Ruiz Out, Endorses Diaz

Former State Senator and City Councilman Israel Ruiz Jr. just sent over a press release announcing that he will not be a candidate in the special election for borough president, and that he is endorsing Assemblyman Ruben Diaz.

Ruiz said that he spoke to Diaz, and that he was assured the assemblyman is committed to building a better Bronx.

"Assemblyman Diaz has informed me that under his watch he will work with all concerned to bring people together under the banner of the Bronx Democratic Party," said Ruiz. "He will strive for transparency in fundraising and use of party funds by party leadership. Assemblyman Diaz is committed to hiring the best qualified individuals to work on the economic, housing, education, immigration and employment initiatives that will help the Bronx survive the severe recession we face. I believe that Diaz, Jr. is committed to working for the civil rights of all, and will speak out against any injustices."

Ruiz added, "For the Special Election I endorse Ruben Diaz, Jr., and will work for his victory"

As for his political future, Ruiz indicated that he is still planning to run for City Council against Maria Baez, and will be opening a campaign office within a month.

"Within thirty days, I will be opening a campaign headquarters and have asked for a meeting with Democratic Party Chairman Carl Heastie to discuss my willingness to help in the building of a strong, honest, progressive Democratic Party," said Ruiz. "For thirty years I have helped many elected officials obtain jobs and helped with their aspirations to become elected officials. I never asked for anything in return except that they serve their constituents diligently. Unfortunately some have not been as effective or as honest as I had hoped."

Ruiz added, "In order to ingratiate themselves with past party leaders, some individuals have gone along with a corrupt leadership and system which values blind party loyalty at the expense of honest and effective service to the people. At my political peril, I have received the ire of powerful interest that stopped my advancement within the party. I feel that my experience and commitment can serve the party well."

GOP's Ribustello In For SpecElec

Anthony J. Ribustello, actor, activist and Republican district leader from Throggs Neck, has confirmed that he will be a candidate in the upcoming special election for borough president.

Ribustello joins a field that includes Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera, and possibly Councilman Larry Seabrook and

"I'm a lifelong Bronx resident, and I care about the community," said Ribustello.

Ribustello, who has been active in his community for years, said his campaign would focus on protecting services for Bronx youth and seniors, as well as preserving The Bronx as a haven for the middle class.

In addition to his political work, Ribustello is an actor, best known for his role as Dante Greco, one of Tony's top guys, on The Sopranos.

--John DeSio

BFRDC Backs Diaz, Rivera Shut Out In Riverdale

I just got back from this evening's meeting of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club, the Riverdale/Kingsbridge political powerhouse and the home club of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

To no one's surprise, the club endorsed Assemblyman Ruben Diaz in the upcoming special election. The final vote tally was 38 for Diaz, one for Israel Ruiz and three not to endorse. City Councilman Joel Rivera, Diaz's most likely opponent, did not receive any votes.

Diaz came in after the meeting to thank the club and its members for their support. I'll have video up of that, as well as speeches by Dinowitz and Robert Press of the Committee of 100 Democrats, shortly.

This makes the BFRDC the third club to officially back Diaz, after the Liberty Democratic Association and the aforementioned C-100-D.

--John DeSio

UPDATE: Video here and here.

Caption: State Committeewoman Helen Morik, Democratic District Leader Randi Martos,Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, and Heidi Schwartz BFRDC President.

Senator Serrano Not In The Race

While we have confirmation that Assemblyman Ruben Diaz and City Councilman Joel Rivera (and maybe Israel Ruiz and Larry Seabrook) will be involved in the upcoming special election, we've also been working to track down answers from anyone else who has ever been considered for that job.

With that in mind, I got a hold of Brian Levinson, spokesman for State Senator Jose M. Serrano, to ask if his boss was interested in pursuing the seat. There was a time not too long ago when Serrano, the son of Congressman Jose Serrano, was considered to be a front-runner for the seat himself.

Levinson informs us that Senator Serrano is staying out of the special election, which comes as no real surprise to us at this point. Levinson added that the senator was unsure what his involvement would be regarding his involvement in the race.

"The Senator is not running, and he's not sure right now to what extent he'll get involved in the race," said Levinson.

Ruiz Moves Campaign Ahead

Israel Ruiz is sending clear signals that he intends to move forward with his exploration in regards to the upcoming special election for Bronx borough president.

Ruiz issued a press release Sunday night to a variety of media outlets. Included was a copy of his resume, as well as a reminder that he was, indeed, considering a run, if not for borough president then at least for City Council in September.

--John DeSio

Israel Ruiz Considering A SpecElec Run

One thing we’ve been doing around the office is tracking down the wide array of different potential candidates who have mentioned, at one time or another, that they might consider pursuing the borough presidency (with two confirmed, of course).

One such candidate is former State Senator and City Councilman Israel Ruiz, who told me on Friday that he was also interested in jumping into the special election.

“I’m exploring,” said Ruiz, who recently sent out a mailing looking for campaign contributions to former contributors.

Ruiz said that nothing is final, and that he is also considering a run for borough president or for City Council in the 14th District against incumbent Maria Baez.

Ruiz held that council seat until 1997, when he ran for borough president against Fernando Ferrer.

(Though, to be fair, Ruiz did not seek out a Ferrer contest. When Ruiz announced for borough president, Ferrer was planning a run for mayor against Rudy Giuliani. When Ferrer opted out of the mayoral race, Ruiz stayed in the beep race rather than finagle his way back to the City Council. Obviously, Ferrer won, and Ruiz’s former seat was filled by Adolfo Carrion.)

Ruiz was unsuccessful in 2001 and 2003 races against Baez for the seat. Ruiz also ran for his former State Senate seat in 2006 against Efrain Gonzalez Jr, a seat he had held until 1989, when he was convicted of lying on a loan application. Upon his release from jail, Ruiz was victorious in the City Council race.

Ruiz said he’s spoken about his potential return to a number of people, and all the response he has gotten is positive.

“People are saying they’d like to have a discussion about who should be the next borough president, and they want me to be a part of that discussion,” said Ruiz. “The Bronx is really hurting, and we have to come up with solutions.”

--John DeSio