U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat faced off in a one hour debate on June 15 against Darializa Avila Chevalier, Oscar Romero and Theo Chino-Tavarez for New York\u2019s 13th Congressional District which covers the West Bronx and upper Manhattan.<\/p>\n
The debate was hosted by BronxNet on their program BronxTalk<\/a> at Lehman College and was moderated by Gary Axelbank.<\/p>\n Incumbent Espaillat engaged in a fierce debate with his biggest challenger in the polls, Avila Chevalier, an investigator at Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem<\/a> who is endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Oscar Romero, the Chief Information Officer of the NYC Civic Engagement Commission and Theo Chino-Tavarez \u2013 a computer programmer and Secretary of the Social Democrats of America.<\/p>\n The debate began largely civil when Axlebank asked the candidates which one of the four have the most valuable experience to offer Washington, D.C.\n<\/p>\n Representative Espaillat said he funds tax paying dollars to important institutions in the Bronx, such as Lehman College.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI have the experience to lead in Washington. Legislative experience, budgetary experience and how to develop public policy,\u201d Espaillat said.\n<\/p>\n Avila Chevalier said her experience as a community organizer has equipped her uniquely in this primary race.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI am someone who has organized mass mutual aid projects to help New Yorkers who were left out of the stimulus program during the pandemic and fought to get folks out of ICE detention. I know which policies are necessary to make sure there is justice for our immigrant community,\u201d Avila Chevalier said.<\/p>\n Oscar Romero, the candidate involved in civic engagement, explained he has experience implementing community coalitions to solve local challenges concerning housing and prevent evictions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe voter has four choices in front of them. My experience is as a socialist. Here, for the first time in District 13 you have four visions that are completely different. The incumbent [Espaillat] who\u2019s a Christian Democrat which is right-wing everywhere in the world. You have two communist anarchists [Avila Chevalier and Romero] who are the DSA people and have taken from us the socialists, our organization,\u201d Chino-Tavarez said.<\/p>\n What does \u201cProgressive\u201d mean?\n<\/p>\n Axelbank asked the four candidates what the term \u201cprogressive\u201d means to them.\n<\/p>\n Espaillat explained that he\u2019s championed himself as a \u201cman for the people\u201d who fights for the working class families of District 13 and provides the district\u2019s residents with more opportunities by continuing funding.<\/p>\n Avila Chevalier argued that she is running against the incumbent because there is a disconnect between the people and those who have office in the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we look at where a lot of \u2018establishment Democrats\u2019 are getting funding for their campaigns from institutions like AIPAC that are leading us to war that no one in that community wants, to ICE contractors and corporate real estate developers pricing us out, we deserve representation that is fighting back against that,\u201d Avila Chevalier said.<\/p>\n Chino-Tavarez argued that progressivism means standing up for the people and their interests.\n<\/p>\n Romero explained progressivism means the job of government is to solve the people\u2019s problems by managing the resources paid with taxes and redistributing wealth.<\/p>\n Campaign Financing\n<\/p>\n Axelbank would raise the awareness of how Political Action Committee (PAC) financing becomes difficult to police while noting Espaillat and Avila\u2019s PAC donors.<\/p>\n Axelbank would state that PACs have the ability to influence politicians and their decision-making.\n<\/p>\n Axelbank asked the question, \u201cIf you do receive PAC support, can you ignore its influence on your decision-making?\u201d\n<\/p>\n Avila Chevalier proclaimed that Super PACs need to be abolished and claimed she has never received corporate PAC money.\n<\/p>\n Chino-Tavarez claimed campaign finance funding is \u201cthe cancer that is driving our politics completely berserk.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter what you hear from Mr. Espaillat or Avila Chevalier is pure hypocrisy. They both receive about five million dollars together that will not be spent in the district but in Washington D.C. to try and skew the debate in our district,\u201d Chino-Tavarez said.<\/p>\n Romero would acknowledge the need for campaign reform. \u201cThe vast majority of the money spent on these campaigns did not come from this district,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are in a system that values money. The candidates cannot control the amount of money spent on them but we can disavow them. We cannot be running on platforms that say we should end Super PACs but look the other side when they spend money on us,\u201d Romero added.<\/p>\n