 as of March 12, Dinowitz has raised $146,351, while Altagracia Woolford has raised $41,351.

 

A “Pazmino for 81st Assembly” PAC has not raised any financing, as of the same date. We understand that the latter may be a PAC in support of freelance filmmaker, Kevin Pazmino, who, as reported, previously ran and lost against Eric Dinowitz, and who, as reported, has clashed with both elected officials over the vaccine mandate. We reached out to Pazmino for comment on the PAC. We did not receive an immediate response.

 

The 81st District includes Riverdale, Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, Kingsbridge Heights and Marble Hill, and the assemblyman has held the seat since 1994, having first won his seat in a special election.