Instagram

UPDATE Bronx County Conservative Party Returns with Annual Christmas Party & Toy Giveaway

AT THE BRONX County Conservative Party’s annual Christmas celebration held at Addeo’s of the Bronx at 1056 Morris Park Avenue in The Bronx on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 are (l-r): Patrick McManus, chairman of The Bronx County Conservative Party; Zenobia Merced-Bonilla, county committeewoman for the 87th A.D., and Gonzalo Duran, vice chairman Bronx County Conservative Party & District Leader of the 79th A.D.
Photo courtesy of Gonzalo Duran

A few short weeks before the Bronx Conservative Party was set to take control in the Bronx’s 13th City Council District on Jan. 1, 2024, thanks to an upset by then-Republican/Conservative City Councilwoman-elect Kristy Marmorato over incumbent Democrat, Marjorie Velázquez, members of the Conservative Party held their annual Christmas celebration for their supporters in Morris Park, as well as a subsequent holiday toy giveaway in the Throggs Neck section.

 

As reported, Velázquez took office in January 2022 as the councilwoman for District 13, which covers 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. The councilwoman had debated Marmorato last November ahead of the general election, touching on a number of contentious topics for community residents, as reported.

 

In a flier announcing the annual party, Gonzalo Duran, vice chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party, leader of veterans group, Devil Dog USA, and district leader of the Bronx’s 79th Assembly District, told supporters, “This marks our first holiday celebration in quite some time, and given our recent heightened activity, we are enthusiastic about making it the first of many as we approach the New Year.”

 

Assembly District 79 incorporates the neighborhoods of Concourse Village, Melrose, Morrisiana, Claremont, Belmont, and East Tremont.

 

The party was held on Saturday, Dec. 9, at Addeo’s of the Bronx, located at 1056 Morris Park Avenue. According to Duran, the celebration was attended by nearly 50 people, including local residents and members of both the Conservative Party and the Republican Party. Duran told Norwood News, “They shared a meal while engaging in political discussions in the holiday spirit.”

 

He added, “Patrick McManus, chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party, expressed gratitude to supporters and recognized the dedication of both longstanding and new party members. He also touched on his prospects for his upcoming second term as the party’s chairman.”

PATRICK MCMANUS, CHAIRMAN of the Bronx County Conservative Party, addresses members and supporters of the Party during its annual Christmas celebration held at Addeo’s of the Bronx at 1056 Morris Park Avenue on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
Photo by David Greene

Duran continued, “Councilwoman-elect Marmorato conveyed her anticipation of collaborating with members of the Conservative Party.” He recalled Marmorato telling the crowd, “I look forward to partnering and working with the Bronx Conservative Party in the future.” Marmorato is a first-time candidate, wife and mother. Click click to read about her stance on various local issues.

 

Toasting the party’s victory in District 13, Duran told supporters, “That the victories achieved this year will continue.” He added that his goal was to host more events, including voter registration drives to increase “community engagement.” He also told Norwood News, “As the event concluded, attendees departed with smiles on their faces, satisfied bellies, and optimistic thoughts for the future.”

 

Later, on Sunday, Dec. 17, the Bronx County Conservative Party held another holiday party for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents of Throggs Neck Houses along with a toy giveaway for children.

 

Former State Sen. Guy Velella (S.D. 34) was the last Republican to serve Morris Park from 1986 to 2004. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and was sentenced to one year in jail. Since Jan. 1, 2023, Democratic State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez represents redrawn Senate District 34, which covers parts of Clason Point, Castle Hill, Throggs Neck, Parkchester, Pelham, Country Club, Schuylerville, Pelham Bay and City Island.

AT THE BRONX County Conservative Party’s annual Christmas party held at Addeo’s of the Bronx at 1056 Morris Park Avenue on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023 are (l-r): Gonzalo Duran, the Party’s vice chairman; Mark Goret, party historian, Grace Marrero, recording secretary and Patrick McManus, chairman.
Photo courtesy of Gonzalo Duran

Prior to redistricting, the district covered a large swath of the Northwest Bronx and parts of Van Cortlandt Village, Bedford Park and Jerome Park. As reported via our regular Neighborhood Notes updates, below is a history of the redistricting process in New York State following the 2020 Census, based on updates from a number of sources, including Ballotpedia.

 

2020

The Census response deadline was in October 2020 but amid the pandemic, the collection of the results was delayed until April 2021.

 

2021

Following the compilation of the 2020 census data results, in 2021, the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) held a number of virtual sessions with community residents to discuss the redistricting process and obtain their input. The IRC held a final Bronx County hearing on its proposed redrawn maps for the assembly, State senate, and congressional districts on Nov. 9, 2021. That hearing can be watched here.

