The Bronx County Democratic Committee has a new chairman.
Assemblyman Marcos Crespo was elected unanimously by his peers to serve as chairman of the Bronx Dems on Thursday, March 5. He replaces Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who stepped down after assuming the speakership from Assemblyman Sheldon Silver.
Crespo, 34, serves a district in Soundview and Clason Point. He said he was honored by his election.
“I look forward to building upon the progress made in recent years: moving to bring more people to the Democratic party, increase voter turnout, supporting more outstanding candidates and working in a unified fashion to champion the issues important to the members and all residents of the Bronx,” he said.
He noted the high percentage of votes the county gave to fellow Democrats President Obama and Governor Cuomo, and predicted even more of an impact in 2016 and beyond.
“He is young and bright,” said Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, BDCC treasurer. “I happen to personally believe he will lead the county in a very fair manner.”
The assemblyman believes that Crespo will lead the party in much the same way that Heastie did, a style of leadership he described as fair-minded and thoughtful.
The leader of the committee of borough Democrats that chose Crespo, Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, said he too was pleased by the choice.
“He is hardworking and is committed to a strong, unified and inclusive Democratic Party in the Bronx,” said Dinowitz. “He understands that bringing people together from all ethnic groups and from all corners of the Bronx is the only way for the party to be effective and successful.”
Benedetto said that Crespo played a role in making Heastie the leader of the county party several years before, and he said prior to his election, Crespo called many of the district leaders to hear what they had to say.
“It was clear that he was the right man for the job,” said Benedetto.
According to biographical material, Crespo was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico in 1980, and moved with his family to New York at a young age, and also spent three years living in Lima, Peru.
After completing high school in Puerto Rico, he moved back to New York where he began a rapid rise in local politics, being elected to the state assembly at the age of 28.
Once in the assembly, he chaired a Task Force on New Americans that highlighted the contributions of immigrant New Yorkers.
Locally, his bio states he worked to ensure that the borough receives new Metro North stations, took a leading role in a project to build an additional ramp onto the Bruckner Expressway to take trucks from the Hunts Point food markets off local streets and helped secure funding for the final stage of construction on Starlight Park along the Bronx River’s waterfront.
He is married and has two young daughters.
