Local community and political organization, the Northwest Bronx Democrats (NWBx Dems) announced their endorsements and non-endorsements of various west side candidates running for City Council Districts 11, 14 and 15 in the upcoming primaries on Friday, June 11. They also announced their picks for Bronx civil court judge and Bronx borough president.

 

Saying, this year, the NWBx Dems’ endorsement process was dictated by a combination of hope and alleged broken promises by candidates, Anthony Rivieccio, the organization’s founder, confirmed that in the District 14 race, the group endorsed Pierina Sanchez and Yudelka Tapia. In the Bronx borough president race, the group endorsed Fernando Cabrera and Sammy Ravelo, and for Bronx Civil Court judge, they endorsed Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor and Verena Powell. In District 11 and in District 15, the organization did not endorse any candidate.

 

The organization, which has as its target areas, Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights and Allerton was somewhat cryptic in its messaging regarding its non-endorsements, citing more than once alleged broken promises, but without mentioning any one candidate by name. Rivieccio previously confirmed to the Norwood News that the organization usually meets with all candidates running in any given race before making endorsement decisions.

 

He said the NWBx Dems have had to force candidates and legislators, for over two decades, to make promises to the organization’s local neighborhoods which, he said, have been made less powerful, politically, over time because of gerrymandering. “We believe 2021 will be the year of destruction of our neighborhoods, politically,” Rivieccio said.

 

New York City’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB)’s public matching funds program enables candidates running for office who sign up to the program, to receive $8 of taxpayer money for every $1 raised privately by the candidates. They can then use the combined funds to run their campaigns, subject to certain rules and reporting requirements.

 

Meanwhile, Padernacht placed fourth in the special behind Dinowitz, who won the race, Lora, and Jessica Haller. Haller later dropped out of the primary race, as reported, though her name will still appear on the ballot. In District 15, Feliz was elected councilman following the March special election, and will be defending his seat in the primary. Bravo was runner-up and is also running again. Crespo dropped out after her defeat in the special election and therefore did not proceed with the primary challenge.

In the context of the NWBx Dems’ criticism of certain unnamed candidates’ about their lack of local spending in the borough, we reviewed the figures for the March special election cycle. A total of $245,694 was raised during that cycle in private funds by the five District 11 participating candidates: Berkley ($11,736), Dinowitz ($81,903), Haller ($85,043), Lora ($30,659) and Padernacht (36,353), who each participated in the CFB matching funds program, while Pazmino chose not to participate.

 

A total of $558,991 was paid out in public tax dollars to the candidates during that cycle: $142,500 to Dinowitz, $142,450 to Haller, $142,500 to Lora and $131,541 to Padernacht. Though he participated in the public matching funds program, Berkley did not meet the requirements to qualify to receive public matching funds during that election cycle.

 

In terms of expenditures during the special election, a total of $746,164 was spent by the following five candidates: $7,111 (Berkley), $224,505 (Dinowitz), $223,910 (Haller), $169,334 (Lora) and $121,303 (Padernacht).

 

Out of his $7,111 in outlays, Berkley spent $6,645 (93 percent) in The Bronx on posters, a campaign manager, supplies and petitions. He spent $51 (0.7 percent) outside of the Bronx, and outside of New York City but within New York State on banking related expenses. He also spent $387 (5.44 percent) outside of New York State on things like political meetings, his campaign website, donation processing, stripe fees, and his ZOOM account.

 

Of his $224,505 in expenditures, Dinowitz spent $11,119 (under 4.95 percent) in The Bronx, mostly on legal counsel fees ($8,000), bank check fees, refund check fees, office supplies, space usage, fundraising/thank you card expenses, canvassing, wire transfer fees, sample ballots, postcards and letters. He also spent the majority, $163,461 (72 percent), in Brooklyn on consulting firm, Red Horse Strategies, and on his campaign manager.

 

Dinowitz also paid out $108 (0.04 percent) to Benjamin Boeteng on Staten Island for canvassing expenses, and $7,192 (3.2 percent) to Lorenzo Marzano in Queens on a field organizer salary, as well as on donuts & water expenses. He paid $5,530 (2.46 percent) to the New York State Democratic committee in Manhattan for voter files.

