Incumbent City Council Member Pierina Sanchez won the Democratic primary for City Council District 14 on Tuesday, defeating her predecessor, pastor Fernando Cabrera, and 24-year-old law school graduate Bryan Hodge Vasquez. Sanchez, who represents Kingsbridge, Fordham, and surrounding neighborhoods, secured 66% of the preliminary vote, according to the Board of Elections, in one of the Bronx’s most closely watched contests.
Sanchez, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings, ran on a platform centered around tenant protections, public safety investments and her role in advancing the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory—one of the largest underutilized public assets in the city. The armory project, she said, reflects a new approach to community-centered economic development.
Although the proposed redevelopment has drawn some controversy, including a legal challenge from one of the former bidders, it continues to move forward in the city’s land use process. A key element Sanchez has highlighted is the inclusion of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition as a co-owner—an outcome she described as a victory for local organizing.
Cabrera, who held the District 14 seat from 2010 to 2021 before being term-limited, finished second with 22% of the vote, according to preliminary Board of Election results. Hodge Vasquez, running as a first-time candidate calling for generational change, received 11.1%.
On Primary Day, Sanchez spent the sweltering afternoon outside P.S. 86 near the Kingsbridge Armory, campaigning alongside volunteers and canvassers. Supporters for all three candidates lined the sidewalk, handing out literature and greeting passersby as temperatures soared into the 90s.
“This is a really important day for our community,” Sanchez told the Bronx Times. She said she worked hard to engage voters and drive turnout, and the results appear to have paid off.
“I feel the positive vibes, I feel the love. But I also see this as a chance to deliver for my community,” she said.
Sanchez was joined by mayoral candidate and State Senator Zellnor Myrie, who worked a job with Sanchez before they were both elected to public office.
Myrie said the high turnout for early voting across the city showed “pockets of unprecedented enthusiasm.” Myrie, his wife and his mother all came to Kingsbridge to get out the vote for himself, but he also told voters to support Sanchez.
“I’m really proud of her,” Myrie said.
In Sanchez’s victory, Cabrera was denied a return to his former seat.
Throughout the campaign, Cabrera blamed Sanchez for the district’s increase in crime and declining condition of buildings since he left office. However, past comments during his council tenure that were perceived as homophobic stuck with him.
Luis Rodriguez, 27, campaigned for Cabrera on Primary Day at a tent, where a catchy campaign song was blasted from a loudspeaker. Shouts of “Fernando Cabrera!” and “District 14!” punctuated the song’s Latin beat.
Hodge Vasquez, 24, campaigned on a message of major change to the status quo, including both Sanchez and Cabrera. He said living conditions in the district over the past ten years have only become worse, calling for a generational change in leadership.
Edwin Vellon of Gun Hill, who was out canvassing for Hodge Vasquez on Primary Day, said he agreed with the candidate’s plans to make the streets safer, reduce grocery prices and build more affordable housing.
Vellon said he appreciated seeing a young candidate who could “influence the community in a good way.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
