Kristy Marmorato, Republican and Conservative candidate in the District 13 City Council race, declared victory over incumbent Democratic Councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez, who first took her seat in 2022, in the general election on Tuesday night, Nov. 7, an hour or so after poll closure. If she wins the race, after all absentee votes are counted, it will flip the district, which has long voted blue, to red, bolstering the prevailing Republican minority in the council.

 

All eyes were on the District 13 race which saw Marmorato, narrowly lead Velázquez on Election Night at poll closure with 49.97 percent of the vote to Velázquez’s 49.25 percent, but a few hours later, with 98.33 percent of voting scanners returned, Marmorato’s lead had stretched to 52.46 percent (6,571 votes) to Velázquez’s 46.81 percent (5,863 votes), based on Election Day and early votes. Mail-in ballots and overseas ballots still have to be counted. Write-ins accounted for 0.73 percent or 91 votes.

 

Though no statement was released by the candidate on social media on Election Night, The Bronx Times and NY Daily News reported that Marmorato, who recently participated in a BronxNet debate with Velázquez, which centered in large part around upzoning in the East Bronx, had declared victory at her post-election party venue later that night. Norwood News reached out to both Marmorato’s campaign and Velázquez’s campaign for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

 

Marmorato later posted on Nov. 8 on social media, writing, “District 13, THANK YOU! WE DID IT! Each & every one of you have made this journey worth it. Your voices will be amplified & I will always stand by your side! Thank you for for your votes, your support & your trust! Now, it’s time to get to work. I will make you proud.” As of Nov. 8, the Velázquez campaign team has yet to issue a statement.

 

District 13 encompasses 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. Velázquez‘s candidacy was recently profiled by Norwood News. We reached out to Marmorato’s campaign team to write a similar profile, but did not receive a response.

 

As reported, Velázquez recently reacted to reports of the fate of Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, and also announced recent funding of $1.39 million for two FDNY firehouses and an EMS station in the East Bronx.

 

According to her website, Marmorato was born, raised, and educated in The Bronx, and said she understands her community because she truly embodies District 13. Marmorato grew up in Throggs Neck and, as an adult, lived in both Pelham Bay and Country Club. Currently, she lives in Morris Park with her husband and family. She said they decided to raise their daughter there so that she could have similar life experiences to the ones her parents had growing up in District 13.  

 

Marmorato, a specialist in women’s health at Greenwich Women’s Hospital in Connecticut, who worked as an X-ray technician for 24 years, 16 in the East Bronx, said she has an extensive background in training and educating medical personnel and has worked with a team of highly skilled individuals to devise plans of action for patients who are at their most vulnerable.   

 

She said she believes the East Bronx community and the city is in its most vulnerable state. Marmorato said she will be the assertive advocate that the district needs and will help provide solutions and ideas for the issues and problems the community is currently facing.  Marmorato ran on a platform of protecting quality of life, fighting for public safety, and advocating for better education for children.

In that race, Democratic incumbent Darcel D. Clark, who ran unopposed in the general election, won 97.48 percent of the vote (48,024 votes) and is therefore reelected. Write-ins accounted for 2.51 percent of votes in this race on Election Night (1,244 votes).

 

Reacting to the news, Clark released a statement on Election Night, saying, “It is the honor of my life to serve the Bronx as District Attorney. In 2015, becoming the first woman to be elected DA in the Bronx and the first woman of color elected DA in the State of New York was one of the proudest moments of my life. I am elated to continue serving the borough that I have always called home.”

 

Clark added, “I was raised in the Soundview Houses and attended our public schools. When I decided I wanted to become a lawyer and a guidance counselor was skeptical, I became even more determined to succeed. I became the first person in my family to attend college and law school, and when I graduated, I came home to The Bronx to serve as an Assistant District Attorney. I’ve been proud to serve ever since – as an ADA, a judge, and now as District Attorney.”

 

She continued, saying, “Over the last eight years, my office has made tremendous progress to make the Bronx safer for all residents. I am so proud of my attorneys, investigators, and staff who work tirelessly to serve our community and keep the Bronx safe. Together, we expanded our Community Justice Bureau to provide resources, connect individuals with community partners, and utilize alternatives to incarceration.”

