BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT
Two long-serving Bronx elected officials face off: incumbent Borough President Vanessa Gibson and City Council member Rafael Salamanca, hoping to catapult from his South Bronx seat to lead borowide.
(Rosie Thomas)
(Courtesy of New York City Council)
The Candidates
Vanessa Gibson, Democrat
(Courtesy of Vanessa Gibson)
Bio
The incumbent Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson is the first female and first African American to hold the office. She got her start in politics in 2001 as an intern with the New York State Assembly member Aurelia Greene, who represented the west Bronx neighborhoods of Claremont, Concourse, Highbridge, Mount Eden, and Morris Heights in the 77th assembly district. Gibson rose to the position of Legislative Aide and later District Manager, She won a seat in the assembly in 2009, when Greene resigned. Four years later, Gibson won a seat on the City Council representing the 16th District, which includes Concourse, Morrisania, Highbridge, Morris Heights and Tremont.
The first African-American woman to chair the New York City Council Public Safety Committee, Gibson has worked to advance criminal justice reform over her career, advocating for alternatives to incarceration. She also advocated for tenant protections and enhanced police training.
Since becoming borough president in 2021, Gibson has launched initiatives to combat food insecurity and to enhance the educational opportunities of students in the Bronx, providing them with new technology to use in the classroom.
Rafael Salamanca, Democrat
(Courtesy of Rafael Salamanca)
Bio
Rafael Salamanca, who has represented the South Bronx’s 17th City Council district since 2016, grew up the son of first-generation Puerto Rican migrants. He began his career in healthcare working to expand access for low-income and working families before serving as District Manager for Bronx Community Board 2. He was also president of the 41st Precinct Council in Hunts Point and Longwood.
As chair of the council’s Land Use Committee, Salamanca prioritized affordable housing, approving thousands of new and preserved housing units. He has also advocated for expanded educational opportunities for young Bronxites. He is also on the committees for Public Housing, Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, Economic Development, Civil and Human Rights and Environmental Protection, Resiliency and Waterfronts.
Salamanca ran for Bronx Borough President four years ago, but dropped out in January 2021 to run for reelection to his council seat. He has emphasized his Bronx upbringing in his campaign to set him apart from Brooklyn-born Gibson. He and his wife and son live in Longwood.
Vanessa Gibson Contributions
Gibson drew contributions from across the northeastern United States, as seen here on this map. Not pictured are donations from private individuals in Alabama, Georgia and Florida, amounting to $50, $375 and $175 respectively. She also received two donations of one thousand dollars each from the president of a consumer development corporation based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Rafael Salamanca Contributions
Salamanca received the majority of his contributions from donors in the Tri-State Area, as seen here on this map. Not pictured here is Florida, where Salamanca drew $9,350 in donations, including $4,800 from a family of real estate brokers.