Was There Fraud in the 86th A.D. Special Election

 The above is a compelling photo which shows only levers to pull for the top two of the seven total candidates in this race were in place on this lever voting machine. This along with several accusations by not one or two, but four of the other candidates that fraud did exist in many different has forced the four candidates Hector Ramirez, Yudelka Tapia, Hallie Rivera, and Keny Nunez to call for an investigation of the long list of accusations and even for a new election. Some of the accusations are in a previous posting, but there seemed to be no more than the usual problems with the old machines in 86th A.D.. 

  There were reports of names missing from the enrollment books, as Mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner claimed his name was not in the enrollment book when he went to vote. Mayoral candidate Joe Lhota had to use a paper ballot because the voting machine at his table was not working. There were reports of machines being delivered to the wrong council districts, as well as some of the old problems of levers getting jammed, missing, or breaking off in one way or another. 

  As seems to be the case in the 86th A.D. special election the four candidates questioning the election have said that they were not allowed access to the voting machines prior to the election, found one candidates relatives working at a pole site, found what they have called electioneering by State Senator Gustavo Rivera, and Bronx Democratic County Leader 83rd A.D. Assemblyman Carl Heastie inside poll sites, Poll workers telling voters how to vote, among a list of other items.

  In the past there had been only reports of irregularities by one candidate at one or two poll sites in any race, not by four different candidates in the same race at so many different poll sites.

  I found out that after the election (as in the past) most lever voting machines were kept at the poll sites, and all due to be back in the Board of Elections care by midnight Thursday September 12th. Friday September 13th said voting machines were to be opened up and re canvased. Since only a plastic zip lock strip was used to secure the voting machines front I decided to visit the Bronx Board of Elections to see just what condition the voting machines were in when they came back. As you will see in the photos below ALL of the voting machine were placed in lines and the plastic zip lock strips on the front were broken before the re canvassing so it was not known if any came back with any broken front seals. . 

Left & Right - The lever voting machines are lined up for the re canvassing with all of the front plastic zip lock seals having been broken beforehand. You can even see some doors are open on a few machines. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

  I have reached out to Senator Gustavo Rivera and to Bronx Democratic County for comments on this matter. Senator Rivera's staff said that they would forward me a copy of a statement by Senator Rivera which I have not received yet, and did not get a call back from County Leader Heastie or any statement from him. I will be exploring this matter further in my column of "100 PERCENT" that can be found in next weeks editions of the Bronx News. Parkchester News, and Coop - City News. 

ASSEMBLYMAN SEPULVEDA ENDORSES DANIEL SQUADRON FOR PUBLIC ADVOCATE

  Today, Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda (D-Bronx) endorsed Democratic candidate for Public Advocate Daniel Squadron, joining Squadron's broad coalition of supporters from across the five boroughs.
Squadron's momentum and grassroots energy continues to build ahead of the October 1st runoff. He has been the grassroots leader in the race, topping the Public Advocate field and nearly all other city campaigns in matching funds; organizing over 180 house parties and events; and building a diverse coalition of supporters across the city, including: U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, The New York Times, both former Public Advocates Mark Green and Betsy Gotbaum, and Latino leaders like State Senators Adriano Espaillat, Jose Peralta, Jose Serrano, Gustavo Rivera, and Martin Dilan, Assemblywoman Gabriela Rosa, and Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez. Just yesterday, Squadron was endorsed by Staten Island leaders Assemblyman Michael Cusick and former U.S. Representative Michael McMahon.

"Daniel will be an effective crusader for communities who need one, in the Bronx and across the city. He has a tangible record of achieving results, and he'll continue to do just that as our next Public Advocate, whether it's standing up for undocumented immigrants, or fighting to give parents a voice in their children's' education," said Assemblyman Sepulveda.

 

 

Liberty Democratic Association-Event

   Liberty Democratic Association

   80th Assembly District, Bronx NY * Founded 2006
 

GENERAL MEETING

Sunday September 29, 2013 @1PM

New Location

PBQ Texas Style Smoke House

866 Morris Park  Ave

One Order of Business:

Members are asked to confirm the Executive Board recommendation to amend the Liberty Democratic Association-By-laws

Meeting will end @ 2PM

Outstanding dues can be paid at this meeting

Party to Honor Election Inspectors & Elected-2PM-5PM

HOT FOOD & REFRESHMENTS

Free: Members, inspectors, coordinators &

Awards Dinner participants- Others $10

Inspector Honorees

Suzanne J. Piscitelli

Coordinator Honoree

Lorraine Ritter

Elected Honoree

Senator Gustavo Rivera

R.S.V.P.

