Today Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter announced the support of 20 community leaders from the 33rd Senate District. The diverse and influential group jointly recognized Desiree as a “trusted community leader” with a “strong record of standing up for the people of this district.”
Collectively, the group also affirmed their support for Desiree’s “vision for making a fresh start in the Northwest Bronx.”
The list below includes leaders of tenant associations representing hundreds of people in the district, community-based organizations, and prominent religious institutions in the Northwest Bronx.
Adolfo Abreu Minister Edwin Pierce
Anthony Rivieccio Myra Goggins
Dee Knight Patrick Wynne
Hilda Chavis Ramona Santana
Giselle Susca Reverend Doug Cunningham
Jack Marth Reverend Katrina Foster
Joseph Ferdinand Reverend Robert Foley
Karen Washington Ronn Jordan
Lili Jones Teresa Andersen Concepcion
Margaret Groarke Wanda Salaman
In addition, several of the community leaders offered extended remarks of support for Desiree, which are included below.
Dee Knight:
“I think we need more leaders like Desiree who are not afraid to take on the powers that be to defend the interests of the community. I am prepared to stand with her to assure that our community has a strong voice in Albany.”
Jack Marth:
“I am very proud to be a supporter of Desiree. She has an extraordinary record of working in our district and getting results. She is a tough, honest leader who will not back down. She didn’t wait for Espada’s recent legal woes to jump into this race. She had the guts to take him on when everyone else sat back. That’s the kind of courageous leadership we need in Albany.”
Lili Jones:
“I am very proud of Desiree for taking this step. Se toma mucha fuerza y dedicacion hacer lo que ella esta haciendo. She has my full support in making sure that we elect a Senator who truly looks out for this community. Estoy con Desiree!”
Ramona Santana:
“Necesitamos a personas como Desiree representandonos en el Senado. Estoy apoyando a Desiree porque ella es una mujer honesta y responsable, y sabe cuales son las necesidades que hay en nuestra comunidad. Ella promete que va a hacer cambios en el Bronx y yo me comprometo a ayudarla. Ella tambien nos va a ayudar a proteger las viviendas económicas y a que se construyan nuevas viviendas. Desde aquí y hasta allá, Desiree es la que va.”
“I am so proud to have the early support of so many respected and influential leaders from this community,” said Pilgrim-Hunter.
“When I announced my candidacy I did so with a belief that although I am an outsider to Bronx politics, my background and record of fighting for this community gives me an insider’s advantage where it really matters – in the hearts and minds of residents of this district who are ready to make a fresh start.
It’s time we elect someone who will put community interests above political interests. Someone who sees this community as more than a stepping stone to further their political ambitions, or worse, as a way to get rich off the backs of hard-working Bronx families. This year we have the opportunity to make a clean break from business as usual in the Bronx. That is what this community deserves, and that is what I will deliver if elected.”