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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Assemblyman Castro Reflects on 'Great Victory'

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Assemblyman Nelson Castro on primary day (Photo: Alma Watkins)

Last Tuesday, Assemblyman Nelson Castro fought off a primary challenge from Hector Ramirez, a district leader who'd received the support of the Bronx Democratic Party, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and all the big unions.

In what was the tightest race in the borough, Castro secured 54 percent of the vote to Ramirez's 46, giving him a 269 vote victory margin.

While the certified results won't be released until all the absentee and affidavit ballots have been counted, and the voting machines re-canvassed, Ramirez has already called Castro to congratulate him. (The Board of Elections is expected to have these numbers tomorrow.)

Reached by phone yesterday, Castro was in high spirits. "I feel great. It's a great victory," he said. "Now going back to Albany I have a lot of expectations. I'm not a freshman anymore and so I should be able to ask for more and deliver more for my district."

Castro, who pulled in few endorsements himself, put his victory down to voters knowing him, liking him, and recognizing what he's done in the community.

While his opponent focused on attacking him (mailers were sent to voters reminding them of Castro's checkered past), Castro says he was out there talking to people.

"We put strategy over theatrics. All the negative stuff they did, they did to cover up the fact that he [Ramirez] hasn't done anything in the community," Castro said.

Sherman Browne, a primary opponent of Heastie's in 2008, and a former aide to ex-Councilwoman Maria Baez, worked on Castro's campaign and said they successfully identified his supporters and then made sure they voted. "We took a personal approach," Browne said.

Said Castro: "I myself even went out and picked up a couple of older ladies and drove them to the polls."

On primary night, Ramirez held what was supposed to be a victory party at a small restaurant on East Tremont Avenue. In the end, though, it was a rather somber occasion. With most precincts counted, the results favored Castro.

"I just want to say to Hector, no matter what happens tonight, you have always been my friend, and for that I will always be your friend," said Diaz in a brief speech.

He continued: "When it's all said and done, if you ask me as leader of this borough would I do it again, Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Whatever happens tonight, I am not going to move from the District 86," said Ramirez. "I'm going to continue to fight to improve the quality of life for the people that live in the District 86, and the Bronx, and New York State."

Heastie added: "We need to give Hector a lot of credit, he ran tremendous race. It's tough to beat and incumbent, incumbency is a powerful tool."

Castro, who said he's spoken with Heastie and is now looking to move forward without "animosity," is holding a "community victory celebration" at the Luna Lounge on Webster Avenue this Sunday.

12 comments:

  1. Congratulations to Castro and his awesome campaign advisors. It was great working with you guys. You knew every move the machine was going to make and kept us on target when they went negative. Kudos to the best campaign team in the Bronx Sherman and Domingo.

    2 More Years for CASTRO.. Be sure to call me when there is another campaign. Michael and I are ready!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Castro is lucky, very lucky! Why I say that? Because while a victory is a victory, 246 votes is something he should be worry about. I hope he doesn't fall for Heastie's nice-guy approach because in 2012, I am sure they will goo at him again. Word is out that the possible challenge may come from Yudelka Tapia, who has run so many times (and lost) that I'm not sure how much credibility she has these days (although she may have won the female District Leader). And with the two local elected officials against him (Gustavo Rivera and Fernando Cabrera), Castro may have a tough time. Personally, I was surprised that the Bronx Democratic Party chose Ramirez because aside from being a District Leader (which voters have no idea what that is), he has done nothing in the community. Well, except prepare taxes for people BUT that's not a free service. Folks paid for it so it's more like a job for him vs a service. Maybe County should be looking at another Rivera that it's only a matter of time before he runs himself. 2012 is around the corner. Get Ready!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This proves that Carl Heastie's County is weak without the Diaz machine. In 2009, with the Diaz trucks and volunteers, County was only able to squeak out a 69 vote victory over Maria Baez. Take the Diaz trucks and volunteers out of the District, make it a fair fight, and Heastie's county loses. Congrats on Assemblyman Castro, Sherman and Domingo for their campaign stragegy and leadership not only in the 86th, but throughout the Bronx

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is Mark Rodriguez to say Congrats to Nelson Castro. I hope you will continue to push for an Equal Parenting/Joint Custody Law here in NYS so that working parents in crisis can find an amicable solution to divorce and separation. Our children deserve better. If people want youth problems to end, it all starts with a stable family But because of the lobby groups that pocket these "Feel Good" politicians, they prefer to promote family destruction. So Go Nelson Go!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Castro needs to go in two years. While I have no personal animosity towards him, the allegations of multiple relatives claiming his home address and his support for Pedro Espada, Jr. are telling of who he is.

