Now it’s eyes on Primary prize

Most of the serious candidates scrambling to fill City Council seats and one assembly seat in the Bronx all got their nominating petitions in under the July 11 midnight deadline at the city Board of Elections.

East Bronx Councilman Jimmy Vacca can rest easy (Jimmy rest? Impossible!) with no challengers – and no September primary.

Some challengers submitted close to the bare minimum of petition signatures required, including Keny (yes, one n) Nunez, who’s backed by disgraced undercover informant/ex-Assemblyman Nelson (Speak up, please) Castro to fill his seat in the west Bronx 86th Assembly District.

The free-for-all race in the central Bronx 15th Council District has seven candidates chomping at the bit to replace term-limited Joel Rivera, including Joel R. Rivera, who’s conveniently dropped his middle initial on his flyers _ with no photo.

This is not to say that all will make it to the Sept. primary, with some court challenges expected to their petitions. And the lawyers get rich….

CARRION CASH CRASH

Could the Adolfo Carrion mayoral campaign be sinking?

Published reports say the ex-Boro Prez, ex-Dem who’s running on the Independence Party line only added $61,000 in the last two months for his uphill mayoral run, giving him a total fresh kitty of $335,000, plus the million bux he had from a previous campaign.

At least he seems to have escaped what earlier reports said was a state Independence Party move to add one of the current mayoral candidates to their ballot line, giving AC an actual primary in September before the Big Show in November.

Eminently quotable political guru and Baruch College prof Doug Muzzio believes AC never had a chance.

“My question is, what campaign? Has Carrion ever been a decisive factor in this election? The anwer is no. Is his likely to be? The answer is no,” sayeth Herr Professor Muzzio.

“The race is going to a Democratic primary, and then it’ll be a general election between the Republican and Democratic candidates. The Independence Party is not going to make a difference, not even as a spoiler.”

Don’t hold back Doug, tell us how you really feel….

STRINGER FAN

We know of two big Bronx fan of Manhattan Boro Prez Scott Stringer, who now finds himself in a real race, with Eliot (Socks) Spitzer for city Controller – Scott’s mom Arlene Stringer-Cuevas and stepdad, former City Clerk Carlos Cuevas of Riverdale. As well as the Ben Franklin club, which pulled in 4,100 petition signatures for him.

DUHBATES

You’ll get your chance to see which candidates have the smarts, or the best argument when BronxTalk host and pal Gary Axelbank launches six consecutive weeks of debates on his weekly BronxNet TV show starting July 29.

The program will present the political palavering by the wannabes (at least those who survive petition challenges) in Democratic primaries in the 8th, 11th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, City Council Districts and the Assembly race in the 86th district.

And be warned: we’ll take note of those who punk out of appearing on his show.

Here’s the debate schedule: July 29 – 11th City Council District; August 5 – 15th City Council District; August 12 – 16th City Council District; August 19 – 17th City Council District; August 26 – 86th Assembly District; September 2 – 8th City Council District.

Candidates can help by emailing [email protected] to confirm their participation on the show, seen live at 9 pm on Monday nights on BronxNet’s channel 67 and Fios 33, and streamed live at www.Bronxnet.org.

EMPTY SEAT

Although the Bronx Republican Party has nominated Mike Rendino to fill the vacant commissioner’s seat on the city Board of Elections, former board president and Bronx commissioner J.C. Polanco says he’s still a candidate.

Rendino, a retired firefighter, manages Stan’s Sports Bar near Yankee Stadium and has run twice as a sacrificial GOP lamb against east Bronx Assemblyman Mike Benedetto.

“I have nothing to say against the organization,” J.C. said, “all I have to speak for is myself.”

He said new borough GOP chair John Greaney “was concerned with the timing of my nomination, which had been sitting since January 31.”

Problem is, Council Minority Leader James Oddo of Staten Island and the three other GOP councilmembers seized control of board nominations when the five GOP county leaders failed to file commissioner nominations in December. Oddo’s crew ousted two GOP board members, while Polanco resigned in hopes of re-nomination.

Now nothing seems to be moving, including still no choice for new exec director since the 2010 departure under a cloud of George Gonzalez.

COP CORNER

An ‘Attaboy’ from Bronx C.O., Assistant Chief Carlos Gomez, to Deputy Inspector Chris McCormack, C.O. of the 40th Precinct in rough and tumble Mott Haven/Melrose, beaten up for leading the Bronx in 2011 with 18,000 stop-and-frisks, but seeing only six murders and a whopping 54% drop in shootings so far this year: “People are alive today because of Chris McCormack,” Gomez told us. The precinct recently won a prestigious NYPD unit citation.

BRONX BIRTHDAYS

July 16 – Federal inmate 63107-054 – former City Councilman Larry Seabrook.

July 18 – Buddy Stein, editor of the Hunts Point Express and Mott Haven Herald.

July 19 – Councilman Jimmy Vacca’s hardworking chief of staff and political strategist Jeff Lynch.

July 20 – Patrick Jenkins, spokesman for Bronx Democratic Party Boss Carl (The Silent) Heastie.

July 24 – Former Congresswoman Bella (Savitzky) Abzug.

July 24 – Jennifer Lopez – or Jenny from the middle-class Castle Hill block – and never to return.