The Liberty Democratic Club, never that friendly with Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, still made nice, working for her in the primary – all for naught.
Now the big question is whether they and winner Mark Gjonaj will make nice.
Some rather nasty behavior by a certain club member toward voters (and reporters) during the campaign didn’t exactly endear the club to Gjonaj’s camp – enough, we hear, to now have Mark’s circle thinking about forming their own club.
The Liberty Dems met Saturday, Sept. 22 to decide where they stood with Mark, with some grumbling by said unnamed club official. But they could be in for a rude surprise.
Mark’s already put together a strong campaign organization that could easily morph into a Democratic club unto itself.
That would likely include running its own slate of challengers for district leaders and other posts in the 80th Assembly District next time around.
Current district leader Kenny Agosto said he and female co-leader Miriam Schwartz have reached out to congratulate Mark and invite him for a friendly sitdown. No return call yet. And we shall see….
Meanwhile, the Liberty Dems are holding their 5th annual awards dinner Oct. 11 at Maestro’s Caterers. Among the honorees, BP Ruben Diaz Jr.; Angela Doyle, exec VP of Local 1199, and Joe Kelleher, prez and CEO of the Hutch Metro Center. Proceeds to go a several worthy Bronx groups. Call Joe McManus at (718) 644-1841.
And sign of the times, we guess, vegetarian, kosher AND Halal meals available.
LOSER IN THE
WINNERS CIRCLE
State Committeewoman Diane Cerino, who broke away from the Liberty Dems to work for Mark, lost in the primary to the club’s candidate, Maria Gonzalez.
“Win or lose, the important thing was working for Mark to win,” she told us. “I’m not going away!”
DEMS CONVENE
As political parties do across the city shortly after primaries, Bronx Dems gathered last Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Eastwood Manor to hold party leadership elections and a judicial convention to nominate judicial candidates for the Nov. 6 general election.
If either process wandered off tight scripts, you coulda fooled us.
Surprise, surprise, Party Boss Carl Heastie was overwhelmingly reelected.
BENCH MARKS
Meanwhile, judicial delegates from each assembly district voted their nomination for various judicial candidates to be on the Nov. 6 general election Democratic line.
They would be: Supreme Court Justice Donna Mills, who actually sits in Manhattan, for another 14-year-term; Llinet Rosado to fill the Civil Court seat being vacated by Acting Supreme Court Justice Fernando Tapia, running to drop the “Acting” part; and Eddie McShan for Civil Court from the west Bronx.
And don’t mess with Rosado if she wins. We hear she runs kids’ karate classes.
UP THE LADDER
While Gjonaj (Joe-nigh) now stands to be the first elected voice for the city’s Albanian-American community, Parkchester’s growing Bangladesh community gained its first official political voice at the Democratic Party’s local convention, with Mirza Mamun Rashid named to replace the late Roselyn Johnson as a judicial delegate from the 87th Assembly District.
Roselyn’s name remained on the ballot in the Sept. 13 Primary. Assembly primary winner Luis Sepulveda said a newly formed political club for the 87th will named after Roselyn.
CATCHING UP
We’ve been so loaded with politics for the past few weeks, that some other stuff we’ve been meaning to post just got pushed aside. So, here we go:
KEY CHARGES
State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. blasted D.A. Rob Johnson for charging his police sergeant daughter with a felony after she got arrested for keying her boyfriend’s car and sending some rather threatening “woman scorned” text messages. But a D.A.’s spokesman said she was only charged with two misdemeanors – aggravated harassment and criminal mischief.
BUFF
Jeez Louise! Isn’t it enough Councilman Jimmy Vacca has the energy of a chipmunk on speed? Now he’s boasting on his Facebook page that he recently did 404 push-ups in 40 minutes and 345 sit-ups in 30 minutes. “Exciting if I must say so my myself,” braggeth Jimmy. “Disgusting!” sayeth gymphobic us….
COP CORNER
Pot luck: Are Bronx cops playing a numbers game?
Despite PC Ray Kelly ordering cops to stop tricking folks into emptying their pockets, making “in plain sight” marijuana merit a misdemeanor collar, we hear Bronx Criminal Court is getting logjammed with pot cases worthy of dismissal.
Two down: It’s a two-year anniversary for Four-Five Detective Squad boss, Lt. Jim Hanvey. Hope the bosses don’t hear it, but we’re told he’s a real sweetheart of a boss.
BRONX BIRTHDAYS
Sept. 25 – Assemblyman and Bronx Democratic Party Chairman Carl Heastie. And as we asked Carl on his Facebook, would your hair be gray if you had any?
