Rafael Salamanca Jr. on why he’s running for Bronx BP

New York City Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr., a Bronx native, is officially making another run for Bronx borough president. Salamanca previously launched a campaign for borough president in 2020, but dropped out of the race in 2021 to run for reelection to the City Council, where he chairs the powerful Land Use Committee.

Now term-limited, Salamanca is mounting a formidable challenge to incumbent Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and he’s emphasizing quality-of-life issues and his Bronx upbringing (Gibson was raised in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn). Gibson is the borough’s first Black and first woman borough president. Like Salamanca, her elected predecessors this century were all Puerto Rican men. A spokesperson for Gibson did not respond in time for publication. 

In an interview with City & State, Salamanca acknowledged he would perhaps have less actual authority as borough president than he currently does in the council, but he emphasized the power of the borough president bully pulpit. He also said that unlike a couple of his lefty City Council colleagues, he doesn’t see a reason at this point to call for the mayor to resign amid multiple federal corruption probes.

City & State spoke with Salamanca on Sept. 17, the day he officially announced his run for borough president. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The last time you decided to run for Bronx borough president, you dropped out. Why is this time different?

Four years ago when I decided to run for Bronx borough president and I threw my hat in the ring, I knew that the seat was vacant, and I was there for about four months. There was a big group of individuals that were running, and I sat down with my family and I said, “You know, I’ve still got a lot of work to do.” There was a lot going on in my district, and I felt that it was not completed. And I was going to be giving up another four years on the New York City Council. There were projects that are historic for me, you know, and projects that meant a lot being born and raised in this community that I wanted to (see). We were going through COVID as well, and I saw how my community was suffering in terms of food insecurities, the unknown of COVID, individuals passing away – my dad being one of them in that time frame. I just felt that the right thing for me to do was to step back and run for reelection for my seat.

What sets you apart from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson? She’s the first Black borough president and the first woman to be borough president. Are you concerned at all about the optics of unseating someone who made history like that?

I’m a true Bronxite. I’m from the Bronx, you know, born and raised in this borough. The reality is, as someone who was born and raised here his entire life, someone who’s raising their family here, who started his career here and continues to to address quality-of-life issues and address concerns of the borough of the Bronx, the reality is that Bronxites should have an option on who they choose to be their leader in the next four years. I have a proven track record at first as a district manager, on my accomplishments, on addressing quality-of-life issues and fighting for what we need. Whether it’s our schools, our seniors or housing as a council member and as the Land Use chair. In my district alone, I’m responsible for approving over 10,000 units of 100% affordable housing, and I want to continue that fight. I think that it’s the Bronxites’ decision as to who they want to choose as their next representative.

If you were elected borough president, you’d arguably have less power than you currently do. How do you plan to use the position to enact your plans in a way that couldn’t be done in your current position?

As a former district manager of Bronx Community Board 2, I have the knowledge of using the power of community boards, the voices of what I call the first level of government, and ensure that those voices are heard. And as borough president, you have a bully pulpit, right? The ability to talk to the city, to talk to the borough as a whole, and utilize your voice to get city agencies and those in power such as the mayor and the speaker of the City Council and so on to listen to your concerns and come up with comprehensive ways on how to address those issues. I know that it’s a change from being a council member, where you have the power of the budget, you have the power of passing laws, but now, as a borough president, you have to ensure that you have those relationships with those elected officials that are in power so that you can hold them accountable and ensure that Bronxites are getting their fair share. As a true Bronxite my entire life, I feel that I have the knowledge to get results for my borough.

We reported in July that you had an early fundraising lead against Gibson, is that momentum still there? What kind of groups are you taking money from and who are you not accepting money from?

The way I came into the City Council, I had multiple elections because I came in in a special election, and then eight months later, had another election, and then a year later I had another primary, and then four years later I had another primary and then in 2023 I had another primary. So to me, it’s been nonstop in terms of fundraising at the pace that I’ve been fundraising as a council member. My work speaks for itself. I have individuals in all different industries who support me, Whether it’s education, whether it’s the Hunts Point markets, whether it’s real estate, whether it’s the janitors or whether it’s a secretary from a school. I have a fuller range of individuals who have seen me grow as a district manager and as a council member and want to be supportive in this campaign.

Do you have any thoughts on the investigations going on at City Hall?

In my opinion, it’s a little embarrassing what’s happening. I hope that those individuals that are being investigated are being honest and truthful and submitting their information to the authorities so they can do a full and thorough investigation and have an outcome. Hopefully the outcome will be positive. It’s unfortunate that what’s happening has been a distraction for what we need as New Yorkers, which is full attention to the everyday issues that are affecting our quality of lives.

