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 a true ally and advocate for the law enforcement community. Union officials said this was evidenced by both her fight to fund Rodman’s Neck and to hire dozens of new police officers in her district, and her recent decision to leave the Council’s Progressive Caucus, following her refusal to sign a pledge to “Defund the Police.”

 

They said her track record of collaboration and understanding of what they described as the complex issues faced by police officers sets her apart as a leader who they said “prioritizes public safety and the well-being of those who safeguard our city.”

 

In the context of the announced endorsement, Patrick J. Lynch, president of the NYC PBA, expressed his support for Velázquez’s re-election campaign, saying, “Council Member Marjorie Velázquez has pledged to stand up for the fully funded, fully supported police department her constituents want and need. We need leaders like her to push back against the anti-police radicals who are making our job more difficult and our neighborhoods less safe. We are proud to endorse her.”

 

Sharing her gratitude for the endorsement, the council member, who is the first Latina to hold the District 13 seat, said, “I am honored to receive the endorsement of the NYC PBA. Our police officers are the guardians of our city, and I am committed to working hand in hand with them to ensure the safety and well-being of all New Yorkers. Together, we will continue to build trust, foster community partnerships, and address the critical issues that affect both our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”

 

The councilwoman’s campaign team said the endorsement from the NYC PBA adds significant momentum to her re-election campaign, in which she is being challenged by three fellow Democrats. Her team said it reflects what they said was her proven leadership and her ability to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the public. They added, “With this endorsement, Council Member Velázquez’s commitment to promoting public safety and supporting the needs of law enforcement officers is recognized by one of the most prominent police organizations in the United States.”

 

District 13 broadly encompasses some or all of the neighborhoods of Allerton, City Island, Country Club, Edgewater Park, Ferry Point, Locust Point, Morris Park, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway, Schuylerville, Silver Beach, Spencer Estates, Throggs Neck, Van Nest, Waterbury LaSalle, Westchester Square, and Zerega.

 

Pelham Parkway resident Roxanne Delgado alleges that two years ago Velázquez pledged to defund the NYPD, sharing screenshots of the councilwoman included on fliers which referenced city council candidates who had taken the “Courage to Change” pledge, as below. Norwood News reached out to the councilwoman for comment.

 

In terms of housing, her team said Velázquez is fighting to ensure that renters and homeowners are protected from skyrocketing rents and mortgages, as well as supporting the creation of housing options that create union jobs. They said Velázquez plans to engage communities to find equitable and better ways to implement affordable housing, ensure that any project to create new housing includes union jobs from start to finish, and works to improve conditions with NYCHA housing in the East Bronx. Velázquez and other elected officials have previously received heat from some residents over the planned Bruckner Boulevard rezoning project.

 

A proposal to convert a unit on the grounds of Jacobi Medical Center, located in Morris Park, to house Rikers Island incarcerated individuals who have mental health needs has been a source of contention among District 13 residents, with some feeling the site is not appropriate.

 

Meanwhile, according to her campaign team, Velázquez plans to impose a moratorium on hospital closures, institute minimum staffing ratio requirements in healthcare institutions, and create an Office of Healthcare accountability to provide more transparency to healthcare workers and patients alike.

Bernadette Ferrara is one of Velázquez’s opponents, a resident of Van Nest, founder of the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance, and a Bronx Community Board 11 (CB 11) board member since 2011. She previously ran as one of ten candidates in the 2021 District 15 City Council District race to fill the seat of then-councilman and now Congressman Ritchie Torres, which was ultimately won by now Councilman Oswald Feliz.

 

Also vying for the District 13 seat in the upcoming Democratic primary are Irene Estrada, former Democratic female district leader for the 80th assembly district, and John Perez, a U.S. army veteran, single father, who last year ran (and lost to now State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez) in the State Senate District 34 Democratic primary. The district covers parts of The Bronx and Westchester counties.

 

According to her website, the councilwoman is a former member of Bronx Community Board 10 where she served as treasurer and Municipal Services Committee chair. According to her campaign, this committee focused on providing a much-needed voice to the community on issues ranging from transportation to parks services and other quality-of-life issues. They said she focused her time on the community board to help empower and promote advocacy on important issues of racial and gender equality, public safety and funding communities.

 

When the COVID pandemic struck, her campaign team said she worked day and night to help her community get through it. They said she was on the frontlines helping to coordinate PPE supplies and distribute them to her community, and that she also ran food drives and personally delivered food to families throughout the district. They said she used her voice advocating to have vaccination access and sites at NYCHA developments, senior housing, and other parts of her community with vulnerable populations.

 

According to her campaign website, Velázquez is a Bronx native, raised by Puerto Rican parents who moved to the borough in the 1970s to build a better life for their family. She attended public schools in Parkchester and St. Catharine’s Academy for high school in Pelham Parkway before earning her degree in Finance and Accounting at New York University (NYU). After graduating NYU, according to her campaign team, the councilwoman worked in several corporate finance, budgeting, and accounting positions, where she designed and implemented accounting strategies for various regions around the world.

 

Early voting takes place from June 17 through Sunday, June 25. Click here to find your early voting site and hours. Request an absentee ballot in person by Monday, June 26. To find your borough Board of Elections office, click here.

 

Polls are open on Primary Election Day, Tuesday, June 27, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Click here to find your Election Day poll site. Return your absentee ballot by mail (postmark required) or drop it off at a poll site by Tuesday, June 27.