There’s currently a battle to represent the northeast Bronx, with Democratic Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez facing a challenge from conservative newcomer Kristy Marmorato.
“I’m not a politician. I am a healthcare worker. This is my first time,” Republican candidate Marmorato told NY1.
What You Need To Know
- Democrat Marjorie Velázquez currently represents the City Council’s District 13
- Republican Kristy Marmorato is a first-time candidate and healthcare worker
- Both candidates believe the decades-old right-to-shelter decree should be modified
Last year, Velázquez took a controversial stand in her district when she backed a zoning change for a residential part of Throggs Neck.
Residents argued it would change the quiet character of their community.
“When I fought for the Bruckner rezoning, it was to deliver not only firsthand quality jobs but also firsthand quality housing for this district,” Velázquez said.
Marmorato believes, “it’s just gonna be a traffic nightmare disaster. There’s no parking in the area, and the community didn’t want it.”
When it comes to the city’s handling of the migrant influx, both candidates believe it’s time for changes to the decades-old right to shelter decree.
Velázquez told NY1 that the law needs to be modified.
“We need to suspend the right-to-shelter for migrants because we cannot sustain this and the federal government is not stepping in to help us out and it just doesn’t look like they will do,” Marmorato explained.
While the majority of voters in the district are registered Democrats, political analyst J. C. Polanco explained that the district “has historically split their ticket and Republicans see an opportunity now because of the migrant crisis, because of law and order issues, where they can make a pickup.”
