Constituents in District 17 of the South Bronx will soon get to pick their new representative to the City Council, choosing between four candidates all jockeying to win the seat that term-limited incumbent Rafael Salamanca Jr. has held for nine years.
The contenders: Freddy Perez, Justin Sanchez, Antirson Ortiz and Elvis Santana have varying degrees of political experience but largely align on policy agenda items like public safety, affordable housing, childcare and education, jobs and healthcare. However, some notable differences in their respective campaign coffers and endorsements could sway the outcome of next month’s primary.
The district’s current representative, Salamanca, has thrown his political weight behind Democratic district leader and small business owner Freddy Perez Jr., saying in a campaign video on social media that the candidate has a “fire in his belly.” Perez previously served as chair of Bronx Community Board 1’s Land Use Committee, paralleling Salamanca’s current role as chair of the City Council’s influential Land Use Committee.
Perez — a decades-long South Bronx resident and small party rental business owner — told the Bronx Times that in addition to his deep roots in the district, his views are more moderate than those of some of his opponents.
”I’m not a progressive; I am a Democrat,” Perez said.
Perez also said that he has straightforward, detailed policy proposals on key campaign issues such as public safety, economic development, and housing.
Sanchez, a former state senate staffer who is also running for the seat, has garnered endorsements far outnumbering his opponents, including from U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, the Bronx Democratic Party and a handful of unions and elected officials. Sanchez, who comes to the race with a great deal of political experience, was most recently the Chief of Staff to State Senator Nathalia Fernandez.
But Perez says that Salamanca’s endorsement carries more weight than the others.
“Who better than a sitting council member to say, ‘This is the person that I want to replace me because I feel that he’s the best qualified,’” Perez said. Salamanca is currently running to be Bronx Borough President, aiming to replace incumbent Vanessa Gibson.
Sanchez has drawn criticism for previously running for City Council in a different Bronx district, where he challenged the controversial former Council Member Fernando Cabrera. The move has raised questions among some constituents and political observers, who suggest his campaign in District 17 may be driven more by political ambition than a deep-rooted connection to the community.
But Sanchez disputes these claims.
“This is a dumb, desperate attempt by flailing campaigns to distract from talking about the real issues,” said Sanchez’s Deputy Campaign Manager Abigail Melendez. “They know what we know: the Sanchez campaign is connecting with our community because we are focused on four simple words – cleaning the damn streets.”
So far, Sanchez’s policy platform is the most detailed. His campaign outlines 17 different issues in district 17, expanding on the broad categories that candidates largely agree need to be addressed and including his policy goals for the environment, transportation, arts and culture, libraries and managing the ongoing opioid crisis.
Sanchez told the Bronx Times in a statement that throughout the campaign, his team remains focused on delivering a robust policy agenda and solutions for working families in the Bronx.
“Combining life experience, academics, and years of government experience, I’m the only candidate ready to hit the ground running on day one,” Sanchez said. “This is why we’ve earned almost every endorsement in this race and why we are confident in our ability to earn our community’s support on June 24th.”
Meanwhile, the candidate boasting the most campaign funds is Elvis Santana, a former 79th Assembly District State Committeeman and a founding member of the Estella B. Diggs Democratic Club, named for the first Black state assembly member from the Bronx.
As of May, Santana raised $208,256, over $20,000 more than Sanchez with the second largest campaign war chest at $186,141. Perez and Ortiz have raised $139,645 and $137,028, respectively.
Born at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx and a graduate of Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, Santana’s campaign largely focuses on his advocacy work on issues like housing and environmental justice. He told the Bronx Times that with a seat on the City Council, he could take his work to the next level.
“For over a decade, I’ve been the one constant candidate organizing tenants, providing food drives, and pushing the city for NYCHA repairs, and more,” Santana said in a statement. “No other candidate has that track record of progressive, hands-on work in this community.”
Antirson Ortiz, who is currently serving as the Director of Constituent Services for NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, also hopes to win the soon-to-be-vacant council seat. Over the course of his career, he has held several governmental and political roles, including State Committeeman for the 85th NYS Assembly District, Office Manager for Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, and Bronx Borough Liaison for former NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer.
Ortiz told the Bronx Times that his experience as the only candidate who has worked in a city-wide position, gives him a head start on navigating government systems and bureaucratic red tape.
What’s more important, he said, is his shared experience with community members in district 17. When his family moved to the South Bronx from the Dominican Republic, Ortiz lived in low-income housing, developed asthma and became prediabetic. He said he has also gone through the New York City Public School System.
“ I don’t say that I’m running for office,” Ortiz said. “I like to say that I am walking into a path which I have been building my entire life.”
Snagging the top endorsement from the New York City Working Families Party along with former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who is running for Mayor, Ortiz says he has positioned himself as a man of the people.
