On Election Day, June 22, Abreu had written on Twitter, “I did not run for office to get more comfortable. I will never be the kind of leader that governs from behind an office desk. Reaching out in the community to my people, no matter the conditions. That’s where you’ll find me as a City Council Member for District 14 and #OurBronx.”

 

As reported, Abreu later issued a lengthy statement on June 28, giving his reaction to the initial election night results, and thanking his supporters.

“When the eviction crisis hit home in District 14, we established a comprehensive operation to defend residents’ right to stay in their homes,” he added.

 

“We mobilized our people behind the campaign that won emergency rental assistance for New Yorkers, held pop-up rent clinics, and helped many residents apply for rent relief, Section 8, and rent stabilization. We organized tenant meetings in buildings across District 14 to ensure our constituents had plans to vote and to hold their landlords accountable.”

Abreu said the group didn’t stop there, that they joined the fights that successfully increased taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and funded excluded workers.

 

He went on to say that the campaign organized local communities to bring them closer than ever before to public control over their energy system, and advanced the movement that he said will defund the police and refund the people.

“When I immigrated to the West Bronx over 30 years ago, I quickly made this community my home, raising my sons here. As PTA President at Roosevelt High School, a leader with our local DC 37 Union, and Democratic District Leader, I have fought to support working families with better schools, good jobs, and an end to racist policing.”

 

Among others, Tapia had been endorsed by, and had also endorsed, journalist, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who herself was a candidate in the city comptroller’s race, ultimately won by City Councilman Brad Lander. Before the primary race, Caruso-Cabrera had most recently run against Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the 14th congressional district and ultimately lost that race.

 

As also reported, as the coronavirus restrictions began to be lifted in late May, and slightly larger gatherings were, once again, being held, Tapia joined Assemblyman Victor Pichardo in co-hosting an event honoring various local mothers for their service to the community in University Heights. Pichardo also represents the 86th A.D. in The Bronx.

This afternoon I was proud to cross-endorse fellow #Latina @YudelkaTapia in the Bronx! pic.twitter.com/CeT5MtN5Tk

— Michelle Caruso-Cabrera for NYC Comptroller (@MCaruso_Cabrera) June 20, 2021

 

In 2013, as previously reported, a judge upheld the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s decision to hold Tapia accountable for more than $100,000 in penalties and reimbursement payments, stemming from an unsuccessful City Council campaign in 2009.

 

During and following her 2009 run in the 14th Council District, Tapia racked up 12 campaign finances violations for a total of $47,774 in penalties. The violations included, among other things, making late filings or not making required filings, accepting money from a corporation, not reporting expenditures and not responding to draft reports. Tapia appealed the decision up to the Supreme Court, citing her son’s illness at the time. He had acted as her treasurer.

Ultimately, the judge ruled against Tapia and she had to repay $59,930.86 in matching funds that weren’t considered “qualified expenditures” and $47,774 in fines, before she was allowed participate, again, in the City’s matching funds program. Because he was treasurer, Tapia’s son was also responsible for paying back the funding and the fines. The penalties didn’t preclude her from running for office at the City or State level afterwards.

 

Norwood News reached out to the CFB to check on the eventual outcome of the case and officials confirmed that the repayments were duly made. They added that it would not be accurate to say that Tapia was “cleared” of the violation however. We also reached out to Tapia’s campaign for a comment on that issue in the context of her latest candidacy, and her eventful standing in the 14th City Council race.

 

A campaign representative said, “What the CFB said will be accurate, and she [Tapia] got matching funds this cycle, so it has been resolved. As this was several years ago and didn’t have an impact on this race, we have no further comment on it.”

 

 

On June 23, the day after Election Day, Sanchez had written on Twitter, “During this campaign we’ve talked about how no one is coming into our #BX community to save us. We are going to do it; this is how #WeRise. I could not be more proud of this team or more thankful for my neighbors who supported this campaign, with their service or their ballots.”

 

Later, on June 24, reacting to the initial results from Election Night, she wrote, “On Tuesday, voters in Council District 14 came together to choose future leadership for our community and city. I am humbled by the support our campaign has received and am proud of the movement we are building to lift every person in this district. We ran a focused campaign centered on good jobs, affordable housing, immigrant and racial justice, strong public schools, and investments in our community.”

 

The BOE released an important video notice recently in which the agency advised New Yorkers to keep an eye out for a potential notice from the agency which would explain how they could correct any invalid absentee ballots, where applicable.

 

According to the latest (July 6) RCV report, there were 1,541 inactive ballots in this race. It is this process of curing the ballots which is now taking place before the BOE can ratify the election. Even if all such ballots were to be cured and were to go in  Tapia’s favor, they would still not amount to enough total votes to surpass Sanchez.

 

As reported, Norwood News has queried with the BOE the sequence of how the second RCV tabulation was carried out (as opposed to the methodology) in all the recent primary races. We will update this story upon receipt of any further information we receive in this regard.