Councilman Salamanca's run for Bronx Borough President

I knew I could bring change as a Council member — and I know I can bring change as Bronx borough president.”

Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr.

At a recent forum, Borough President candidate Rafael Salamanca Jr. vowed that, if elected, he would represent all of the Bronx while accusing his rival of neglecting parts of it. Current Borough President Vanessa Gibson was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict but will join a virtual forum on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Salamanca, a current city council member challenging incumbent Gibson in what is expected to be a hotly contested June Democratic primary, made the charge at a forum hosted by the Unity Democratic Club on Jan. 24 while answering questions about his boroughwide bid. He formally announced his candidacy in September.

At the forum, Salamanca, 44, discussed his ongoing efforts to address and improve housing, quality of life, public safety, education, and economic development across the Bronx. He has represented the City Council’s District 17 in the South Bronx since 2015.

“I knew I could bring change as a council member — and I know I can bring change as Bronx borough president,” Salamanca, a Longwood resident, told the Waldo Avenue audience of about 40 people. “I have a proven track record.”

He was critical of Gibson, telling the audience that there are “pockets in the Bronx that have been ignored” — something he plans to change if elected.

“This is my commitment to building a safer, stronger community for everybody — in all parts of the borough,” Salamanca, who is Puerto Rican, said.

During the Q&A portion of the forum, Salamanca acknowledged the ongoing concern over shelters being built in the borough, highlighting the controversial 2,200-bed migrant facility currently under construction in the South Bronx, which is expected to be completed in June.

Opposed to the project, the councilman said that the borough—particularly the South Bronx—continues to be oversaturated with shelters.

“I’m tired of the city’s problems being cast onto the Bronx,” he said in reference to the borough’s latest shelter.

In his eight full years on the City Council, Salamanca told the audience he has approved more than 8,000 affordable housing units. He also noted that he has brought more than $400 million in capital investments to the borough, improving schools and generating local jobs.

In July, he announced an allocation of $21.5 million as part of the council’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget to improve community parks and schools, secure more affordable housing, upgrade Bronx community board technology, and establish a new local health clinic.

At the forum, Salamanca also highlighted the $35 million he said he has secured for District 17 schools during his council tenure.

The councilman also pledged to continue working to combat the ongoing opioid crisis. Since taking office, Salamanca said he has allocated more than $5 million to support local drug addiction recovery groups—an issue he acknowledged extends beyond the Bronx.

His opponent, Gibson, is seeking a second term after being elected in November 2021 as the first woman and first Black borough president in Bronx history. She succeeded longtime borough president Rubén Díaz Jr.

Gibson, 45, has extensive political experience, having previously served in the state Assembly and on the City Council.

Since assuming office as borough president, she has co-led efforts on several Bronx projects, including the expansion of Metro-North stations and continued renovations to Orchard Beach initiated by her predecessor.

Prior to launching his own political career, Salamanca worked in the health care field as an administrator, helping expand access for low-income, displaced, and working families in the Bronx and Brooklyn, he said at the forum.

He also served as Community Board 2’s district manager for more than five years and worked closely with the NYPD as president of the 41st Precinct Council before joining the City Council.

“When I was district manager, I was working hand in hand with the borough president on a regular basis,” Salamanca said, referring to Díaz.

Following the resignation of Democratic Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo in 2015, Salamanca won a special election to fill her seat.

In 2017, he won his first full term and considered a run for borough president in 2021 before ultimately seeking re-election.

Now, however, the timing appears right, as Salamanca said he is ready to “give Bronxites a different option.”

The borough president primary is scheduled for June 24. The general election is Nov. 4.

Gibson did not respond to The Press’ request for comment as of press time.

This article was updated on Feb. 2 at 6: 25 p.m.