Sen. Biaggi endorses Woolford for Assembly

State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi endorsed Jessica Altagracia Woolford Thursday in the 81st district assembly Democratic primary against longtime-incumbent Jeffery Dinowitz, whose district covers much of the northwest Bronx. 

“The northwest Bronx deserves fresh, eager, hardworking leadership,” Biaggi said in a prepared statement. “We need someone who doesn't just perform leadership, but who puts in the work every day. Whether it's making sure people get the food they need during the pandemic or rolling up her sleeves to clean up racist graffiti on our playgrounds, Jessica is always on the ground delivering for her community.”

Woolford, , a former press secretary for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, was grateful for the endorsement, which comes on the heels of the backing of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“I am thankful to have Senator Biaggi's support as we head into the homestretch of our campaign,” Woolford said. “Our community voted Jeff Klein out of office in 2018 because he and the IDC chose to work with Republicans rather than work with us.

“Now, on June 28, we have a chance to finish what we started. We can't wait for change any longer, and it's time we set a new standard for leadership and care in the Assembly that serves all of us across the 81st District and New York state.”

Since being elected to the senate in 2019, Biaggi — who is making a bid for Congress — has clashed publicly with Assemblyman Dinowitz several times. Most recently, the two Bronx lawmakers butted heads after a bill to reform the state’s sexual assault statutes failed to pass in the final days of the 2022 legislative session, as reported by The Riverdale Press this week. 

The bill, which was sponsored by both Biaggi and Dinowitz, aimed to close a loophole that, in certain instances, allowed those accused of rape to have their cases dismissed if the victim was voluntarily under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the assault. 

Yet, by session’s end last week, the language in the senate and Assembly versions of the bill did not match up. Thus, it never made it onto the floor for a vote. 

Biaggi told The Press that the bill languished in both chambers because the Assemblyman wasn’t cooperating with her team. “It didn’t get picked up because he didn’t return my phone calls when I called his office to have a conversation about how to get it done,” she said. 

Dinowitz pushed back on that, saying, “I do believe in the last several days of the session – at the very end — she did call my office, and my office called her back. My legislative director, I believe, spoke to his counterpart in her office.”

This is not the first high-profile endorsement Woolford has received. In late May, Ocasio-Cortez backed Woolford alongside a slate of other candidates running in separate Assembly races. 

“Jessica Altagracia Woolford is a mom, wife, caregiver, and organizer. During the pandemic, (she) started a mutual aid effort that delivered 30,000 pounds of fresh produce and thousands of masks to her neighbors,” AOC’s campaign wrote online. “These State Assembly candidates are renters, teachers & parents challenging real-estate-bought politicians who have blocked housing and healthcare for all.”