A few of your colleagues have called on the mayor to resign. Are you willing to go that far?

No. My colleagues may have their own reasons, but there is no reason to ask for the mayor to resign.

What are you doing about air quality and housing in the Bronx? The Metro North rezoning plan was recently approved by your committee.

Yes, so we recently approved the Metro North. We’re getting four stations in the borough of the Bronx. At Hunts Point, you’re going to have Parkchester, Morris Park, and all I can say is, about time. These rails, these trains, have been going through our communities for years if not for a few decades, and we’ve just been watching them go right by without direct access to them. Having the ability to be the chair of a committee where I can say, the chairman of the Land Use Committee was one of a handful of individuals that negotiated this project in terms of assuring that we’re getting affordable housing in areas that predominantly don’t produce affordable housing, like the Morris Park part of the district. Also working and ensuring that we’re getting affordable housing, or housing in general, in Parkchester. Even though they are doing their fair share, more housing is always welcome. It’s a great privilege for me. In terms of the environment part of the City of Yes, the economic development component of it, I was the key spokesman on ensuring that they added what’s called a special permit for last-mile facilities. There are communities such as mine, communities in Brooklyn and in other parts of Queens where you have industrial zones where you may have companies that need a last-mile that are just coming in, buying property as a right and not really conversing or getting any community input. Those facilities honestly what they come with are tractor trailers coming in and out of our communities. So to know that I was able to spearhead a special permit process for these last-mile facilities is one of my proudest moments when I talk about my advocacy for the environment in the city of New York.

There has been construction in Hunts Point to expand the highway for a while now and residents have reported a lot of issues like dangerous walkways, noise and disruptions to MTA service. What are you doing to fix that?

When you’re dealing with construction for those two or three years that you know development is happening, it’s difficult. It’s uncomfortable. They’re moving bus stops from one corner to the other. There’s noise, they can begin construction at 7 in the morning. It may be uncomfortable for individuals. It’s inconvenient. There may be dust in certain areas. So what we’ve done is that we’ve had multiple walkthroughs and meetings with the state’s Department of Transportation in terms of getting timelines, pointing out the issues of a community to see how they can improve their construction practices, and we’ve done well with that. I think they’re like ahead a year, and a lot of it has to do with the community basically voicing their concerns and we as leaders, whether the community board or elected officials, listening to their concerns and taking them back to the state representatives for DOT and putting pressure on them to speed up the process, and I think that they’ve done a good job with that. I think ultimately, once this project is completed, No. 1: It’s good for the environment. No. 2: In terms of accessibility it’ll be easier and it’ll be safer for pedestrians in one part of the South Bronx to get to the other side of the South Bronx, meaning from Longwood over to the hospital.

Is there anyone you’re supporting to fill your seat?

Yes, I am supporting Freddy Perez to replace me. He’s a member of Bronx Community Board 1. He’s been around this community his entire life. He’s a businessman, and I’ve worked with Freddie for many years. Freddie is in tune with the issues that are occurring in the South Bronx. He’s a familiar face, he knows the leaders in the community whether they’re long-standing leaders or they’re new and upcoming leaders. That’s why we’ll be supporting him to replace me here in the 17th Council District.

Anything that you want to leave our readers with?

I want to start by thanking Bronxites in the South Bronx for the opportunity to represent them in these last 8 1/2 years that I’ve been in the council. It has been the greatest privilege of my life. When I was a district manager, I thought I had the greatest job in the world. Being a council member is by far the greatest job that I’ve ever had. To be able to call a commissioner and say, “hey, we need to address this issue,” and for the commissioner to pick up my call and actually call his staff and get things done, there’s no greater feeling. To sit in a room with citywide and state leaders and voice my concerns and have them listen to my concerns to better improve the South Bronx and see positive change, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. To be in City Hall and to negotiate a budget and know that I’ve been able to bring over $400 million to the South Bronx. I got the library, the Hunts Point library redone. We’re going to do the grand opening soon. My elementary school that I went to, P.S. 150, money for air conditioning, for an auditorium, school yard redone, which we’re going to go visit in two weeks from now, the schoolyard that I played in. M.S. 302, where my sister went to junior high school, I got their yards up, their auditorium, their cafeteria done. That to me is a great honor, you know, to to come back as a child from the Bronx and deliver results that were ignored for years. When I drive around with my son and I’m looking at the developments that have been built, the new parks that I’ve been able to allocate funding to build. I just want to thank the Bronx and South Bronx residents for allowing me the opportunity to represent them and to actually deliver for them.