Miriam Schwartz 718-829-3041

                          Joseph A. McManus 718-644-1841

Was There Voter Fraud in the 86th A.D. Special Election

This is a letter that came to us from the Hector Ramirez Camp claiming voter fraud in the special election in the 86th A.D. on Primary Day. This letter is unsubstantiated at the time it has been posted.

Office of Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 1224

United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of New York
Attn: Chief, Civil Rights Unit
86 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10007
Fax:  (212) 637-2750

Civil Rights Bureau
New York State Attorney General's Office
 (212) 416-8250 or civil.rights@ag.ny.gov

ANDREW BRUNSDEN
abrunsden@doi.nyc.gov
City of New York Department of Investigation -
80 Maiden Lane, New York, N.Y. 10038
(212) 825-2870
Fax: (212) 825-0125

Re: Please help the people  of the West Bronx
          

            The process for New York State Assembly's 86th district Special Election has not concluded, but what happened provides robust evidence of all that is wrong with the ingrained corruption in our political system that keeps leaving our neighborhoods behind. Despite many obstacles, the  people voted and when the results started to indicate that the handpicked candidate by the Bronx political machine was falling behind, the counting stopped. Events during election day indicate that the Board of Elections in the Bronx is not an independent or fair government body, and we are afraid that they are maneuvering to contaminate the results and impose the will of their political bosses.

           We are urging the state, city and federal government to step in and help the people of the 86th district by conducting an investigation into the process and making sure that all candidates were held to the same standards by the Board of Elections, and all irregularities are fully uncovered and rectified.

          Following events that prompted the resignation of Assemblyman Nelson Castro, Governor Andrew Cuomo gave the people of the impoverished area of district 86 the opportunity to elect their own representative, by calling for an open election in which the corrupt political machine that has  bullied  the area would not have the sole power of continuing to handpick the candidates.

      Governor Cuomo's decision was a breath of fresh air for the democratic process, since seven candidates were able to get on the ballot, campaign and deliver their messages to the people, but that did not stop the corrupt machine from using all kinds of illegal maneuvers and government resources to try to impose their handpicked candidate, with the sole and obscure credential of being a staffer to State Senator Gustavo Rivera.

     On September 10th hundreds of people went to the polling places in the 86th district to encounter scenarios comparable to a third word dictatorship or an abusive dysfunctional electoral system.

These events included, but are not limited to:

• The use of hundreds of inspectors, paid by the Board of Elections, as campaign workers for the handpicked candidate inside the polling sites, including the mother of the candidate and another staffer of Senator Rivera.

• Delegates of different candidates bullied around by County appointed inspectors and by Senator Rivera and county boss Carl Hastie himself inside the polling site, which is illegal.

• Voters and other candidates testimonies, point to these "board workers" as telling voters how to vote, often pointing at Mr. Pichardo as the way to do so.

• Polling Centers at P.S 306 did not have candidate Hector Ramirez's name on the ballot.

• Polling site at P.S 206, of Aqueduct Ave, in which the trigger to vote for Ramirez was continually stuck.

• P.S 85 at 2400 Marion Avenue, Machines where mysteriously shutdown. Polling site at JBH senior center, at 230 E 179 street voters were turned away because supposedly the machines did not work. Also poll watchers from other candidates were taken out by police officer.

• The ED 17’s machines had all levers broken but Victor Pichardo's. So voters could only vote for Bronx County's candidate.

• BOE executive and sister of county leader Carl E. Hastie coming to the Bronx offices in the middle of the night, on election night, sending everyone home and staying with a few selected people.

• The Board of Election abruptly decided to stop counting the votes, after counting only 88% without taking the necessary precaution to give all the candidates transparent and fair assurances that those "broken" machines will not be tampered with further. Later, news reports appeared that they counted 100% (see http://www.nytimes.com/projects/elections/2013/nyc-primary/other_races/results.html) with, obviously, Mr. Pichardo on top by a few votes.

