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Housing Attorney Declares Victory In 15th Council District Special Election
By
David Cruz
Published Apr 13, 2021
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By
David Cruz
Published Apr 13, 2021
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Oswald Feliz, a housing attorney and former state committeeman, is declaring victory in the special election race for the 15th Council District, following several rounds of ranked-choice voting in an election with extremely low voter turnout. Once the city Board of Elections certifies the race and confirms Feliz's win, he will immediately become the next councilmember serving the central Bronx.
In a statement sent late Monday, Feliz said the pending official win allows him to begin the “urgent work ahead of us to make sure our community can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible."
Laying out immediate goals, Feliz wrote that "on Day One, I’m going to be focused on vaccinating vulnerable New Yorkers throughout the Bronx, helping small business owners get back on their feet, and ensuring working families are at the heart of our City’s economic recovery." He added that he aims to be a "powerful voice" for the borough, and "will work tirelessly to increase access to affordable housing, improve educational outcomes, and improve public safety."
It's unclear when the BOE will certify the results. Should they confirm Feliz's declaration, he will be sworn in as the next Councilmember for the district representing Fordham, Belmont, Van Nest, Pelham Parkway, Tremont, and parts of Bedford Park. This would also make Feliz the third current member of the Council who is of Dominican descent, raising greater representation for Dominicans on the body.
Feliz declared victory following ten rounds of RCV that began on Saturday, in which BOE workers spent several days re-distributing the votes and counting military and absentee ballots. At the end of Round 10 late Monday, Feliz—who had been chronicling the BOE's count on Twitter—secured 1,766 votes, edging out Ischia Bravo, a district manager for Bronx Community Board 7, who received 1,362 votes.
In the five special elections that have taken place across the city since December, turnout for the 15th Council District race was the lowest, with just 4% of eligible voters casting a ballot despite nine days of early voting that began on March 13th and ended the day before the special election.
Feliz battled a crowded field of candidates vying for the seat vacated by Ritchie Torres after he won the 15th Congressional District seat in November. Unlike Bravo and fellow contender John Sanchez, who attracted union endorsements and hefty financial support from super PACS, Feliz received neither. He did, however, have the most money in his campaign account, with just over $146,000 raised. Feliz's campaign spokesperson, Javier Lacayo, attributed the victory to a strategic and effective ground game.
Because Feliz is filling out what would have been Torres's remaining year in office, he will have to run and win the seat in the June primary and November general election if he wants to continue representing the district in January 2022. While one contender in the special election race, Elisa Crespo, has publicly stated she won't run for the seat in the June 22nd primary, it's unclear whether Bravo or Sanchez will—they did not return calls seeking comment.
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City Council
election 2021
the bronx
David Cruz
David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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