Five of the six Democratic candidates looking to take on incumbent Republican City Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato in November were on hand for the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance 13th City Council Democratic Forum. Shirley Aldebol, David Diaz, John Perez, Theonia Reets-Dupont, and Joel Rivera answered the questions to the best of their ability. Jacqueline Torres is also on the ballot for the 13th City Council Democratic Primary, but did not respond to inquiries to attend.
As for the candidates' qualifications, there was very little. In introductions Aldebol said she was a single mother which she repeated during the forum. Diaz said there was a lack of leadership, not mentioning where. Perez went into previous campaigns talking about his joining the Army and getting promoted and the Silver Star. Reets-Dupont spoke of her experience as a former Chief of Staff for a councilman in the next district. Rivera mentioned that he was against the Bally's Casino/Hotel proposal and development.
To the question of the City of YES only Rivera was against it, there was little if any conversation as to why each candidate was better than the current council member. There was mention that a Democrat could bring more resources into the district then the current Republican Councilwoman, but there was no real answer, except that the city council is a majority Democratic council.
When I spoke to Bronx Democratic County leader Jamaal Bailey, once I heard that the 32BJ chair of its union PAC was running, I asked if the union leader whose union had contributed thousands of dollars to Bronx Democratic County candidates was going to receive the endorsement of the Bronx Democratic Party? The answer I received was that the organization would be interviewing candidates before endorsing any. A question came up in this forum, asking the five candidates which were interviewed by the Bronx Democratic County Party? A surprising unanimous answer of no came from all the candidates including candidate Shirley Aldebol who received the endorsement of the Bronx Democratic Party. So, just how did the Bronx Democratic Party choose its candidate if none of the candidates were interviewed? It must have been those thousands and thousands of union dollars that went to the Bronx Democratic Party candidates over the years.
It appears that the next community forum by the Morris Park Community Association will not be having candidates Shirley Aldebol and David Diaz who are the only two candidates in the 13th Democratic Council primary who have been invited to an invite only interview by the Bronx Times a newspaper that was co-founded by Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, who just happens to be the Treasurer of the Bronx Democratic Party. The Bronx Times interviews are almost the same time as the Morris Park forum, and both Aldebol and Diaz are not expected to be there.
It has been confirmed that candidates David Diaz and Shirley Aldebol are tag teaming now in the Democratic Primary for the 13th City Council. It is rumored that Diaz is helping Aldebol try to win the council seat, for a possible run for Assemblyman Michael Benedetto's assembly seat in a special election early next year as signs that Benedetto would not be reelected for his vote to alienate parkland for Bally's Casino will come back to haunt him, as the Bruckner upzoning did to former Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez.
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