            Many of these and other problems are documented and others were reported by frustrated voters to government agencies, including the NY Attorney General  hotline during election day for proper follow up.

Although we are confident that Hector Ramirez won this election, our state, city and federal government need to step in to stop this madness and get to the bottom of what happened here to prevent these corrupt political machines from continuing to politically enslave the people of the Bronx.

A district that has just suffered such a blow of corruption and lack of representation deserves that every vote be truly counted.

We will not rest until the government agencies are not used as personal corporations to suppress political participation.

On behalf of the people of District 86

Respectfully,

For contact and additional informational

List in formation:

Hector Ramirez                                               *                                              Yudelka Tapia



Haile Rivera                                                    *                                            
Keny Nuñez

Voting Machines to be Recanvassed Friday Morning

  Friday morning all lever voting machines are expected to be at the borough offices of the Board of Elections to be opened once again after being sealed after the tally was taken election night to verify the results. Many lever voting machines are still in poll sites, and the voting machines which have been sealed with nothing more than a plastic Ziplock strip have been left unguarded in most cases awaiting pick up. 

  I called the Board of Elections to find out that every lever voting machine is expected to be back at the borough offices by Thursday night at the latest. When I asked about the plastic Ziplock strip securing the machine I was told that procedures are in place if the tag is broken. When I asked "what procedures are in place" I was told "procedures". 

  The reason for the recount is that mistakes can be made in reading the small dials on the lever voting machines by Board of Election poll workers after 15 hours of working the poll site. I have seen this first hand when 300 votes for one candidate were missed when the poll worker did not see the very small #3 in the hundreds roll of the lever voting machine. It was an honest mistake, but mistakes have happened to often on the old lever voting machines.

 

In the photo above taken Wednesday night only the small plastic Ziplock strip is in the way of tampering with this voting machine or the other to the right of it as both wait to be picked up for delivery back to the Board of Elections.

Rally for Dignity!

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

 

Rally against the abuses of Democratic County Boss and the Board of Elections

Despite all obstacles by the corrupt political machine, on September 10^th voters rejected their handpicked candidate in Assembly District 86^th. On top of all irregularities affecting the other candidates in favor of the candidate of the corrupt establishment, the board stopped counting the votes and arbitrarily sequestered the machines and paper ballots.  We will not accept a fraudulent verdict by a corrupt Board of Elections managed from the office of the Party Boss.

Rally against the abuses of Democratic County Boss and the Board of Elections

FRIDAY – September 13, 10:30

In front of the Bronx Board of Elections Office

Address: 1780 Grand Concourse (175^th St. and Grand Concourse) Bronx NY 10453

For more information:

Call: 347-922-0510                                                                                            

¡A Luchar por sus derechos!

Protesta contra los abusos del jefe Demócrata del Condado y la Junta Electoral

A pesar de todos los obstáculos de la maquinaria política corrupta, el 10 de septiembre los votantes rechazaron su candidato elegido a dedo para el Distrito 86 de la Asamblea. Además de todas las irregularidades que afectaron a los otros candidatos en favor del candidato de la maquinaria corrupta, la Junta dejó de contar los votos y arbitrariamente secuestro las máquinas y las boletas de papel sin contar. No vamos a aceptar un veredicto fraudulento por una Junta de Elección corrupta que funciona como un apéndice de la oficina del jefe del partido.

BASTA de los abusos del jefe Demócrata del Condado y la Junta Electoral

Viernes - 13 de Septiembre, 10:30 a.m.
En frente de la Junta de Elecciones del Bronx
Dirección: 1780 Grand Concourse (175th y Grand Concourse) Bronx NY 10453

Para más información:

Llamar al: 347-922-0510

 

 

Wave Hill Events September 27–October 4

   Honey Weekend! Come for the day―Saturday or Sunday―and take in a host of opportunities to admire the industry of our bee friends, then let their buzziness inspire some glorious stretches during a session of Tai Chi or Yoga, and a curated tour of the new exhibition in Glyndor Gallery. How sweet it is!

