In November 2024, the local elections in the Bronx were met with great excitement. The U.S. presidential election happening at the same time was the main reason. In addition, Donald Trump’s previous visits to the Bronx created quite a stir. Every newspaper covered his speech at Crotona Park to the loud chorus of counter-protesters and his visit to a local barbershop. In this article on bronx-yes, we’ll explain how the elections in the Bronx went and how the votes were distributed.
The Local Elections
When it came to the Bronx, there were no surprises in the voting results. Everyone knew that supporters of the Democratic Party would dominate in this New York borough. So, as expected, Democratic candidates won all the state and federal races.
All incumbents held their seats except for Jamaal Bowman of the 16th district. He had already lost his seat to George Latimer in the congressional primary back in June.
All the key matchups ended in a landslide victory for the Democratic leaders.
Adriano Espaillat defeated Ruben Vargas in the 13th congressional district with 84% of the vote. In the 14th district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won 69% of the vote, beating Tina Forte. Ritchie Torres won with 77% of the vote against Gonzalo Duran, who had 21%, and José Vega, who had 2% in the 15th district. And newcomer George Latimer beat Miriam Flisser in the 16th district with 72% of the vote.
In the state Senate, Democrats were also far ahead of the Republicans: José Serrano beat Tania Carmichael in the race for the 29th district with 82% of the vote; in the 32nd district, Luis Sepúlveda received 79% of the vote, leaving Bernadette Stroud behind; Gustavo Rivera won the 33rd district over Dion J. Powell with 75% of the vote; in the 34th district, two women competed, and the winner was Natalia Fernandez, who beat Edwina Herrera with twice as many votes; and Jamaal T. Bailey won an undisputed victory with 92% of the vote, beating Irene Estrada in the 36th district.
In the Assembly, all seats also remained with the Democrats. Landon Dais beat Norman Hill in the 77th district (74% to 21%); George A. Álvarez defeated John Santiago in the 78th district (74% to 26%); Chantel Jackson kept her seat in the 79th district, with Sharon Darby losing (80% to 16%); John Zaccaro Jr. won the 80th district against Nicholas Marricco (68% to 27%); Jeffrey Dinowitz remained in the 81st district, giving Kevin Razmino no chance (77% to 23%); Michael Benedetto won the 82nd district, defeating De La Cruz (69% to 31%); in the 83rd district, Carl E. Heastie battled Stefania Liggio (89% to 11%); Amanda Septimo kept her seat in the 84th district and didn’t concede to Rosalia Nevis (77% to 20%); Emerita Torres defeated Kelly Atkinson in the 85th district; and in the 86th district, Yudelka Tapia won against Woodrow Hines (74% to 22%).
The Presidential Election
The presidential election drew far more attention. In total, 339,883 Bronx residents voted. The votes were distributed as follows: 244,385 for Kamala Harris and 91,542 for Donald Trump. In percentages, this looks like 72% versus 27%.
Observers noted a high voter turnout at the polls. For example, at Bronx Borough Hall, there were already over 500 completed ballots in the boxes by noon. At a polling station in Longwood, workers said they had been busy all day and couldn’t remember when so many people had come out to vote.
Journalists asked people about their favorites and received a variety of answers. Women predominantly supported Kamala Harris. Several women of different ages who were interviewed emphasized that they didn’t trust Trump’s promises to protect women. They have more faith in the Democrats in this regard. Also, women are less likely to make irrational, risky decisions.
There were many who were undecided. For example, Emilio Cabrera, 58, said he didn’t know who to vote for:
“I’m confused right now. I don’t know who’s better: Harris or Trump. I feel like both candidates are losing focus on the really important things and spending a lot of time and energy fighting and attacking each other.”
But Trump also had his supporters. Jean Batista, a 30-year-old American of Dominican descent, said as he left the polling station: “There is war everywhere now, and we need a strong leader.”
Read about the current candidate for Bronx Borough President in this article.
Trump’s Attempts to Win Over the Bronx
In the 2024 election, Trump significantly changed how he was perceived by Bronx residents. Although the vast majority still preferred Democrats, compared to the 2020 election, Donald Trump increased his support in the Bronx by 11%. In the race against Biden, he only got 16% of the Bronx vote, but in 2024, he got 27%, which is over 23,000 more votes.
If this trend continues, there’s a chance that the Bronx, which is New York’s bluest borough (blue on the map indicates a Democratic advantage, red a Republican one), could become a less one-sided area.
Analysts attribute this to Donald Trump’s increased attention to the Bronx this year. He visited the borough twice, each time creating a lasting public conversation about himself.
Trump first came to the Bronx in May 2024. This was his first campaign event in New York state since 2016. Previously, he had focused more on states where he had a significant advantage.
The event was tense and controversial. Trump spoke at Crotona Park. At the same time, a large counter-protest titled “Trump Is Not Welcome in the Bronx” was taking place in the same park, with many political organizations, unions, and ordinary citizens participating. It was led by Bronx Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
But there were also many who came to support Trump. Some of his most dedicated supporters had traveled the country to follow their leader. Edward Young from New Jersey, for example, came to the Bronx for his 77th rally. He said in an interview with journalists: “Donald Trump’s rallies are the greatest show on earth.”
Overall, both rallies went off without major incidents. A large number of police officers were stationed at the park, controlling the two opposing groups.
And on October 17, Trump came to the Bronx for a second time. This time, his visit was even more unexpected, as he visited a regular local barbershop. Javier Rodriguez Jr., the barbershop owner, only found out about his unusual client the day before he arrived.
The barber, however, didn’t lose his composure and spoke with Trump about small business, education, public safety, the economy, and the migrant crisis. Rodriguez faced a public backlash, and some people even refused to use the barbershop’s services after that. But at the same time, there were those who positively viewed the Republican candidate’s attention to the Bronx’s problems. Rodriguez Sr. said: “He is very friendly. He showed his personality. Trump was happy to pose for pictures and seemed to want to stay longer than his schedule allowed. He’s a billionaire. He doesn’t have to do this—to come to us. If more people saw Trump in person, their views of him might change.”
After the election results were announced, Mike Randino, the chairman of the Bronx Republican Party, said: “I think we are going to have a reboot of the party. The Republican Party has finally become the diverse, blue-collar party I always dreamed of and that we have been working for.”
The Bronx’s Reaction to Trump’s Victory
Most Bronx residents were disappointed by the election results. They had hoped to see Kamala Harris as president.
Vanessa Gibson called for unity and a continuation of work in the Democratic direction:
“The outcome of this 2024 presidential election is a stark divide. It is a sobering reminder of the work we have to do to bridge these differences and ensure that our voices are heard. Regardless of who is commander-in-chief, we will continue to partner with our local, state, and federal partners to protect our families’ rights and to ensure that our community’s needs are prioritized.”
U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, who was re-elected to Congress in District 15, also shared his thoughts on the Democrats’ defeat:
“The signs of a decisive defeat were staring us in the face the entire time. We were simply in denial or intentionally closing our eyes, substituting magical thinking for real analysis. It is nearly impossible for an incumbent party to win when a vast number of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.”
Despite Donald Trump’s promises to pay special attention to the immigration problem in the Bronx during his visits, few people believed him.
The nonprofit immigrant rights organization Make the Road New York released a statement saying the group was “outraged and heartbroken” by Trump’s victory:
“The policies Donald Trump promotes are racist, misogynistic, and anti-immigrant. But our commitment to collective action and social justice does not begin and end on Election Day. We will continue to fight.”
Read the article about the violation of voters’ rights in the Bronx here.