 

The councilman paid $20,213 (9 percent) to recipients based outside New York City but within New York State for legal counsel fees, petition printing, fundraising and field director services and salaries. He paid $15,405 (6.8 percent) to recipients outside of New York State on Stripe fees, ZOOM meetings, web hosting, online ads, checks, GOTV (Get out the Vote) calls, job posting, texting, calling, field organizer and endorsement stamps. He also spent $1,081 (0.48 percent) on UPS stamp expenses (no physical location was listed).

 

Meanwhile, of her $169,334 in expenditures, Lora spent $50,438 (29.7 percent) in The Bronx on field director wages, advance payments, organizers, photographers, printing and an ad. She spent a total of $7,112 (4.19 percent) outside The Bronx but within New York City i.e. $2,521 in Brooklyn to the Working Families Party for texting, $3,591 in Manhattan for bank service fees, video equipment, legal fees and a photographer.

 

She spent $1,000 to Plus Roses LLC in Queens for videography. She also spent $16,169 (9.54 percent) outside of New York City but within New York State on a canvassing app, a walk piece, flyers, campaign stickers, postcards, knit caps, palm cards, a photographer, graphics, VAN voter files, and advance payment.

 

She spent the majority, $67,996 (40 percent), outside of New York State on graphics, website, digital ads, G-suite, palm cards, design/print/postage, texting, stripe fees, email, 1099 delivery, website translation, video conferencing and graphics software. She paid $26,000 (15.35 percent) to Ben Nanna, her campaign manager. His location was not listed but her campaign told us that Nanna had to move to another State, and work remotely when the pandemic hit.

 

Of his $121,303 in expenditures, Padernacht spent the most in The Bronx, $55,513 (45.76 percent) on consulting services, internet ads, printing and hand cards, printing literature, postage, poll workers, stationery, postcards, print ads, digital ads, food & beverage, snacks, and post-election party expenses.

 

He spent $15,517 (12.79 percent) in Manhattan on consulting services, web design services, consulting fees and poll workers. He spent $11,919 (9.8 percent) in Brooklyn on consulting services, photography, legal services, logo design and petition printing/binding.

 

Padernacht also spent $18,161 (14.9 percent) outside of New York City but within New York State on bank fees, posters, campaign mailers, business cards, photography, event staff, buttons, web design, artwork, Somos registration and voter files. He spent $12,951 (10.6 percent) on television ads, stripe fees, email service, pens for petitioning, office supplies, internet ads, website domain, invoices for checks, business cards, software license, PPE, and sticks for posters.

 

He also spent $6,696 (5.5 percent) on website services, a website domain, Somos hotel charges, voter file access and travel. The location for these particular expenses was not listed.

 

Of these four candidates, proportionate to the funds they had available to them in the special election, Berkley spent the most, 93 percent, in The Bronx, followed by Padernacht with 45.76 percent, Lora with 29.7 percent and Dinowitz with under 4.95 percent. We did not include figures for Haller since she’s not running in the primary race, though her name will still appear on the ballot.

 

In hard dollar terms, during the special election, Padernacht spent the most in the borough, $55,513, followed by Lora with $50,438, Dinowitz with $11,119 and Berkley with $6,645.

 

Norwood News reached out to each of the primary election candidates, Padernacht, Lora, Dinowitz, Berkley, Sierra and Martin, to ask how and where they intended to spend their primary campaign funds in order to get elected. Haller had dropped out at this point. Pazmino did not qualify to get on the primary ballot, and Dion Then had also dropped out last year, endorsing Padernacht as he did so.

 

David Neustadt, a Lora campaign spokesperson, told us that her campaign was based solely on support from people, not real estate or other special interests. “The funds raised have been, and will be used to reach out to the people of Bronx District 11 with her message,” Neustadt told the Norwood News. 

 

He added, “The most effective and important part of the campaign can’t be measured in dollars. It’s our staff and volunteers reaching out by canvassing, phone calls and texts, to talk to voters about Mino’s stand for justice for all. That will continue to be the focus of the campaign in the primary.”