 

Clark added, “We are confronting gun violence and hate crimes, and holding perpetrators accountable. We are working with our community partners to engage and empower our youth. Our office is implementing and using innovative programs and Bureaus to establish meaningful reforms, investigate wrongful convictions, address root causes of crime, and address mass incarceration.”

 

Clark said the victory was a team effort and also thanked her family, my husband Ray, her “incredible team” and all those, including the voters, who supported her. “Serving as Bronx District Attorney is an incredible honor, and I am so excited to continue fighting for the Bronx. Thank you,” she said.

 

In the District 11 City Council race, Democratic Council Member Eric Dinowitz led on Election Night with 83.50 percent of the vote (8,755). The district encompasses the neighborhoods of Norwood, Kingsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, Riverdale, Woodlawn Heights and part of Bedford Park.

As reported, the councilman recently introduced legislation, along with Democratic District 12 City Councilman Kevin Riley, that would require NYC Department of Emergency Management, in consultation with the Office of the Mayor and community boards, to identify and designate facilities within each community district to serve as rapid emergency response centers.

 

According to the councilman, each center would be required to stock supplies for residents who are displaced by a natural-human caused disaster. The Jewish councilman, who recently provided a breakdown of the latest City budget in terms of its impact on District 11, has also been vocal in his condemnation of the recent Hamas attacks on Israel, and on vandalism of a local Jewish Center in Norwood, in the wake of the attacks.

 

In a statement released on Election Night, Dinowitz said, “I am incredibly honored to continue serving the North Bronx in the City Council. I was born and raised in this community – to be able to advocate for my neighbors, friends, and family in City Hall is the greatest job in the world.”

 

He added, “Together, we have secured resources for our seniors and students, improved our parks, strengthened our schools and senior centers, made our streets safer, stood against hate crimes, empowered tenants, and made our city more accessible for everyone. I’m excited to continue this important work and remain focused on preparing our neighborhoods for climate change, addressing food insecurity, supporting our small businesses, increasing access to healthcare, and standing up for our values.”

 

The councilman went on to thank his family, colleagues in government, labor unions, his campaign team, supporters, and voters. “Thank you for your continued trust in me. To all of my constituents – I am excited to continue serving our neighborhoods and fighting for you in the City Hall,” he said. “I’m proud to be raising my children in the community that raised me, and I’m working every day to build a brighter future for my family and yours. Let’s continue to build on this progress, together.”

 

Robert Caemmerer, who was running on the Republican Party, Conservative Party, and Medical Freedom Party tickets, had 14.48 percent of the votes (1,518) on Election Night and the remainder were write-ins. Norwood News recently published a story on the documentary “Shot in the Arm,” which aims to explore the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy.

For his part, Riley, who represents the neighborhoods of Wakefield, Baychester, Eastchester, Olinville, Edenwald, Williamsbridge and Co-op City, has been vocal in his calls for the closure of Rikers Island sooner rather than later, led on Election Night with 92.69 percent of the votes (9,298). Dewayne Lee, who was running on the Republican Party ticket to represent District 12, had 6.69 percent of votes (671) on Election Night.

 

City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, the Democratic incumbent representing District 14, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Kingsbridge, Fordham, University Heights, Mount Eden and Mount Hope, led on Election Night with 88.34 percent of the vote (3,628). She ran on both the Democratic and Working Families Party line.

 

The councilwoman recently announced funding of $1 million in participatory budgeting projects in District 14 and has also been vocal on the need to provide more support for her constituents on housing-related matters. She has also been a strong advocate for those negatively affected by the criminal justice system.

City Council Member Oswald Feliz, the Democratic incumbent representing District 15, which encompasses the neighborhoods of  Fordham, Belmont, East Tremont, West Farms, Van Nest, and Allerton, led on Election Night with 79.79 percent of the vote (3,092).

 

The councilman led the passage of enhanced fire regulations following the Twin Parks fire tragedy. More recently, Feliz introduced a bill earlier this year to curb the proliferation of fake license plates by increasing fines for those who sell or use fraudulent paper plates.

 

In the District 8 City Council race, Democratic incumbent Diana I. Ayala led on Election Night with 87.25 percent (5,373 votes), while Republican Gary M. Exodus garnered 11.64 percent of the vote on Election Night (717 votes). The district spans parts of Manhattan and The Bronx and covers the neighborhoods of El Barrio/East Harlem, Mott Haven, Highbridge, Concourse, Longwood, and Port Morris.

