Nathalia Fernandez, the former chief of staff to then Assemblyman turned Councilman Mark Gjonaj, won support from her fellow committee members, securing a nomination for a special election for the 80th Assembly District slated for April 24. Her name on the Democratic ticket all but secures her place as the next interim Assembly member before the September Primary.

Committee members from the Bronx Democratic County Committee’s of the 80th Assembly District unanimously voted in favor of Fernandez. The vote was quick with no other challengers coming forward.

“The community will be seeing me at community meetings, I got a lot of people that have been waiting to speak to me, and so connecting back to the district,” said Fernandez shortly after getting her name on the ballot.

The 80th Assembly District covers the east-west neighborhoods of Norwood, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, and Allerton. Gjonaj won a second term in 2016 before winning a seat as the Councilman for the 13th Council District, which slightly overlaps with the 80th Assembly District.

“She knows every square inch of the 80th Assembly District, she knows everyone in the 80th Assembly District regardless of association, organization or residency,” Gjonaj said.

Fernandez has been a rising political operative in the Bronx since working as a volunteer for Gjonaj when he first ran for the 80th Assembly District seat in 2012. She was hired as the Bronx representative for Governor Andrew Cuomo, a job she’s since resigned from to run for office. Though she’s worked within the district for five years, Fernandez

Fernandez is a virtual shoo-in for the empty seat, though she will have to once again run for the seat in the September Primary.