 

Meanwhile, Daniela de Groot, a spokesperson for the Dinowitz campaign, told us, “We invested in an aggressive strategy to communicate with voters in their mail boxes, and online to work side-by-side with our massive, grassroots volunteer operation, which contacted tens of thousands of voters.”

De Groot added, “We did so with a positive, future-facing message about the recovery of the Northwest Bronx. While others may change their strategy or message, we will continue to talk to voters about how to keep the Northwest Bronx a good place to live and retire, and how to deliver a just recovery for all families and seniors.”

 

Meanwhile, Martin told the Norwood News, “Thanks to the hard work of our campaign team, we have received donations from more people in the Northwest Bronx than any other candidate in this race, and we have received full matching funds from the Campaign Finance Board. We expect to be the only campaign to receive full matching funds, which is giving us the ability to reach Democrats across the district.”

 

Padernacht said, “Our budget will be spent on typical campaign expenses that you would normally see, such as mailers. Big expenses go to mail, any paid media, including TV, print and then any social media, afterwards. We’ll have some consultants working for us, and it will basically be spent on communicating and messaging with the residents of the 11th Council District, all across the district.

 

He added, “Our campaign realizes that we made mistakes in the special election, and that there are other opportunities that we could have capitalized on that we didn’t. We didn’t spend all the money, which was a mistake. Going into the primary, we have a new campaign team, we have a different strategy, and what we see as a clear path to victory. We’re much more focused, and we have a clear plan through to Election Day.”

 

While, to date, we did not receive a response to our request on spending from the Berkley campaign, during a recent District 11 debate hosted by BronxNet, the former NYPD detective voiced his frustration with the CFB’s rules around public matching funds, and the difficulties he had encountered with the process, though he did not get into specifics in this regard. The full debate can be watched here.

 

We did not receive an immediate response from the Sierra campaign.

 

As of June 12, in the primary race, a total of $165,891 had been raised in private funds by the candidates, comprising $2,200 (Berkley), $44,921 (Dinowitz), $7,357 (Haller, prior to dropping out), $39,510 (Lora), $42,303 (Martin), $21,208 (Padernacht), $7,072 (Sierra), and $1,320 (Then, prior to dropping out).

 

The candidates were paid out a total of $519,962 in public tax payer dollars, made up of $132,384 to Dinowitz, $115,847 to Lora, $160,444 to Martin, $67,830 to Padernacht and $43,457 to Sierra. Though, once again, he participated in the public matching funds program, Berkley did not meet the requirements in order to receive matching funds in the primary race.

 

Collectively, as of June 12, in terms of expenditures, the candidates spent a total of $344,970 made up of $89,975 (Dinowitz), $8,357 (Haller), $98,246 (Lora), $129,930 (Martin), $8,128 (Padernacht) $10,290 (Sierra) and $44 (Then). Berkley had $0 outlays.

 

Of his $89,975 in expenditures, Dinowitz spent $1,489 (1.65 percent) in the Bronx on wire transfer fees and on office rental from the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club, a group which endorsed Dinowitz under controversial circumstances. He spent $70,167 (77.98 percent) in Brooklyn for campaign consulting and professional services and $52 (0.05 percent) in Manhattan for web hosting.

 

He also spent $9,954 (11 percent) outside of New York City but within New York State for petition printing, field organizing and legal counsel. He spent $4,092 (4.54 percent) outside of New York State on ZOOM meetings, stripe fees, CK endorsement stamp, office supplies, calling,  job posting, email, database, testing service, and he spent $1,192 (1.32 percent) on UPS (no location was listed).

 

For her part, of her $98,246 in expenditures in the primary race, Lora spent $28,228 (28.73 percent – the most) in The Bronx on local travel, postage, her lead organizer, photographer, flyers, printing, advance repayment, a relational director, catering, food, field director and legal fees. Meanwhile, she spent $11 (0.01 percent) in Manhattan on bank fees, $18,148 (18.47 percent) outside of New York City but within New York State on a canvassing app, palm cards, shirts, legal fees and videography. She spent $23,041 (23.45 percent) outside of New York State on graphics software, local travel, texting, email, design/print/postage, G-suite, digital ads, video conferencing, stripe fees, website and website translation.

