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The Race ...

City Council
District 17

Hunts Point, Longwood, Mott Haven and Soundview

Know something we should know? Let us know at campaign05@gothamgazette.com

Election Results ...

General Election Results

Maria del Carmen Arroyo

Primary Results

No Primary

Candidates...

The Incumbent:
Maria del Carmen Arroyo

General Election Challenger(s):
Ali Mohamed

Primary Election Challenger(s):

(Candidate Biographies below)

Campaign Finance Board General Election Voter Guide for District 17

Campaign Finance Board Voter Guide for District 17

Feature Articles ...

Political Rumble in the South Bronx

February 16, 2005
On February 15, the South Bronx held a special election to fill the New York City Council seat left vacant when former Councilmember Jose M. Serrano was elected to the New York State Senate last fall. More...

Candidate Bios ...

The Incumbent:

Maria del Carmen Arroyo | Dem | IND |
Maria del Carmen Arroyo was elected to the City Council in a special election in February 2005 after Jose Serrano vacated the seat. Prior to taking office, she was the executive director of a diagnostic and treatment center in the South Bronx.

Challenger(s):

Ali Mohamed | Con |

Campaign Trail ...

Below are the latest Campaign Trail items for the District 17 race. For the full Campaign Trail archive, go here

Arroyo Wins Special Election

February 16, 2005
The daughter of a Bronx assemblywoman won a special election last night to fill a City Council seat in the borough. Maria del Carmen Arroyo, a health care administrator and daughter of South Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, dominated a four-person field vying for the 17th District seat. Arroyo polled 1,828, while her closest competitor, businessman William Alicea, had 726. The nonpartisan election was held to fill the seat vacated in midterm by Jose Marco Serrano, who won election last November to the state Senate. His father is Rep. Jose Serrano (D-Bronx). (Daily News)

Four Vie In Race For City Council District 17

February 15, 2005
While four candidates are vying in the nonpartisan race in the 17th Council District, the contest is expected to narrow down to Maria del Carmen Arroyo, daughter of longtime local Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, and William Alicea, a businessman, former assistant commissioner at the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and longtime Bronx Democratic Party operative.
The seat became vacant after former Councilman Jose Marco Serrano won election in midterm to the state Senate.

(Daily News)

With Their Candidate Out, a Bronx Political Dynasty of 2 Seems Weakened

February 11, 2005
In certain parts of the Bronx, a career in politics might seem to be helped by being linked to the local congressman for the South Bronx, José E. Serrano, or his son, José Marco Serrano, who represents some of the same area in the State Senate, having recently given up his City Council seat to run for the post. With all that influence, the Serranos felt they could consolidate their power even more by having one of their allies claim the local City Council seat that the younger Mr. Serrano surrendered to go to work in Albany. But those hopes were dashed recently when the family's hand-picked candidate, George L. Torres, was removed from the ballot for failing to collect enough signatures on his petitions to run in next Tuesday's special election for the seat. And now the buzz in the world of Bronx politics is that the Serrano clan may not have all the skills needed to run a political machine in a borough where such organizational chops can make or break candidates.
(New York Times)

Working Families Party Endorses Torres

January 19, 2005
The Working Families Party is planning to throw its weight behind George Torres to replace Council Member Jose Serrano, who is giving up his Bronx council seat to move over to the state Senate. The endorsement, which will be announced today, is the first in what is shaping up to be a heated campaign where turnout is expected to be extremely low and family name recognition is expected to go a long way.
(New York Sun)

Front Runner Knocked Off Ballot

February 2, 2005
A leading contender in a special election to fill a vacant City Council seat from the South Bronx was knocked off the ballot yesterday. George Torres, chief of staff to former City Councilman Jose Marcos Serrano, had hoped to fill the 17th Council District seat vacated by Serrano after he won election to the state Senate. (Daily News)

New Player, Similar Name

January 10, 2005
A City Council election has been scheduled for Feb. 15 to fill the seat left vacant when Democrat Jose Marco Serrano was elected to the State Senate. Peter Jose Serrano, 59, the founder of a social-service agency, has filed paperwork to run for the seat. So has George Torres, 29, the chief of staff to Jose Marco Serrano. Jose Marco said he knows Peter Jose, but only knew him as Peter J. Serrano until he announced his election intentions.There are no major party labels in a special election, so Peter Jose could benefit from the name confusion. (Newsday)

City Council Special Election Set for Feb. 15

January 5, 2005
A scramble for a vacant City Council seat in the South Bronx is bringing out a host of political hopefuls - and reportedly sparking political feuds. The 17th Council District seat opened after Councilman Jose M. Serrano defeated longtime State Sen. and recently turned Republican Olga Mendez in November for her seat in the 28th state Senate District in the South Bronx and East Harlem. Mayor Bloomberg officially declared Serrano's Council seat vacant on Monday and set Feb. 15 for a special election to fill it. Because it is a special election, the contest will be nonpartisan, and political parties supposedly will sit on the sidelines. Among candidates either declared or mentioned are Serrano's chief of staff, George Torres; Maria Arroyo, daughter of South Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo; businessman Radame Perez; businessman and political consultant Bill Alicea; Peter Serrano, a local community board member, and attorney Alberto Torres, former law partner of former Bronx Democratic boss Roberto Ramirez. (Daily News)

Full District 17 Campaign Trail Archive

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