Seventeen candidates are on the ballot for the New York City Public Advocate special election race on Feb. 26 next week, but voting will be harder than just picking the Democrat or the Republican. Due to the circumstances of the race, each candidate is running on their own unique party line. For example, former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is running on the “Fix the MTA” line and Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim is running on the “No Amazon” line.

The winner of the Feb. 26 election will only hold the office for a few months before the September primaries. Mayor Bill de Blasio called for the special election after former Public Advocate Letita James was elected to be the state attorney general. However, city law mandates a primary and general election be held this fall to determine who will serve the rest of James’ term that expires in 2021.

To make matters even more confusing, current City Council Speaker Corey Johnson is serving as interim Public Advocate until the Feb. 26 election. The Norwood News has compiled a list of all the candidates in the order in which their name appears on the ballot, their party line, and a brief biography to help voters determine who they want.

Melissa Mark-Viverito
Fix the MTA
The former City Council Speaker has remained active since she was term-limited in 2017. Last year, she was one of Cynthia Nixon’s surrogates as Nixon primaried Governor Andrew Cuomo from the left. Like Nixon, Mark-Viverito has made the dilapidated MTA the focus of her campaign, proposing to direct the tax revenue from recreational marijuana legalization.

Michael A. Blake
For the People
The South Bronx assemblyman is no stranger to the public advocate race. He was the campaign manager for Reshma Saujani, a candidate for public advocate in 2013, who ultimately lost. Backed by much of the Bronx Democratic Party establishment, Blake is running on his three and a half years in the Assembly and his experience working in the Obama administration. Blake is running on a platform of jobs and justice “for the people,” with plans that target shady landlords and the MTA. Earlier in February, the Albany Times Union reported Blake was a paid consultant for a political party in Bermuda, but he refuted that he violated any law that would require him to register as a foreign agent. It’s unclear whether Blake will relinquish his post as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Dawn L. Smalls
No More Delays
Smalls is an attorney and a longtime Democratic operative running as a first-time candidate, frequently referring to herself as an “outsider” to city politics. She served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations. While she currently is a partner at a Manhattan law firm, she has also worked for large philanthropic organizations like the Open Society and Ford Foundations. For the last three and a half years, she has served as a commissioner on the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) in Albany.

Eric A. Ulrich
Common Sense
The Queens councilman is one of two Republicans running for the position, hoping a 16-way split of the Democratic vote will allow him to sneak in as the first Republican elected to citywide office since Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005. Ulrich, a self-identified antiTrump, moderate Republican, argues that he would be more independent of the mayor than the other candidates who more closely align with de Blasio on ideological terms.

Ydanis Rodriguez
Unite Immigrants
The Upper Manhattan City councilman is running on a pro-immigrant platform, calling for a bill that would allow immigrants with green cards and work permits to vote in local elections. Rodriguez has also touted education reform, citing his experience as a New York City public school teacher.

Daniel J. O’Donnell
Equality for All
A key figure in the movement to legalize gay marriage in New York, the Manhattan assemblyman has argued his career as a public defender and trailblazing legislator have prepared him for the role of public advocate. City & State magazine reported O’Donnell’s campaign put out promotional material that falsely included endorsements from Congressman Anthony Brindisi and Queens Assemblywoman Michele Titus.

Rafael L. Espinal Jr.
Livable City
Espinal Jr. is a Brooklyn councilman and a rising star in New York City politics. On the City Council, Espinal Jr. helped create the Office of Nightlife, ban the “Cabaret Law,” and secure over $250 million for his district to address infrastructure and housing concerns after Mayor de Blasio announced an affordable housing rezoning plan in 2014. Recently, he has been a notable backer of the NYCHA rent strike.

Latrice M. Walker
Power Forward
The Brooklyn assemblywoman will appear on the ballot, but only because the Board of Elections refused to remove her despite her request. After entering the crowded race in December, Walker stopped campaigning in January and skipped the first debate on NY1.

Jumaane D. Williams
It’s Time, Let’s Go
Fresh off an unsuccessful primary challenge to Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Williams has used the momentum (and network of endorsements) from that race to launch himself into this one. An activism-minded politician with Tourette’s syndrome and ADHD, Williams has been criticized for missing City Council committee meetings due to his campaigning over the last year.

Ron Kim
No Amazon
The Queens assemblyman is a vocal opponent of the deal that would bring Amazon’s second headquarters to his borough. While this view is held by most, if not all, of his opponents in this race, Kim has made his opposition central to his campaign. In October, he called on the state to end subsidies for companies like Amazon and use that tax revenue to eliminate student debt in New York.

Benjamin L. Yee
Community Strong
Yee is the Secretary of the Manhattan Democratic Party and the vice president of the national Young Democrats of America. He worked as the New York digital director on the Obama 2008 campaign and later revamped IT infrastructure for Democrats in Albany.

A. Manny Alicandro
Better Leaders
Unlike Ulrich, Alicandro is an unapologetic supporter of Republican President Donald J. Trump. The Brooklyn-based attorney told the New York Post he had spoken to the President, who encouraged him to run.

Nomiki D. Konst
Pay Folks More
A former investigative journalist and longtime Democratic activist, Konst has campaigned on stripping the Public Advocate’s office of its political aspects and refocus it as an independent check on the powers-that-be. Konst said she would call to remove the public advocate from the mayoral line of succession and form deputy public advocate positions in each City Council district. A former Bernie Sanders surrogate, Konst has landed high-profile endorsements from Rosario Dawson, Cornel West, and Democratic presidential hopeful Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

David Eisenbach
Stop REBNY
Eisenbach was the sole challenger to Letitia James in the 2017 Democratic primary, receiving 23.42 percent of the vote. A historian who teaches courses on LGBTQ history, media and politics at Columbia University, Eisenbach has hosted several History Channel shows and written several history books. Jared Rich Jared Rich for NYC Rich, a Brooklyn born-and-bred attorney, has a section on his campaign website titled, “Who is This Guy??” His campaign slogan is “a litigator who will fight and a negotiator who will listen.” Rich has argued his lack of political experience will lend itself to the office of public advocate, which is intended to be an independent voice to counter the mayor and City Hall.
Anthony Tony Herbert
Residents First
Herbert is a community activist based in Brooklyn who works to promote minorityowned businesses through his roles in the NAACP and the African American International Chamber of Commerce. He has worked in the offices of City Councilwoman Priscilla Wooten and Congressman Edolphus Towns.

Helal A. Sheikh
Friends of Helal
Sheikh is a public school teacher who immigrated to America from Bangladesh when he was 17. Sheikh ran in the Democratic primary for the 32nd Council District in 2017, losing to the Democrat who was ultimately defeated by now-public advocate contender Ulrich. In 2013, Sheikh ran in the Democratic primary for 37th Council District, losing to another public advocate contender, Espinal Jr.

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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.