 

Meanwhile, of her $129,930 in outlays, Martin spent $8,005 (6.16 percent) in The Bronx on canvassing, a petitioner, office space, campaign posters, stationery, record-keeping files, literature drops, letters, vaccine clinic posts, postcard mailers, and print ads. She spent $8,940 (6.88 percent) in Brooklyn on membership fees (21 in ’21, a group which endorsed her), a petitioner, a campaign lawyer (Hinds Firm LLC), various expenses to Trade Media Partners on stationery, palm cards, consulting, door hanger, door cards, and petition printing.

 

She spent the most, $74,904 (57.64 percent), in Manhattan, mainly to Advanced Digital NYC Inc. and to Conscious Voter Contact, Inc. for canvassing fees, mailing fees, digital ads, palm cards, a videographer.

 

She spent $108 (0.08 percent) in Queens for canvassing expenses, and $2,340 (1.8 percent) outside of New York City but within New York State on a voter list and postcards. She spent 34,036 (29.19 percent) outside of New York State on video calling, social media, campaign posters, postcards, Act Blue/Vantiv fee (a PAC), bank fee maintenance, Stripe fees, letters, campaign manager, mass mails, candidate education, logo design, and campaign literature.

 

She paid $323 (0.24 percent) to Wix.com and on a petty cash deposit. The location was not listed.

Of his $8,128 in expenditures, Padernacht spent $517 (6.36 percent) in The Bronx on print palm cards and posters. He spent the most, $5,000 (61.51 percent), in Brooklyn on consulting services, and $77 (0.94 percent) outside New York City but within New York State on bank fees, and $1,159 (14.25 percent) outside New York State on stripe fees, transfer charges, office supplies, printing checks, internet and email services. He had outstanding liabilities of $1, 375, (16.91 percent).

 

Meanwhile, out of his $10,290 in outlays, Sierra spent $188 (1.8 percent) in The Bronx on a photographer, a strategy meeting and stamps. He spent $2,400 (23.32 percent) in Manhattan on digital consulting. He had outstanding liabilities of $7,175 (69.72 percent). He spent $164 (1.59 percent) outside of New York State on stripe fees, and he spent $363 (3.52 percent) on petty cash (no location was listed).

 

Of all six candidates in the primary race, proportional to the money they had available to them, Lora spent the most in The Bronx (28.73 percent), followed by Padernacht (6.36 percent), Martin (6.16 percent) Sierra (1.8 percent) and Dinowitz (1.65 percent). Meanwhile, in terms of actual hard dollars, Lora spent the most in the borough ($28,228), followed by Martin ($8,005), Dinowitz ($1,489), Padernacht ($517) and Sierra ($188).

 

We reached out to each of the District 11 and District 15 candidates who had, at one point or another, been endorsed by the NWBx Dems during the special election cycle, and who are also running in the upcoming primary race, for their comment on the organization’s allegations of “broken promises.”

 

Martin provided the following comment, “My campaign has been focused on reaching voters in every neighborhood of District 11. We have done so with paid canvassers who live in Norwood and Bedford Park, and by mail, phone calls, door knocking, community canvassing.” Both the Padernacht campaign and the Feliz campaign had no comment. We did not receive an immediate response from the Bravo campaign. We did not contact Crespo since she has dropped out of the race.

 

Meanwhile, the NWBx Dems have been cited in some previous election campaign stories in the Norwood News, The Riverdale Press and City & State in the context of prior controversies surrounding their endorsement process.

 

For her part, NWBx Dems president, Sheila Sanchez, said the organization is relying on “hope and relationships,” in trying to ensure the needs of their local neighborhoods are met and their voices heard. “The candidates we have endorsed, we believe, mean it in their soul that they want to build a better Bronx,” she said.

 

 

As reported, we subsequently performed a similar exercise for the District 15 City Council candidates also.