The Bronx lost its only Republican seat in City Council after Democrat and labor-backed candidate Shirley Aldebol defeated incumbent Kristy Marmorato in District 13 by more than 1,800 votes, according to preliminary Board of Elections results.
Aldebol won 51.59% of the total, Marmorato 46.2% and independent candidate Joel Rivera 2.08% in the district that includes Throggs Neck, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, Van Nest and City Island. Marmorato was the first Republican woman elected in the Bronx after defeating Democrat Marjorie Velázquez in 2023.
In an official statement following the win, Aldebol thanked her supporters and said, “I promise the people of the East Bronx that I will be a representative for us all, I’ll listen, and I’ll fight like hell for safe streets, quality schools, affordable housing, and economic opportunity for every resident.”
“There is much work to do, but tonight I am hopeful and optimistic that brighter days are ahead for our communities.”
Though all 51 council seats were up for grabs in this election, District 13 seat was the only one to flip parties. Like Marmorato, Aldebol was a first-time political candidate. She had a long career as a labor union executive and organizer, lives in Throggs Neck and has a son who attends Cornell University.
Though her son was stuck on campus for exams and couldn’t attend the victory party at the Bronx Democratic Party headquarters, Aldebol said she celebrated with him via FaceTime. “He’s the one who really drives me. We need to build a future for our young people,” she said.
Aldebol had spent Election Day at poll sites throughout the district, including Christopher Columbus High School, where she was supported by State Senator Nathalia Fernandez and Council Member and Majority Leader Amanda Farías.
Farías issued a statement of congratulations the next morning, saying she was especially pleased to see another Latina woman elected in the borough.
“I am so thrilled that Bronx voters elected Shirley Aldebol — a proud Latina and union leader who has spent her life fighting for working families. That’s exactly the kind of leadership we need in the Bronx, and it’s what I’ve spent the last few months dedicated to protecting as Majority Leader — our women and Democratic majority,” she said.
Speaking to the Bronx Times on election night, Aldebol said she felt a whirlwind “range of emotions” but had grown increasingly confident over time that she had enough support to win.
“I wasn’t surprised because I really felt, especially in the last few weeks, there was a different energy out there,” she said.
In the 2024 election that gave President Donald Trump a second term, there was much talk about a “red wave” of Republican support in the East Bronx and elsewhere. Though the Bronx and New York City overall did not elect Trump over Democrat Kamala Harris, District 13 gained 10 points more Trump support in 2024 compared to 2020, according to City & State.
However, Aldebol said many Democrats simply sat out that election — and later “realized there were consequences to not voting.”
She said this election felt different. For one, Aldebol said throughout her campaign, she encountered significantly higher numbers of young people who registered to vote for the first time and were excited to cast their ballots.
“I don’t think I’m really willing to accept that there was a red wave,” she said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
