U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat faced off in a one hour debate on June 15 against Darializa Avila Chevalier, Oscar Romero and Theo Chino-Tavarez for New York’s 13th Congressional District which covers the West Bronx and upper Manhattan.
The debate was hosted by BronxNet on their program BronxTalk at Lehman College and was moderated by Gary Axelbank.
Incumbent Espaillat engaged in a fierce debate with his biggest challenger in the polls, Avila Chevalier, an investigator at Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem who is endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Oscar Romero, the Chief Information Officer of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission and Theo Chino-Tavarez – a computer programmer and Secretary of the Social Democrats of America.
The debate began largely civil when Axlebank asked the candidates which one of the four have the most valuable experience to offer Washington, D.C.
Representative Espaillat said he funds tax paying dollars to important institutions in the Bronx, such as Lehman College.
“I have the experience to lead in Washington. Legislative experience, budgetary experience and how to develop public policy,” Espaillat said.
Avila Chevalier said her experience as a community organizer has equipped her uniquely in this primary race.
“I am someone who has organized mass mutual aid projects to help New Yorkers who were left out of the stimulus program during the pandemic and fought to get folks out of ICE detention. I know which policies are necessary to make sure there is justice for our immigrant community,” Avila Chevalier said.
Oscar Romero, the candidate involved in civic engagement, explained he has experience implementing community coalitions to solve local challenges concerning housing and prevent evictions.
“The voter has four choices in front of them. My experience is as a socialist. Here, for the first time in District 13 you have four visions that are completely different. The incumbent [Espaillat] who’s a Christian Democrat which is right-wing everywhere in the world. You have two communist anarchists [Avila Chevalier and Romero] who are the DSA people and have taken from us the socialists, our organization,” Chino-Tavarez said.
What does “Progressive” mean?
Axelbank asked the four candidates what the term “progressive” means to them.
Espaillat explained that he’s championed himself as a “man for the people” who fights for the working class families of District 13 and provides the district’s residents with more opportunities by continuing funding.
Avila Chevalier argued that she is running against the incumbent because there is a disconnect between the people and those who have office in the Democratic Party.
“When we look at where a lot of ‘establishment Democrats’ are getting funding for their campaigns from institutions like AIPAC that are leading us to war that no one in that community wants, to ICE contractors and corporate real estate developers pricing us out, we deserve representation that is fighting back against that,” Avila Chevalier said.
Chino-Tavarez argued that progressivism means standing up for the people and their interests.
Romero explained progressivism means the job of government is to solve the people’s problems by managing the resources paid with taxes and redistributing wealth.
Campaign Financing
Axelbank would raise the awareness of how Political Action Committee (PAC) financing becomes difficult to police while noting Espaillat and Avila’s PAC donors.
Axelbank would state that PACs have the ability to influence politicians and their decision-making.
Axelbank asked the question, “If you do receive PAC support, can you ignore its influence on your decision-making?”
Avila Chevalier proclaimed that Super PACs need to be abolished and claimed she has never received corporate PAC money.
Chino-Tavarez claimed campaign finance funding is “the cancer that is driving our politics completely berserk.”
“No matter what you hear from Mr. Espaillat or Avila Chevalier is pure hypocrisy. They both receive about five million dollars together that will not be spent in the district but in Washington D.C. to try and skew the debate in our district,” Chino-Tavarez said.
Romero would acknowledge the need for campaign reform. “The vast majority of the money spent on these campaigns did not come from this district,” he said.
“We are in a system that values money. The candidates cannot control the amount of money spent on them but we can disavow them. We cannot be running on platforms that say we should end Super PACs but look the other side when they spend money on us,” Romero added.
Espaillat stated he is supported by End Citizens United who has invested millions into many campaigns. Nonetheless, he said that he will not be influenced by anyone and will continue to fight for the people of District 13.
“My opponent [Avila Chevalier] has just last week received $1.5 million from a Texas billionaire who bankrolled Greg Abbott, the same guy that’s caging kids and splitting families. That’s the hype of hypocrisy,” Espaillat said.
