Woolford faces empty chair this time around at debate

When is a debate for an Assembly seat not a debate? That might be when one of the candidates — in this case, the long-time incumbent Jeffrey Dinowitz — leaves after introductions.

That’s how things played out at the May 25 forum hosted by the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition — a grassroots organization that fights for racial and economic justice in the borough. Jessica Altagracia Woolford — backed by the Working Families Party and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — and Dinowitz are facing each other for the Democratic nomination for the seat Dinowitz has held since 1994.

The two, joining candidates seeking to replace Jose Rivera in his Assembly seat, were in the process of introducing themselves when Dinowitz suddenly informed the audience he had to leave.

“I was only invited to this two weeks ago, and I told them at the time that I have several other events tonight, which I intend to go to,” the incumbent said. “I’m going to be late for every one of them because I wanted to spend at least a little bit of time here.”

Dinowitz did manage in his introduction, however, to comment on several of the topics expected to be discussed later on.

“I’m going to — with lightning speed — answer the questions right now,” he said. “The New York Health Act? Longtime supporter. Co-sponsor. Voted for it in the health committee. Voted for it in my own committee, the codes committee.”

Dinowitz also expressed support for the Climate and Community Investment Act, which addresses climate change challenges through the expansion of clean and renewable energy sources while prioritizing public investment in disadvantaged communities. He supports fair taxation for community land trusts, and is a co-sponsor of the New York Banking Act.

“Statewide right to counsel: I co-sponsored that important legislation,” Dinowitz added. “And same with the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.”

When it came time to answer the first question, however, Dinowitz excused himself.

“I’m not being rude, but I do have to leave,” he said, before giving one last plug to the New York Health Act.

But Dinowitz hasn’t been the only one in the race hard to sit down for a debate. Woolford — a former press secretary for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand — did not attend a forum just a couple weeks before hosted by the Association of Riverdale Cooperatives & Condominiums, blaming a scheduling conflict of her own. Dinowitz, however, did make it to that event.

The only time these political opponents have gone face-to-face was back in the middle of March, when George Diaz was still in the race.

After Dinowitz left the May 25 event, Woolford and the two candidates looking to replace Rivera — Shanequa Charles and Emmanuel Martinez — fielded questions from the clergy coalition on myriad important legislative issues. Like, what more can lawmakers do to combat the school-to-prison pipeline?

“Our state legislators in Albany need to start listening to kids in the Bronx who understand what it feels like to walk through a metal detector on their way to history class,” Woolford said. “It is unacceptable that we criminalize poor Black and brown kids like us in this community because of the ZIP codes that we live in.”

New York City currently allocates funds throughout the five boroughs in an inequitable fashion, she added, and needs to begin investing more in after-school and workforce development programs.

“In one of the wealthiest cities in the world, you can’t tell me we don’t have enough for the Bronx,” Woolford said.

Sticking to criminal justice, Woolford was asked about the new Clemency Justice Act, which would standardize the governor’s process for issuing sentence commutation and pardons.

“We need to reunite our families, and we need to close the detention centers across New York state,” she said. “Not only do we need to re-evaluate clemency and use our powers as electeds to hold folks accountable — including and especially the governor — I will commit to you right now to put my body on the line to go where I need to go to rally where we need to go to make sure we free our people.”

Toward the end of the debate, Woolford did manage to get in a jab at the now-absent Dinowitz when it came to housing.

“I’m the only candidate in this Assembly race for the 81st who does not accept corporate PAC donations or donations from real estate developers,” Woolford said. Campaign finance records show Dinowitz has accepted contributions from political action committees connected to corporations like AT&T and Pfizer.

“That will not change once I’m elected because we cannot continue to elect Democrats who take money from the same developers who want us to keep for 421a,” she added, referencing the popular property tax break for real estate developers intended to promote affordable housing.

Dinowitz and Woolford face off in the June 28 primary after perennial challenger George Diaz was booted off the ballot over petition signatures. Diaz last faced Dinowitz in 2020, picking up 36 percent support in the Democratic primary. Dinowitz then cruised to an easy victory over Republican Nicole Torres and the Conservative Party’s Alan Reed.