 

In the race for Justice of the Supreme Court in the 12th Judicial District, Democrat Michael A. Frishman won 30.72 percent of the vote on Election Night (32,039 votes), Democrat Sharon A.M. Aarons won 38.94 percent (40,619 votes), and John A. Howard-Algarin won 28.15 percent (29,361 votes). Write-ins accounted for 2.19 percent or 2,286 votes. Voters could vote for any three candidates.

 

In the race for Justice of the Civil Court in Bronx County, Democrat Joaquin E. Oreliana won 97.96 percent of the vote on Election Night (40,477 votes). Writes in accounted for 2.04 percent or 844 votes. Voters could vote for one candidate.

 

In the race for Judge of the Civil Court in the 1st Municipal Court District, Bronx, Democrat Carol Elaine Malcolm won 58.84 percent of the vote (24,784 votes) and Democrat Edit Shkreli won 39.12 percent of the vote (16,477 votes). Write-ins accounted for 2.05 percent (862 votes).

 

Proposal 1 on the ballot, an amendment, the removal of small city school districts from special constitutional debt limitation, passed with 72.70 percent (358,955) voting “Yes,” to 27.30 percent (134,767) voting “No.”

 

Proposal 2 on the ballot, an amendment, extending sewage project debt exclusion from debt limit, passed with 75.97 percent (372,659) voting “Yes” to 24.03 percent (117,895) voting “No.”

The NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) issued public matching funds payments totaling $894,749 to 47 candidates citywide on Thursday, Nov. 2, the last payments issued before the general election. Click here to read details of the funding received by various north Bronx candidates, as well as an overview of the donations received during the 2023 election cycle by north Bronx candidates.

 

We spoke to William Figueroa of Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood outside P.S. 94 The Kings College School, also in Norwood, on Election Day and asked him if he wanted to say who he voted for and why. “Well, I’m a staunch Democrat, so I kind of went down the line with Democrats,” he said. Asked if there were particular issues that were on the top of his mind when casting his ballot this year, he said, “No, not at the moment because a lot of these people that were on the ballot seem to be on line and on par with some of the things that I feel are important for the City, especially smaller government.”

He continued, “At least, I don’t really see many for these types of elections, so sometimes it’s a little hard to distinguish who you should be voting for, and what their causes are and, you know, like I said, I’m a staunch Democrat, but maybe, all of a sudden, there is a Republican that’s sort of in line with some of your views so that would be nicer to know these candidates just a little bit more.” Asked if there were any problems voting with the machines, he said, “No, if I was in there 10 minutes, it was too long.”

 

We also spoke to Rinaldo Luyando outside the same school polling site, which was almost empty when we were inside apart from one female voter. [It was a similar scene at P.S. / M.S. 498, The Van Nest Academy polling site at 1640 Bronxdale Avenue in Morris Park, with no voters present when we visited the polling site.]

 

Luyando said he had voted earlier that day. Asked what issues were of particular concern to him when voting, he said, “Well, today, I decided to vote because we need to bring change. There’s a lot of stuff in the neighborhood we need to start fixing up, you know, and try to improve the neighborhood because it’s a little more violent here.”

 

He mentioned the men’s shelter on Jerome Avenue in Norwood. “Then, you got the addicts who, you know, have to get their fix,” Luyando said. “And then you have the immigrants that just came, they just made it into a hotel [on Webster Avenue], and all these new buildings that they’ve been putting around this neighborhood, they’re not bringing in good people.”

He continued, “They’re just you know people that we don’t know. They’re not from the neighborhood, and then when you do try to get one of those apartments, you can’t afford it, because you got to make a certain amount of money, and then people that come out from other countries just come in and get everything they want.”

 

He added, “And then us, that we’re here, citizens, that we’ve been paying taxes for years, we don’t get enough. So, I’m hoping that there’ll be a change.” Asked therefore, if he voted differently this year, he said, he voted Democrat. “Because, us Republicans, they’re messing up, man with all this scandal that’s been going on, so I voted Democrat this year.”

 

Meanwhile, of the District 13 voters, Marmorato later told NY1 on Wednesday morning, Nov. 8, “They were ready for the change. They feel like there’s no more local control in the community. They don’t feel like they have a say in what’s going on in their neighborhoods and they’re just fed up with it.”

 

Click here and here to view some of our prior campaign financing coverage and here and here for some recent general election coverage.