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UPDATE State and City Officials Join Bronx Democrats at Annual Fundraiser

BRONX DEMOCRATIC CHAIR and State Sen. Jamaal Bailey welcomes Gov. Kathy Hochul to the podium at the Bronx County Democratic Party’s fundraising gala at the Marina Del Rey in Throgs Neck on Wednesday, September. 29, 2021.
Photo by David Greene

Not having gathered last year due to the statewide shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, New York State’s top elected officials joined members of the Bronx Democratic Party at the Marina Del Rey in Throgs Neck, on Wednesday, Sept. 29, for the party’s annual fundraising gala.

 

State officials included New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, NYS Attorney General Letitia James, and NYS Comptroller Thomas Di’Napoli. Also in attendance were outgoing mayor, Bill de Blasio, Democratic nominee for mayor, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.

ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CARL Heastie (right) greets attendees at the Bronx Democratic Party’s annual fundraiser event at the Marina Del Rey in Throgs Neck on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Photo by David Greene

State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, the Bronx Democratic Party chairman and master of ceremonies for the evening, was surrounded at the dinner by local officials including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (83 A.D.), outgoing Bronx Borough President Ruben Díaz, Jr., City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson (C.D. 16), the Democratic nominee for Bronx borough president, Assembly Member Michael Benedetto (A.D. 82) and City Councilman Mark Gjonaj (C.D. 13).

 

STATE SEN. JAMAAL Bailey stands with award recipient, Judy Secon, of the New York Common Pantry during the Bronx Democratic Party’s annual fundraiser held on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Photo by David Greene

Former assemblyman and now senior VP for community affairs at Montefiore Medical Center, Marcos Crespo, and former State Sen. Jeff Klein were also seen at the event.

 

The new governor used the occasion to pay tribute to Bailey, who introduced her. Referring to the senator as “The Queen Maker,” she said, “He is responsible for ensuring that we now have five female council members heading off to City Hall.” Hochul added, “Thank you, Jamaal Bailey, for believing in women.”

 

STATE SEN. JAMAAL Bailey presents an award to Erica Vargas, assistant director of District Council 37, during the Bronx Democratic Party’s annual fundraiser held at Marina del Rey in Throgs Neck on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. Photo by David Greene

She continued, “I’m going to be brief, because I know you all want to socialize, but here’s one message my friends, one message and you can take this to the bank. As your governor, I’m going to fight like hell for every one of you!”

 

Standing at one of three speaker podiums, Adams later addressed certain Bronx officials directly from across the room, saying, “Carl, Ruben, Vanessa, I cannot say enough about what you mean to me and this borough. When people were running, they wanted to be heard, but I wanted to be felt.”

 

SPEAKING FOR ONE of the last times as borough president before his current term ends at the end of the year, Bronx Borough President Ruben Díaz, Jr. addresses the Bronx Democratic Party and its supporters during an annual gala benefit held on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at the Marina del Rey in Throgs Neck.
Photo by David Greene

As reported, Adams received strong support in the Bronx during his campaign stops across the borough before the June primary election, which he narrowly won, seeing off candidates like former sanitation commissioner and food czar, Kathryn Garcia, civil rights lawyer, Maya Wiley, and tech entrepreneur, Andrew Yang, who recently announced his departure from the Democratic Party.

 

The highlight of the evening was an awards presentation during which various supporters of the Democratic Party were honored. Among the honorees, this year, were Daniel Kane, Jr., president of Teamsters Local 202, David Caraballoso, vice president of NYC District Council of Carpenters, Camille Joseph-Goldman, group vice president of Charter Communications, Judy Secon, director of program and operations at NY Common Pantry, and Erica Vargas, assistant director of District Council 37, New York City’s largest public employee union, representing 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees.

 

Ariana Collade, a spokesperson for the Bronx Democratic Party later told Norwood News after the event in relation to Kane’s award, “We have honorees every year, who have done good work or for the betterment of the Bronx. Daniel J. Kane, Jr., is a teamster, and president of Local 202, which has 4,500 members, and are responsible for supplying the New York City area with the food that millions of New Yorkers eat every day.”

 

She added, “During his career, he has been responsible for the building of an organization that works on behalf of working men and women from New York City.”

STATE SEN. JAMAAL Bailey (left), Bronx Democratic Party chairman, speaks to the crowd during the party’s annual fundraiser held at Marina del Rey on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
Photo by David Greene

Meanwhile, speaking from another makeshift podium that was only slightly less congested than the main stage, in the context of the upcoming general elections, De Blasio expressed his faith in Adams as the Democratic mayoral nominee, telling the crowd, “I’m pumped up that Eric Adams is going to be the next mayor of the City of New York.” He added, “We started a lot of things that he’s going to take to the next level.”

 

The mayor concluded, “Eight years ago, I asked for your help to change this city. We have come a long way. Then we got COVID thrown at us, but the Bronx fought back and today, all our schools are open.” He added, “We got COVID on the run. This is going to be the biggest comeback story in the history of New York City thanks to every one of you. God bless you all.”

 

 

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.

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