 

2022

The maps/plans were submitted by the commission to the State legislature on Jan. 3, 2022. The State legislature voted on the first set of plans, rejecting it, and could not agree on a second set. Instead, elected representatives voted to approve alternate maps proposed by the Democratic Party. These alternate maps were ultimately approved on Feb. 2, 2022 by the State legislature, which holds a Democratic majority, and were signed off by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Feb. 3, 2022, as reported.

 

The NYS Republican Party immediately mounted a legal challenge to the vote, and a judge later overruled the February 2022 vote by the State legislature as unconstitutional, saying the February alternate maps were gerrymandered by Democrats. The court ordered new maps to be redrawn. Lawmakers had until April 11 2022 to submit new maps, but on April 4, 2022 a judge issued a stay on the case, which retained the prevailing alternate February 2022 maps in place, allowing candidates time to collect the required number of voter signatures needed to get on the ballot for the June 2022 Primaries before the deadline.

THEN COUNCILWOMAN-ELECT FOR District 13 and special guest, Kristy Marmorato, joins Patrick McManus, chairman of The Bronx Conservative Party, as they speak with constituents at the Party’s annual Christmas party held at Addeo’s of the Bronx located at 1056 Morris Park Avenue on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
Photo courtesy of Gonzalo Duran

As reported, on April 27, 2022, the New York Court of Appeals struck down the congressional and State senate redistricting maps approved by the State legislature in February 2022, and a court-appointed special master was required to come up with new maps by May 20, 2022. The court also ordered that the 2022 congressional and State primary elections be postponed to August 23, 2022. The redrawn maps by the special master can be viewed here.

 

On June 10, 2022, an appellate division of the New York Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that declared the State’s Assembly district boundaries invalid, but determined that they should still be used for the 2022 legislative elections since the lawsuit challenging them was filed too late to make changes.

 

The appellate division ruling determined that the Assembly district map was enacted in violation of the state’s constitutional redistricting process. On June 20, 2022, Justice Patrick McAllister issued an order approving technical corrections to New York’s enacted congressional district boundaries.

 

On Sept. 29, 2022, the New York division of the State Supreme Court directed the IRC to “initiate the constitutional process for amending the assembly district map based on the 2020 census data by formulating a proposed assembly map” and submit such a plan to the legislature by April 28, 2023.

 

Following the general election held on Nov. 8, 2022, congressional [and State Senate] representatives began representing the redrawn congressional and State Senate districts effective Jan. 1, 2023. The State Assembly districts are due be redrawn ahead of the 2024 primaries. Drafts of the redrawn assembly districts were released on Dec. 1, 2022 by the NY Redistricting Commission.

 

2023

On April 20, 2023, the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) voted 9-1 to advance a revised plan for state Assembly district boundaries and submit it to the legislature. The latest plan released on April 20, 2023 can be reviewed here.

NEW YORK STATE Assembly Chambers, Feb. 13, 2024.
Photo by Síle Moloney

On April 24, 2023, both chambers of the legislature approved and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislation establishing new Assembly district boundaries for use starting with the 2024 elections.

 

In June 2023, AP reported that lawyers seeking redrawn congressional lines in New York argued before a State appeals court on June 8, 2023, in a Democrat-backed lawsuit that could have implications in the 2024 fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. AP reported that the lawsuit was brought on behalf of 10 New York voters who wanted the State redistricting commission to submit new proposed state congressional lines for 2024.

 

A victory for the plaintiffs would scrap the lines drafted for 2022 by the outside special master expert after the Republican legal challenge. Republicans flipped four congressional seats in New York under the latest redrawn lines in 2022.

 

On July 13, 2023, an appellate division of the New York Supreme Court ruled in Hoffman, et al. v. New York State Independent Redistricting Commission, et al. that the state’s congressional redistricting process was not followed when the independent redistricting commission failed to submit a second set of maps to the legislature and ordered the commission to reconvene and re-draw congressional district boundaries for use by the 2024 elections.

 

On Dec. 12, 2023, the New York Court of Appeals,  the state’s highest court, ruled in a 4-3 decision that the independent redistricting commission did not follow the state’s congressional redistricting process and ordered the commission to reconvene and re-draw new congressional district boundaries by Feb. 28, 2024 for use in the 2024 elections.

LATEST NYS ASSEMBLY Draft Redistricting Map as of April 2023
Map Courtesy of NY Redistricting Commission

This means Democrats could benefit from the situation and win back more congressional seats, including in NY3, now vacated since the recent ousting of Republican George Santos, and take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

City Council Redistricting has already been finalized, as reported.

 

For more recent election coverage, click here, here, here, here  here, here, here, and here.

 

 

 

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.

Like this story? Leave your comments below.