THU, SEPTEMBER 26    GARDEN WALK: ARMORED PLANTS

Many plants, like the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.) and Dioscorea elephantipes (elephant’s foot) are

naturally protected with weapon-worthy spines or a thick coating of armor. Others, such as Sagittaria, have names that allude to armor-like aspects of their anatomy. Wave Hill Horticultural Interpreter  Charles Day leads a tour of these denizens of the garden, all relevant to Bashford Dean, whose interest in both arms and ichthyology is the subject of the fall exhibition in Glyndor Gallery. This walk repeats October 5 and 10. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

SAT & SUN, SEPTEMBER 28 & 29    HONEY WEEKEND

Honey Weekend is a highlight this fall, with a sweet menu of activities for all ages. Most Honey Weekend events take place both Saturday and Sunday and are free with admission to the grounds.

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    FAMILY ART PROJECT—BE A BEE

Live the life of a bee! Outfit yourself with wings, antennae, a pollen cup and a kazoo to buzz with. Buzz around in a hive of six-sided cells and forage in the flowers. Join in a bee parade and dance in a cardboard hive at 12:30PM, weather permitting. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Honey Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    TAI CHI CHUAN

Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. In this beginner-level class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8AM on the day of the class for program updates. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    HONEY TASTING

Sample honey at The Shop at Wave Hill. You’ll be amazed at the complex flavors of different varieties! Purchase your favorite to take home. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM−4PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    HONEY EXTRACTION DEMONSTRATION

How do bees make honey? How do we collect it? Help us extract and bottle honey from our resident honeybees and sample honey straight from the hive. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28    HIVES & HONEY INFORMATION STATION

Try on beekeeping gear, peek inside an empty hive and learn fascinating facts about honeybees. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1−3PM

SAT, SEPTEMBER 28   GALLERY TOUR

Join a curatorial fellow for a tour of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition, Tandem Pursuits: Armor & Ichthyology, which celebrates the interests of former Wave Hill House resident Bashford Dean. Dean was Curator of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Curator of Fish at the American Museum of Natural History. The intersection of his interest in both fish and armor provides the opportunity to bring together a remarkable group of contemporary art that explores concepts of adaptation, pattern, and protection. The tour also includes Sunroom Project Space installations by Van Lier Visual Artist Fellows Onyedika Chuke and Francisco Donoso. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    FAMILY ART PROJECT—BE A BEE

Live the life of a bee! Outfit yourself with wings, antennae, a pollen cup and a kazoo to buzz with. Buzz around in a hive of six-sided cells and forage in the flowers. Join in a bee parade and dance in a cardboard hive at 12:30PM, weather permitting. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM–1PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HATHA YOGA

Find refuge from city life by practicing seasonal yoga. Decrease stress and increase your energy by focusing on your posture, your breath and your mind/body/spirit. Classes are led by Neem Dewji, certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call 718.549.3200 x245 by 8AM on the day of the class for program updates. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11:15AM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HONEY TASTING

Sample honey at The Shop at Wave Hill. You’ll be amazed at the complex flavors of different varieties! Purchase your favorite to take home. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM−4PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    CANDLE MAKING DROP-IN PROGRAM

A natural wax produced in the hive by young worker bees, beeswax has been used for centuries in religious ceremonies, for timekeeping and for illumination. Try your hand at creating an assortment of beeswax candles to take home and enjoy. Materials fee: $10 Member/$18 Non-member per kit. Registration not required. First come, first served while supplies last. Free with admission to the grounds, but there is a materials fee of $10 Member/$18 Non-member per kit, which includes enough to make several candles.

WAVE HILL HOUSE, 11AM–2PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    MEDITATION

This fall, take a moment to release stress and reconnect with your inner self while practicing meditation. Each session includes instruction in simple techniques followed by 20 to 30 minutes of meditation. Led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors. All levels welcome. Session fee: $23/Wave Hill Member $15. Registration opens onsite at 9:30AM..

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:30AM‒12:45PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HONEY EXTRACTION DEMONSTRATION

How do bees make honey? How do we collect it? Help us extract and bottle honey from our resident honeybees and sample honey straight from the hive. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    HIVES & HONEY INFORMATION STATION

Try on beekeeping gear, peek inside an empty hive and learn fascinating facts about honeybees. Free with admission to the grounds. Honey Weekend event.

PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1−3PM

SUN, SEPTEMBER 29    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, SEPTEMBER 30

Closed to the public.

TUE, OCTOBER 1    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

TUE, OCTOBER 1    GALLERY TOUR

Join a curatorial fellow for a tour of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition, Tandem Pursuits: Armor & Ichthyology, which celebrates the interests of former Wave Hill House resident Bashford Dean. Dean was Curator of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Curator of Fish at the American Museum of Natural History. The intersection of his interest in both fish and armor provides the opportunity to bring together a remarkable group of contemporary art that explores concepts of adaptation, pattern, and protection. The tour also includes Sunroom Project Space installations by Van Lier Visual Artist Fellows Onyedika Chuke and Francisco Donoso. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM—5:30PM. Closes 4:30PM, November 1—March 14.  

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free until noon on Tuesdays in September and October. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 3o minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242^nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

86th A.D. Results UPDATE

  With 100% of the vote cast on the lever voting machines in the 86th A.D. the results are the following.

  Any absentee or paper ballots done at a poll site will be counted starting on Friday.

 

 Victor Pichardo leads by 72 votes.

Candidate	Votes	Pct.
Victor Pichardo	1,195	22.7%
Hector Ramirez	1,123	21.3
Yudelka Tapia	1,000	19.0
Haile Rivera	885	16.8
Melanie Johnson	469	8.9
Elizabeth Ortiz	400	7.6
Keny Nunez	193	3.7

Primary Day 2013 - The Bronx Results?

  In what was a light turnout the results of yesterday's primary races are in, but will not be official for at least three weeks. For Democratic Mayor Bill DeBlasio ended the night slightly over the magical 40% line to win without having to go into a run off election, but there are still to many absentee and paper ballots that have to be counted which could place DeBlasio below that magical 40% line. If DeBlasio falls below 40% by even one vote he would be forced into a run off with Bill Thompson who finished second.

  On the Republican side for Mayor Joe Lhota won, and should DeBlasio win on the Democratic side we might be seeing  "No Holds Barred"  in a Giuliani - Dinkins III rematch. 

  There will be a run off election for Public Advocate in three weeks on October 1st as none of the 5 candidates went over the magical (citywide only) 40% mark between Brooklyn State Senator Dan Squadron and Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James. 

  For City Comptroller Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer narrowly defeated former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer.

  Here in the Bronx, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was an easy winner coming in with 84% of the vote. Incumbent Bronx City Council members in the 8th, 12th, 14th, 17th, & 18th districts all won, and 13th Councilman Jimmy Vacca did not have a primary. In the open Bronx council seats- 11th Andrew Cohen won by a better than 2 - 1 margin, 15th Ritchie Torres won with a little over 1/3 of the vote, and in the 16th 77th A.D. Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson won with over 40% of the vote. 

  In the special election to fill the vacant 86th A.D. Victor Pachardo won with 22% of the vote, but by less than 65 votes (64 to be exact). It is expected (by me at least) that the winner of this race may not be determined by Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

Here are past 11th City Councilwoman June Eisland, current 11th City Councilman Oliver Koppell, and in the middle the next 11th City Councilman Andrew Cohen.

Left - 11th council district primary winner Andrew Cohen goes over the long list of names he thanked in his win.

Right - One time 11th council district Democratic candidate Cheryl Keeling (right) stopped by to congratulate Cohen on his victory, poses with soon to be Councilman Andrew Cohen's wife Heather Erhard-Cohen. Keeling was knocked off the ballot by Cliff Stanton who ran against Cohen.

Lastly - A photo to remember if you are 87th A.D. Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda who went against the Bronx Democratic County organization to be the first Bronx elected official to publicly endorse Bill DeBlasio for Mayor. Sepulveda worked tirelessly for the Deblasio campaign turning his Parkchester political club into the Bronx Campaign headquarters for DeBlasio. Could we be seeing Assemblyman Sepulveda joining the DeBlasio administration?

Primary Day 2013 Halfway Point

  Today is Primary day 2013 for Democrats and Republicans. While republicans are only choosing between three candidates for Mayor it is a different story for Democrats. Democrats have a choice of 6 candidates for Mayor 2 for City Comptroller, 5 for Public Advocate, 2 for Bronx Borough President, and from 0 - 6 candidates for various city council races. There is an added bonus election this year with the stepping down of former 86th A.D. Assemblyman Nelson Castro where 7 candidates are running. 

