Round 2 for ‘common sense’ Gisondi for senate seat

Bronx attorney James Gisondi is taking a second stab at the 36th district’s senate seat, after losing to Alessandra Biaggi two years ago in the general election.  Once Biaggi launched her campaign for Congress, thus creating an open seat, Gisondi decided to throw his hat in the ring once again.

Gisondi, a lifelong resident of the district, is rolling with the same playbook as last time, casting himself as a centrist in a sea of progressives. He says that the district’s voters — despite electing Biaggi who veers left — are craving a more moderate voice in Albany.

“This is a more conservative district. It always has been,” Gisondi said. “They’re socially liberal when it comes to race and diversification and inclusion and transparency. But they still have those traditional democratic values.”

Despite calling himself a moderate, Gisondi does support certain pieces of legislation that many consider quite progressive. Take the New York Health Act, which would create a single-payer health care system managed by the state, eliminating most private health insurance in the process. Gisondi considers the bill to be a legislative priority of his.

“Health care (would be) assigned to individuals rather than to a job. So basically, you can switch jobs, you can go anywhere you want, you’ll have your health care,” he said. “I think that portability concept is so important. I think that would be — as far as the social level goes — would be something that needs to get past.”

Another legislative priority for Gisondi: infrastructure. He notes how there are several waterfront communities that have never been fully rebuilt after suffering damage from floods and major storms. Gisondi wants to invest in projects that will not only repair those communities, but will also help mitigate the impact of future severe weather events.

“A large part of my district sits on the Long Island Sound,” he said.

“We need floodwalls. We need flood remediation infrastructure.”

Gisondi added that, if elected, he would also direct much of his attention toward upgrading and rebuilding streets in the district. “There are several major road construction projects that have to be done within the district that have been lagging behind with no funding,” he said. “On Riverdale Avenue, we’ve had several fatalities. That road needs to be evaluated and redesigned. We have the same issue in Pelham Bay on Shore Road.”

Yet when it comes to public safety, Gisondi definitely diverges from the other candidates in the race.

He supports Gov. Kathy Hochul’s tweaks to the 2019 bail reform laws that give judges more discretion when setting cash bail, yet he said he would prefer that the entire bail reform package be repealed and reworked.

Beyond bail reform, Gisondi says on his website he would work to enact “vigorous ‘Street Gang’ (federal racketeering) RICO law” that would give law enforcement the tools to crack down on gang-related crimes. “Our communities should not be held hostage by a very small number of bad actors who disrupt our quality of life and prey on the most vulnerable.”

Gisondi is betting on these positions to set him apart and give him an edge in the election.

“I’m a moderate. They’re progressives. People right now are angry at the progressives. They’re angry at the legislation they pass, and the agenda they’re pushing.”

Gisondi, who says he has lived in the district his entire life, currently lives in Locust Point in Throgs Neck. He grew up on Allerton Avenue in the Bronx and practiced law for seven years in Morris Park, in addition to working for a Bronx Supreme Court judge for three years in the early 2000s.

At present, Gisondi is involved in several real estate ventures, having “semi-retired” from practicing law.

“I will be the best representative for this district. I won’t owe anything to the power brokers in Albany,” he said. “My vote will be for the district, not because I have to vote this way or that way because I owe my election to the power brokers, whether it’s Westchester County or Bronx County.”

Even though the fate of the new district maps is up in the air, the Democratic primary is still scheduled for June 28.