The political club Northwest Bronx Democrats have now thrown their support for state Senator Adriano Espaillat and Yolanda Garcia, a community activist, in the race for the 13th Congressional District. The latest news puts the incumbent, Congressman Charles Rangel, further away from winning the Bronx, which comprises 20% of his overall district.

But Anthony Rivieccio, president of the Northwest Bronx Democrats, emphasized the support is not an endorsement.

“We decided as a group that we want to do whatever we can to make sure Charlie Rangel does not win,” said Rivieccio.  “Do we believe Adriano Espaillat will be a very good Congressman in this area? We believe any new change would be good, therefore we’re gonna support Adriano Espaillat.”

In a rare move, the political group also supported Garcia, a Fordham activist running under the Rising Voices ticket. “She’s filed her paperwork, and she’s got petitions she’s doing now. So us as a group we’re gonna help the candidates in our our way.”

Political infrastructures often serve as on-the-ground troopers for politicos, handing out leaflets, hitting the campaign trail or spreading the word on their backed candidate.

But NWBx’s approach will be largely different. For the Espaillat camp, the Northwest Bronx Democrats will hold meet-and-greet sessions on behalf of the candidate, stomping for Espaillat before the June primary. Garcia will get support through petitioning, relying on seven dozen volunteers to obtain the signatures needed to be placed on the ballot.

Espaillat has gained early traction in the race so far, having secured a major endorsement from New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito two weeks ago. Espaillat later secured an endorsement from his college, Sen. Gustavo Rivera. Speculation has now surfaced that Assemblyman Victor Pichardo, will also support Espaillat, though he told the Norwood News he is not focused on that now. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” said Pichardo.

But Espaillat, along with Rangel and potential challenger, Rev. Michael Walrond of Manhattan, failed to grab an early endorsement from the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democrats. The Kingsbridge Heights group held off on its support for the candidates at a forum in late February. During the 2012 Espaillat-Rangel primary contest, the group chose Espaillat.

Rangel has received little support in the borough, which would put Rangel in defense mode by ensuring he keeps his Harlem base happy. The Manhattan neighborhood has served as the epicenter of his popularity for the 22 times he’s been voted as Congressman. But Walrond, an African-American pastor with close ties to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, could steer some of Rangel’s Harlem base away from the seasoned legislator, hurting Rangel’s chances at securing a win.

The race is being viewed as an indicator of changing demographics in the 13th Congressional District, an area  that’s largely African-American. Rangel, an African-American legislator, has benefitted from that. But the number of Hispanics has creeped in, a major reason why Espaillat nearly won the district two years ago.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.