    ReplyDelete
  6. County is going to spin this as though they lost only one race out of the many others that they endorsed. However, county did not invest the time, energy, capital into those other endorsements / races like they did against Nelson Castro. Spin that!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Becoming The new Bronx County Democratic chair: $100,000 + (the 2008 campaign)

    Securing Endorsements from the Bronx BP, Rev. Al Sharpton, a slew of Elected Officials and Unions to topple Nelson Castro: $500,000

    Getting Spanked: getting yours and your cronies’ asses handed to you by the Nelson Castro community, and being called a "LOSER" by City Hall News: Priceless!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Im suprised that Patrick Jenkins, Carl, Diaz Jr. and Co. could not pull of this election. They put everything into this race and lost it. If this race was any indication on how the machine will run in the Bronx then Diaz Jr. may have a problem holding on to his Borough President seat in the next few years. Castro really put a hurting on him and county. Diaz Jr. spent more time in the 86 district than he spent in his office for the past month and still couldnt pull it off. With the huge influx of dominicans moving into the Bronx, we may soon have a Dominican Borough President.

    ReplyDelete
  9. HECTOR RAMIREZ LOSS IS HIS OWN LOSS, LESS OF BRONX MACHINERY


    Nelson Castro won the primary campaign not only because he was fighting for his life on the political campaign grounds but also because Hector Ramirez has had problems speaking the English language. Fundamentally, his English deficiency was what caused him to be defeated. Though his political consultants crunched the numbers and projected him as winner, had he spoke better English he would have probably reached out to a few more voters and really beat Mr. Castro. Further, it is very likely that a few insiders were worried that if he wins, Bronx Democrats would lose in the long run when Albany realize how inefficient he is as a politician.

    Nights before the primary, I bumped into Mr. Ramirez and greeted him and suddenly he was extremely cocky to me. It was as though he felt that the elections were over, and won, and should somehow be entitled to glory or some sort. That moment was when I realized he is going to lose big time, and that his loss will be his loss only -- not the loss of the Bronx Machinery. Mr. Ramirez has a lot of personal issues that the Machinery cannot control, which reflects much on his political maturity. Normally I'd give an elected official three two-year terms before he or she gets extremely cocky. But Mr. Ramirez caught the bug before even winning a primary election.

    Going back to his language issue, I cannot find ONE online video of him speaking in English. However, I did find a video of him being interviewed at NY1noticias in Spanish, and his Spanish is also weak:

    http://www.ny1noticias.com/content/124139/dos-dominicanos-hablan-sobre-sus-candidaturas-a-la-asamblea

    Business is business. If I call RadioShack for an inquiry and Hector Ramirez is my customer service representative, who cannot speak English (nor Spanish) to me, I will hang up and ask for assistance from another employee. Plain and simple. Mr. Ramirez is unfit for any job that requires him to represent and entity and communicate with others effectively. Granted, Bronx Dems feel a bit embarrassed by Ramirez's loss. But they saved themselves from what could have been a calumnious humiliation from the rest of the state with Hector Ramirez "speaking" on behalf of his district in the chambers.

    Bronx Machinery has nothing to lose in Ramirez's loss. Initially, Bronx Dem's only loss is having to initially support him for political reasons. Mr. Castro has been loyal to Mr. Jose Rivera. Okay, it makes sense not to support Mr. Castro, and I bet Castro himself understands that as well. The machinery could play politics if the feel, but at least do it with integrity. Mr. Ramirez represents the opposite of integrity. Bronx Machinery will not feel ashamed of themselves for Ramirez's campaign loss if they believe that his own lack of English proficiency was what caused him to lose by a few votes.

    If Mr. Ramirez wants to be a public servant, he should walk a few blocks up from where he live and register for some remedial language courses at Bronx Community College.

    ReplyDelete
  10. HECTOR RAMIREZ LOSS IS HIS OWN LOSS, LESS OF BRONX MACHINERY


    Nelson Castro won the primary campaign not only because he was fighting for his life on the political campaign grounds but also because Hector Ramirez has had problems speaking the English language. Fundamentally, his English deficiency was what caused him to be defeated. Though his political consultants crunched the numbers and projected him as winner, had he spoke better English he would have probably reached out to a few more voters and really beat Mr. Castro. Further, it is very likely that a few insiders were worried that if he wins, Bronx Democrats would lose in the long run when Albany realize how inefficient he is as a politician.

    Nights before the primary, I bumped into Mr. Ramirez and greeted him and suddenly he was extremely cocky to me. It was as though he felt that the elections were over, and won, and should somehow be entitled to glory or some sort. That moment was when I realized he is going to lose big time, and that his loss will be his loss only -- not the loss of the Bronx Machinery. Mr. Ramirez has a lot of personal issues that the Machinery cannot control, which reflects much on his political maturity. Normally I'd give an elected official three two-year terms before he or she gets extremely cocky. But Mr. Ramirez caught the bug before even winning a primary election.

