As the District 11 City Council special election, scheduled for March 23, draws closer, Mino Lora, an educator and executive director of the People’s Theatre Project, has picked up a series of additional endorsements. One of six remaining special election candidates running, Lora got the backing of two progressive women’s groups and a labor union on Thursday, March 4.

 

The labor union, UNITE HERE Local 100, joined two local organizing groups, Downtown Women for Change and Progressive Women of New York in endorsing Lora on Thursday. UNITE HERE Local 100 is a union representing workers in cafeterias, airports, executive dining rooms, restaurants, bars, delis, sports and arenas and exhibition halls and performing arts centers throughout New York City, Westchester, Long Island and New Jersey.

 

Meanwhile, Downtown Women for Change is a grassroots organization founded by New York women committed to preserving and advancing women’s rights, supporting women and girls in the U.S., and working to elect progressive pro-choice women and allies to political office.

 

Progressive Women of New York is a non-party-affiliated organization committed to advancing progressive values and policies at every level of government through education, advocacy and action.

 

José Maldonado is secretary treasurer of the UNITE HERE Local 100, and said the group was proud to endorse Lora in the race. “Mino‘s compassion and creative perspective will afford the Bronx, and our City, vibrancy after such dark times,” he said. “Unite Here Local 100 looks forward to the impact she will have in our members’ lives. She cleaned tables so she understands our members.”

 

Lora confirmed in a statement that she had waited tables for years, using the $400 she saved from tips to start the People’s Theatre Project, a nonprofit that today serves 1,000 Bronx & Upper Manhattan students annually. “Being of service, in whatever way I can, is the heart of who I am,” she said. “Our restaurant and food service workers are, in just as many ways, the heart and soul of NYC – as we’ve seen during this pandemic.”

 

Lora said having worked a minimum-wage job, and having been unable to afford health insurance, she knows how urgent the fight is for living wages and safe working conditions. “Essential workers and those struggling to unionize can always count on me to show up for them – siempre [always],” she said.

 

On Monday, March 8, International Women’s Day, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who represents the 33rd senatorial district in the Bronx, announced a series of ranked endorsements. Among them, in the District 11 race, he endorsed Lora as his first choice, and fellow candidate, Jessica Haller, as his second.

 

The District 11 race is one of the first two elections in the Bronx which will incorporate the new method of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), the other being District 15. RCV is a voting method whereby voters can rank up to five candidates in order of preference, instead of choosing just one. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, that candidate is the winner. If no candidate earns more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, then counting will continue in rounds. At the end of each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated.

 

If a voter ranked the eliminated candidate first, then the next highest ranked candidate on the voter’s ballot will be taken into account in the next round of counting. The process continues as such until there are two candidates left. The candidate with the most votes wins.

 

According to the press release, Rivera’s team said both women were running grassroots progressive campaigns that confront the status quo, and added that as New Yorkers prepare to vote in the upcoming special election using ranked choice voting, progressives hope that the new system will make it possible for more grassroots candidates to challenge the political system.

 

Rivera was the first elected official to give a ranked endorsement in the New York City mayoral race, ranking Scott Stringer number 1, and Dianne Morales number 2, in January.

 

Rivera said he was looking forward to working with new partners in the City Council to serve the constituents in the Bronx. “By offering ranked choice endorsements, I hope that our community will be empowered to make their own choices in these important upcoming special elections,” he said. “Mino Lora is a fierce advocate for the future that we need in the Bronx and would be a tireless partner in confronting the systems that hold us back. Jessica Haller is a sharp and skilled activist who will remain dedicated to implementing innovative solutions.”

 

Reacting to Rivera’s first choice endorsement of her candidacy, Lora said, “When the Bronx became a national epicenter for the pandemic, it disproportionately impacted District 11, which is majority working-class and people of color.” She added, “From being without health insurance for over a decade, to recently surviving COVID, I understand many of the challenges our neighbors face because I’ve lived them, and so has Senator Rivera. That’s the fire I’ll bring to City Hall as your councilwoman, and together, we’ll fight for a recovery that actually puts people first.”

 

As reported previously by the Norwood News, Lora has been endorsed by Run for Something, CWA District 1, Jewish Vote, and NYIC Action, Citizen Action of New York and No IDC NY.

 

The Jewish Vote is a project of Tides Advocay and sister organization of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. According to the group’s website, it aims to “elect reformers and radicals,” and outlines how The Jewish Vote is a home for New York Jews seeking to secure a pluralistic city that works for all through the power of the Jewish vote. An extract from the website reads, “We are intellectuals, day school kids, bubbes, queers, geeks, resistance moms, carpenters, bartenders, lawyers, nurses, farmers  — deeply rooted cosmopolitans and proud members of the diaspora.”

 

The Jewish Vote was the first grassroots organization to give a ranked endorsement in a Council race, having provided its endorsement of Lora and Haller in December. Rachel McCullough is political director of the organization. Referring to Lora’s and Haller’s fellow candidate in the District 11 race, Eric Dinowitz, a teacher and district leader in the 81st assembly district in the Bronx, McCullough said in a March 8 press release, “Dinowitz the father, Dinowitz the son, and Andrew Cohen all supported former Sen. Jeff Klein, the IDC and Republicans in the state legislature, and are, again, working against the people of the Bronx during a deadly crisis.”

 

Jeffrey Dinowitz is the Assemblyman for the 81st Assembly District and father to Eric. The Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), led by former Bronx State Sen. Jeff Klein, was a group of eight New York State senators who were elected to office as Democrats but who formed a coalition with Republicans, blocking most progressive legislation in New York State for over seven years.

