The party also generated a massive pile of toy donations for the nonprofit Housing Solutions of New York, which was the evening\u2019s only price of admission, according to organizers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spotted among the crowd were Assembly Members Landon Dais, John Zaccaro Jr. and Michael Benedetto; Council Members Eric Dinowitz and Amanda Far\u00edas; State Senators Nathalia Fernandez and Jamaal T. Bailey; former Bronx Assembly Members Kenny Burgos and Michael Blake and District Attorney Darcel Clark, who was sporting a Christmas sweater with light-up bulbs. <\/p>\n
Numerous nonprofit and business leaders and community board members rounded out the group.\u00a0
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Guests brought a pile of toys that grew bigger and bigger throughout the evening and will be donated to a local nonprofit. Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n
Ariana Collado, executive director of the Bronx Democrats, said the annual event is a welcome opportunity to reflect on the party\u2019s progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to get together at the end of the year to celebrate our accomplishments,\u201d she told the Bronx Times. \u201cI wanna say that the Bronx has the best parties.\u201d<\/p>\n
Collado said the committee applauded outgoing Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr. for his affordable housing production and Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala for her emphasis on care for the city\u2019s most vulnerable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the party\u2019s biggest victories of the year, according to Collado, was flipping East Bronx Council District 13, where incumbent Republican Kristy Marmorato was defeated by labor-backed Democrat Shirley Aldebol.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2026, the Democrats plan to build on the momentum of a record-turnout citywide election and several major Democratic Party victories across the country, up and down the ballots, Collado said.<\/p>\n
By electing Aldebol, \u201cWe are once again a true Democratic borough,\u201d she added.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u2018Barnstorming\u2019 the Bronx<\/p>\n
Salamanca Jr. leaves office this month after an unusually long City Council tenure \u2014nearly 10 years\u2014 and an unsuccessful<\/a> run for the borough presidency.\u00a0<\/p>\n He told the Bronx Times he is not yet announcing his next career moves but won\u2019t completely rule out running for another office in the future. While it\u2019s not the focus now, \u201cI would never say no to it,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Salamanca Jr. said he is particularly proud of having overseen the closure of two notorious detention centers in his South Bronx district, the Rikers \u201cjail barge\u201d<\/a> and the Spofford Juvenile Detention Center<\/a>. Seeing the barge float away from Hunts Point down to Louisiana to be turned into scrap metal, \u201cwas like a moment for me,\u201d Salamanca Jr. said.<\/p>\n Throughout his tenure, he said he was proud of allocating millions to renovate his neighborhood\u2019s schools and playgrounds, including ones he had frequented in childhood that hadn\u2019t been upgraded since.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Justin Sanchez<\/a> prepares to step into District 17, Salamanca Jr. said he\u2019s focusing on closing his own operations and helping his predecessor, who is new to political office, get off to a strong start. \u201cHis success is my success.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Comptroller-Elect Mark Levine said he feels a strong affinity to the Bronx even though he\u2019s transitioning out the Manhattan Borough Presidency. He lives just across the Harlem River on 187th Street and worked at a Bronx junior high school, he told the Bronx Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNow I can finally say I\u2019m representing this wonderful borough, and I can\u2019t wait,\u201d Levine said. Throughout his comptroller campaign, Levine said he spent a lot of time \u201cbarnstorming\u201d the Bronx, \u2014canvassing all across the borough\u2014 talking with residents about their daily lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said that he saw the borough is \u201creally on the rise, thanks to what so many people in this room have fought for.\u201d But also heard a lot of challenges. <\/p>\n Young people are struggling to land good first jobs, and public safety continues to be a complex problem, Levine added.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n As comptroller, he said he plans to invest in deeply affordable housing. \u201cI think we can do thousands of units in the Bronx alone, with pension fund investments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Levine also vowed to be \u201cvery active\u201d on economic development. \u201c[There are] so many assets here \u2014a great workforce, great infrastructure, great mass transit\u2014 and I\u2019m gonna fight to get those jobs for people here in the Bronx,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Levine said although he sometimes spent weeks without leaving Manhattan as borough president, things will be different when he takes citywide office. \u201cI\u2019m gonna be an on-the-ground comptroller,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Senator Jamaal Bailey, the Bronx Democrats\u2019 chair, was eager to set politics aside for the night in favor of \u201cmaking sure that Bronxites and Bronx kids have a good Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s less about politics and way more about people tonight,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Bailey said \u201cany and everybody\u201d was invited to the party, as long as they brought a toy to donate, and that the Bronx Democrats aim to be inclusive. \u201cWe are a big-tent organization. We encourage different views,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bailey said he looks forward to the incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani, \u2014which the Bronx Democrats supported<\/a>\u2014\u00a0as well as a strong emphasis on affordability in the city. \u201cI want people to be able to live well,\u201d not just scrape by, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Overall, the evening seemed to achieve the goal of bringing together card-carrying Democrats, the Democratic-curious, and anyone looking to become more active in their community.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody in this room may not agree on everything, but they can agree tonight that they came in peace and with purpose, for the purposes of having a united Bronx,\u201d Bailey said.<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t
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Comptroller-Elect Mark Levine poses with Bronx resident Barbara Gibson, who wore a Christmas outfit with \u201cBX\u201d printed on it. Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n