    Going back to his language issue, I cannot find ONE online video of him speaking in English. However, I did find a video of him being interviewed at NY1noticias in Spanish, and his Spanish is also weak:

    http://www.ny1noticias.com/content/124139/dos-dominicanos-hablan-sobre-sus-candidaturas-a-la-asamblea

    Business is business. If I call RadioShack for an inquiry and Hector Ramirez is my customer service representative, who cannot speak English (nor Spanish) to me, I will hang up and ask for assistance from another employee. Plain and simple. Mr. Ramirez is unfit for any job that requires him to represent and entity and communicate with others effectively. Granted, Bronx Dems feel a bit embarrassed by Ramirez's loss. But they saved themselves from what could have been a calumnious humiliation from the rest of the state with Hector Ramirez "speaking" on behalf of his district in the chambers.

    Bronx Machinery has nothing to lose in Ramirez's loss. Initially, Bronx Dem's only loss is having to initially support him for political reasons. Mr. Castro has been loyal to Mr. Jose Rivera. Okay, it makes sense not to support Mr. Castro, and I bet Castro himself understands that as well. The machinery could play politics if the feel, but at least do it with integrity. Mr. Ramirez represents the opposite of integrity. Bronx Machinery will not feel ashamed of themselves for Ramirez's campaign loss if they believe that his own lack of English proficiency was what caused him to lose by a few votes.

    If Mr. Ramirez wants to be a public servant, he should walk three blocks up from where he live and register for some remedial language courses at Bronx Community College.

    ReplyDelete
  11. HECTOR RAMIREZ LOSS IS HIS OWN LOSS, LESS OF BRONX MACHINERY


    Nelson Castro won the primary campaign not only because he was fighting for his life on the political campaign grounds but also because Hector Ramirez has had problems speaking the English language. Fundamentally, his English deficiency was what caused him to be defeated. Though his political consultants crunched the numbers and projected him as winner, had he spoke better English he would have probably reached out to a few more voters and really beat Mr. Castro. Further, it is very likely that a few insiders were worried that if he wins, Bronx Democrats would lose in the long run when Albany realize how inefficient he is as a politician.

    I cannot find ONE online video of him speaking in English. However, I did find a video of him being interviewed at NY1noticias in Spanish, and his Spanish is also weak:

    http://www.ny1noticias.com/content/124139/dos-dominicanos-hablan-sobre-sus-candidaturas-a-la-asamblea

    Business is business. If I call RadioShack for an inquiry and Hector Ramirez is my customer service representative, who cannot speak English (nor Spanish) to me, I will hang up and ask for assistance from another employee. Plain and simple. Mr. Ramirez is unfit for any job that requires him to represent and entity and communicate with others effectively. Granted, Bronx Dems feel a bit embarrassed by Ramirez's loss. But they saved themselves from what could have been a calumnious humiliation from the rest of the state with Hector Ramirez "speaking" on behalf of his district in the chambers.

    Bronx Machinery has nothing to lose in Ramirez's loss. Initially, Bronx Dem's only loss is having to initially support him for political reasons. Mr. Castro has been loyal to Mr. Jose Rivera. Okay, it makes sense not to support Mr. Castro, and I bet Castro himself understands that as well. The machinery could play politics if the feel, but at least do it with integrity. Mr. Ramirez represents the opposite of integrity. Bronx Machinery will not feel ashamed of themselves for Ramirez's campaign loss if they believe that his own lack of English proficiency was what caused him to lose by a few votes.

    If Mr. Ramirez wants to be a public servant, he should walk three blocks up from where he live and register for some remedial language courses at Bronx Community College.

    ReplyDelete
  12. HECTOR RAMIREZ LOSS IS HIS OWN LOSS, LESS OF BRONX MACHINERY

    Nelson Castro won the primary campaign not only because he was fighting for his life on the political campaign grounds but also because Hector Ramirez has had problems speaking the English language. Fundamentally, his English deficiency was what caused him to be defeated. Though his political consultants crunched the numbers and projected him as winner, had he spoke better English he would have probably reached out to a few more voters and really beat Mr. Castro. Further, it is very likely that a few insiders were worried that if he wins, Bronx Democrats would lose in the long run when Albany realize how inefficient he is as a politician.
    I cannot find ONE online video of him speaking in English. However, I did find a video of him being interviewed at NY1noticias in Spanish, and his Spanish is also weak:

    http://www.ny1noticias.com/content/124139/dos-dominicanos-hablan-sobre-sus-candidaturas-a-la-asamblea

    Granted, Bronx Dems feel a bit embarrassed by Ramirez's loss. But they saved themselves from what could have been a calumnious humiliation from the rest of the state with Hector Ramirez "speaking" on behalf of his district in the chambers.
    Bronx Machinery has nothing to lose in Ramirez's loss. Initially, Bronx Dem's only loss is having to initially support him for political reasons. Mr. Castro has been loyal to Mr. Jose Rivera. Okay, it makes sense not to support Mr. Castro, and I bet Castro himself understands that as well. The machinery could play politics if the feel, but at least do it with integrity. Mr. Ramirez represents the opposite of integrity. Bronx Machinery will not feel ashamed of themselves for Ramirez's campaign loss if they believe that his own lack of English proficiency was what caused him to lose by a few votes.

    ReplyDelete

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