 

As reported by The New York Times, in the Sept. 13, 2018 Democratic primary, after an unprecedented grassroots campaign, six IDC senators, including Klein, were defeated by progressive challengers backed by the group, No IDC NY, including State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi in New York’s 34th senatorial district who succeeded Klein.

 

McCullough continued, “They get elected during low-turnout special elections, remain in office for decades, and use their positions to elevate each other at our expense. New Yorkers overwhelmingly voted out the IDC in 2018, and passed Rank Choice Voting in 2020, because we’ve had enough and want our votes to matter.” Norwood News reached out to Eric Dinowitz’s campaign for comment and received the following statement from his campaign spokesperson.

“While other candidates may be focused on mudslinging, Eric Dinowitz is focused on helping working families and seniors recover. Eric supported efforts to elect a Democratic Majority in the State Senate and make Andrea Stewart-Cousins the Majority Leader, a position where she continues to lead our state forward, and Eric supported Ranked Choice Voting and numerous reforms to make voting easier.”

 

The statement continued, “Voters are smart, and Eric has faith that the nonpartisan special election system will allow the Northwest Bronx to pick the best representative for the City Council.”

 

According to her campaign, Lora, who was previously profiled by the Norwood News, is building broad community support, and has a fully-staffed campaign and team of volunteers who said she is vying to win the special election on March 23 to become District 11’s first Latina City Councilwoman.

 

Among other candidates across the city, including Bronx candidate in the District 14 City Council race, Adolfo Abreu, Lora also previously received the endorsement of the Working Families Party on Nov. 25, 2020, and as reported by the Norwood News, she also picked up the endorsement of City Councilman and Deputy Leader Jimmy Van Bramer on Jan. 26.

 

Lora has also been ranked as a second-choice candidate behind Abigail Martin by NYC Kids PAC. NYC Kids PAC opposes the privatization of public schools, and advocates for the elimination of high-stakes testing and the reduction of class size and school overcrowding, among other issues. The organization advances its goals by supporting candidates for office who have demonstrated a commitment to improving New York City’s public schools.

 

Lora, who has raised the maximum $165,000 allowed for the special election through the New York City Campaign Finance Board’s public matching funds program, said, “My fundraising reflects the excitement for my candidacy! The majority of donations to my campaign are $50 or less.” She added, “I will never accept contributions from corporate PACs, the fossil fuel industry, law enforcement unions, or real estate developers.”

In accordance with the matching funds program, each dollar raised between $10 and $175 from New York City residents is matched 8 times using public funds. For the special election, the maximum payout from the matching funds program is $142,500, and spending is capped at $190,000.

 

BronxNet aired the first of a series of debates between the District 11 City Council candidates on Feb. 2, and that debate can be viewed online here. The Norwood News later provided a brief recap of the debate.

 

Northwest Bronx Indivisible and Riverdale Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture hosted a further virtual debate among the candidates on Feb. 7. That debate can be viewed here.

 

Another debate was hosted by the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition in conjunction with LAAL, a nonprofit supporting Bengali women in the Norwood section of the Bronx on Feb. 10. That debate can be viewed here.

 

A further debate hosted by City Limits was held on Feb. 14. That debate can be viewed here. A Woodlawn Candidate’s Forum was held on Feb. 15, moderated by BronxNet’s Gary Axelbank. That forum can be viewed here.

 

A City Council Town Hall, presented by the SAR High School EPG Club, based in Riverdale in the Northwest Bronx, was held on Feb. 17 and can be viewed here.

 

A further District 11 City Council candidates’ forum was held on Feb. 22, hosted by the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association. This can be viewed here.

 

Riverdale Nature Preservancy hosted a virtual conversation with the District 11 special election candidates on March 4. We have reached out to the organization for a link to the forum and will update this story, upon receipt of same.

 

For official information on ranked choice voting, go to the NYC Campaign Finance Board FAQ page or the New York City Board of Elections website.

 

The Bronx Democratic Party hosted an informational session on Ranked Choice Voting which can be viewed here in conjunction with the group, Rank the Vote NYC. Norwood News checked with the City’s Campaign Finance Board about the expertise of Rank the Vote NYC and were advised that the group is a reputable source on the topic and is a voter education campaign that is run by Common Cause NY.

 

Important dates relating to the March 23 special elections for District 11 [and District 15] are outlined below.

The Bronx Board of Elections confirmed that it is accepting applications for absentee ballots from voters in District 11 (and in District 15) who wish to vote by mail. Further information can be found here or by calling the Bronx Board of Elections at (718) 299-9017 and selecting Ext. 1875. Polls are open on election day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Early Voting Period is from March 13, 2021 to March 21, 2021. Voters must vote at their assigned early voting site.

 

Early Voting Hours

Saturday	March 13, 2021	10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday	March 14, 2021	10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Monday	March 15, 2021	7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Tuesday	March 16, 2021	12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Wednesday	March 17, 2021	12:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Thursday	March 18, 2021	10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Friday	March 19, 2021	7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Saturday	March 20, 2021	10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Sunday	March 21, 2021	10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

 

District 11 includes Kingsbridge, Norwood, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, Riverdale, Woodlawn Heights and part of Bedford Park. Whoever wins the March 23 special, nonpartisan election will serve until Dec. 31, 2021. Future representation in the District beyond that point will likely be determined via a June 2021 primary and a November 2021 general election.