Avila Chevalier rejected the congressman’s claim while stating the maximum amount an individual can donate to a campaign is 3,500 dollars.
“My opponent [Espaillat] has failed to note that he himself has taken in direct contribution over 670,000 dollars from AIPAC, a right-wing organization that has donated to Republicans and Trump. He has also taken over 250,000 dollars from the corporate real estate lobby that is pricing people out of our city and 115,000 dollars from the ICE contractors,” Avila said.
Chino-Tavarez claimed Representative Espaillat is backed by a sugarcane exploiter in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Stance on Israel
Axelbank then asked the four candidates about their opinions on the genocide implemented by Israel and whether or not it’s time to change the US relationship with Israel.
Romero and Chino-Tavarez said Israel’s actions against Gaza are a disgrace and view Netanyahu as a right-wing fascist.
“There’s no other country but Israel that has bombed five countries just last year in the Middle East,” Romero said.
Congressman Espaillat stated the issue surrounding Israel cannot be about “labels” but resolving problems concerning Gaza. He believes we all must work together to make the killings stop with a very diplomatic strategy.
“I believe that anyone who cannot identify and name a genocide as a “genocide” is also someone who cannot identify when a democracy’s in crisis [concerning Espaillat]. We need people who understand and have moral clarity around what it means when our tax dollars are being used to bomb innocent civilians abroad. We currently have a representative who has voted time and time again to use our tax dollars to invest in that slaughter,” Avila Chevalier said.
Giving back to the Bronx
Axelbank asked what type of specific attention and constituent services are needed for Bronxites.
Romero stated he has worked with Kingsbridge Heights Community Center that has been providing development programs for young people to graduate with opportunities.
Congressman Espaillat expressed his love for the Bronx by acknowledging all of the ethnic communities in District 13 and making the Kingsbridge Armory move forward as a project to revitalize the northwest Bronx.
“Mr. Espaillat just talked about the Kingsbridge Amory. If you want to know what’s going to happen to it, look at the Washington Heights Armory which was plagued with corruption. Bronx residents, if you don’t vote for me then you know where you will be in 15 to 20 years,” said Chino-Tavarez.
Avila Chevalier expressed her history of organizing in the Bronx by fighting for mutual aid programs, fighting for families who were detained in ICE detention centers and connecting with people who were impacted by mass incarceration. She announced her goals to improve housing and schooling in the Bronx.
Affordability in the borough
Axelbank would raise the question of what can be done for more Bronx families to build economic stability and pay their bills.
Espaillat addressed the rent issue specifically which he claims can be solved by building deeply affordable housing units with a site in Inwood.
Avila Chevalier said she’s felt the pain of rising rent due to Espaillat’s leadership for nine years.
“When someone is taking over 250,000 dollars from the very corporate real estate lobbies that are pricing us out of the city, how can he continue to not take this money and fight for us,” she said.
“When I hear Miss Chevalier talk about how we need more social programs, that is exactly the policy that has caused my apartment to raise the rent,” Chino-Tavarez said.
Romero would go onto explain that he has helped break poverty-cycles with low-income communities. He claims that we all have to support small businesses and offer better-paying jobs for people.
Stance on immigration
Axelbank raised the final question of who should be allowed into the U.S., how open should our borders be and what the barriers to citizenship are.
Avila Chevalier acknowledged how ICE has attacked the immigrant community in New York and that ICE should be abolished by using their funds to create formal paths to citizenship.
“We heard on WPIX, Miss Chevalier talked about ICE because of patronage. Her friend got caught by ICE. A brain from Algeria who came to America was picked by ICE and suddenly it’s an issue. No, la migra has been deporting and making life terrible for the last 30 years,” Chino-Tavarez said.
Romero would state they have to appeal the criminalization of migration that was grounded on a 1930s aliens act that people carry today. Romero champions the need for immigrants as he claims the entire economy depends on them.
“This is a very personal issue to me as a formerly undocumented kid that got his green card and became a US citizen, then a member of Congress. I fought Donald Trump and gained access to the detention center to exercise oversight powers,” said Congressman Espaillat.
The primary election for the 13th District is on June 23rd.
