Bronx Community Board #2 District Manager Rafael Salamanca, Jr. today announced his candidacy for the vacant 17th District New York City Council seat for the special election on Tuesday, February 23rd. Salamanca, a lifelong Democrat and Bronx resident, is currently the District Manager of Bronx Community Board 2, representing Hunts Point, Longwood and Morrisania. For the non-partisan election, Salamanca will be running on the Community First party line.
“I’ve lived in this district my whole life. I saw my parents sacrifice so their kids could have a better life and I’ve dedicated my career to making our community better, safer and stronger,” said Salamanca. “I’m running for City Council so my children can inherit a better Bronx with stronger schools, safer streets, and better jobs.”
As a community activist and advocate, Salamanca has effectively fought to improve the quality of life for Bronx families. In early 2011, after witnessing the crime, violence and prostitution related to strip clubs in the Hunts Point community, Salamanca worked with the community board, the NYPD and local elected officials to shut down all 5 establishments.
A lifelong neighborhood resident, Salamanca works to increase transparency to improve police-community relations as President of the 41st Precinct Community Council since 2013. Salamanca also sits on the boards of the Community Healthcare Network and the Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation.
Rafael Salamanca, Jr. was born and raised in the Longwood section of the South Bronx to first generation parents from Puerto Rico. He has been a member of Bronx Community Board #2 for more than a decade and served as Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee from 2008 to 2010. Since 2010, Salamanca has served as District Manager for Bronx CB 2.
In addition to all of his community work and activism, Salamanca has spent over a dozen years working to expand access to quality health care in underserved communities in the South Bronx and across New York City.
Rafael Salamanca is an experienced leader who knows how to build effective coalitions to improve the quality of life in his community. Salamanca currently resides in the Longwood section of the Bronx with his wife Jessenia, stepson Justin, and 17 month old baby Aidan.
Editors Note:
We were the first to post about the December 18th State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. Christmas Party Where Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Marcos Crespo announced "After interviewing interested candidates for the 17th City Council District, the Bronx Democratic County organization is to support the candidacy of Bronx Community Board #2 District Manager Rafael Salamanca in the special election for the 17th City Council District. We wonder what then took Bronx Community Board #2 District Manager Salamanca so long to announce his candidacy, and we have many other interesting questions for Mr. Salamanca. Check back to this blog for those questions, and what the answers were.
Here is the link