  The early turn out is from light to very light, and at minutes before noon time I found one Election District that had no votes cast. There seem to be little problems in using the old Lever Voting machines, unless you happen to be Joe Lhota who had to cast a paper ballot due to a Lever Voting machine breakdown. Paper ballots are on hand at all poll sites just in case any machine becomes inoperative. 

   As for my own exit polling- here in the Bronx (11th and 15th Council Districts) the two Bills are receiving the most votes for Mayor. Outside of the poll workers it was almost impossible to find any Republican voters in the 11th & 15th Council Districts. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is out and campaigning hard all over the Bronx, while I could only see signs of his opponent. The 11th Council District seems to be going the way I called it "Big for Cohen", and the 15th Council District has all 6 candidates working their strengths as you will see in the photos below. 

That's 80th A.D. Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj at the wheel of this Thompson for Mayor vehicle on the road in the 80th A.D.

 

Left - That's 15th Council District candidate Cynthia Thompkins talking to 15th Council District Raquel Batista who is driving around the district. This photo is taken outside the PS 46 poll site, a strong hold for both of these candidates.

Right - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. stopped by the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (one of the largest polling sites in the Bronx), and poses with his choice for the 11th Council District Andrew Cohen.

 

 Left - One sign of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s opponent has fallen to the bottom of the pole it is on one block from the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy.

Right - A sign of 11th Council Candidate Andrew Cohen's opponent.

Bronx Democratic County Barbecue

  Saturday September 7th was the Annual Bronx County Barbecue. Bronx Democratic County Leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie was joined by many elected officials from the Bronx and beyond. 2 candidates for Mayor showed up Bill Thompson and John Liu. Letitia James the Bronx County organization backed candidate for Public Advocate, Congressman Charlie Rangel (who now has a little part of the Bronx), and Manhattan Democratic County Leader Keith Wright were among those from outside the Bronx. 

   Willie Colon who is best known as a great Salsa singer and band leader, but who also ran for congress in 1994 gave a mini concert in favor of his candidate for Mayor Bill Thompson. Bronx County Leader Heastie said that he was going to keep the political speeches to a minimum, and kept his word as only he, BP Diaz, Bill Thompson, Letitia James, and co-host Assemblyman Marcos Crespo had the microphone other than Willie Colon. 

   Barbecue banter- On the subject of a vibrant looking Congressman Charles Rangel there was no comment by either Manhattan County leader Keith Wright or Rangel himself as to another term in Washington. Willie Colon- I crashed this party for my friend Bill Thompson. Public Advocate Letitia James- "We need to change the direction of the city". To my question of her what then has the city council been doing for the past 4 - 8 years there was no answer by Ms. James (a current councilwoman from Brooklyn), or any of the three other Bronx Council members I asked the same question. Bill Thompson- Under previous Bronx County Leadership there was fragmentation. Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr.- I do have a primary. Senator Jeff Klein- Didn't Oliver Koppell endorse Republican candidate for Mayor Michael Bloomberg? Carl Heastie- I am endorsing Jeff Klein for re-election.

Left - The Bronx Democratic County headquarters on the corner of Blondell Avenue and Eastchester Road.

Right - On the left Mr. John Zaccaro Jr. President of the Bronx Young Democrats (and Councilman Fernando Cabrera's office was in charge of the grill this year.

 

Left - Two old opponents, now friends say hello to each other.

Right - Famous Salsa singer and band leader Willie Colon listens to a woman as Bronx Democratic County Executive Director Ischia Bravo looks on.

 

Left - Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson greets some of his supporters.

Right - Mayoral candidate John Liu says hello to Bronx County Leader Heastie and others.

 

Left - Bronx County leader Heastie with Bronx County backed Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., Willie Colon, and Co-host Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.

Right - Willie Colon As he sings one of his hit songs.

 

Left - Senator Jeff Klein talking to Bronx County Leader Heastie, who later said that he was endorsing Senator Klein for re-election.

Right - Congressman Rangel talking to Bronx County Leader Heastie. Could this be for Heastie's endorsement for another term in Washington?