Feliz Declares Victory in NYC Council District 15 Special Election

Oswald Feliz has declared victory in the City Council District 15 special election,

Photo: Twitter

Oswald Feliz has declared victory in the City Council District 15 special election, following a full count of the votes by the New York City Board of Elections. Feliz passed the 50% threshold with 1766 votes after all the ranked-choice votes were tallied Monday night.

Feliz released the following statement:

“I want to thank all the voters who made their voices heard; every volunteer who dedicated their time during this critical special election for the future of the Bronx; and all of my supporters – including Congressman Espaillat, Assemblyman Pichardo, Assemblywoman De La Rosa, and Councilman Rodriguez. I also want to thank my opponents for a well-run race, and I hope we can work together moving forward to best serve all of the diverse needs of our community. The Bronx has always been my home, and I am humbled by the faith and support District 15 has placed in me.

“Now, we have urgent work ahead of us to make sure our community can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible. Starting on Day One, I’m going to be focused on vaccinating vulnerable New Yorkers throughout the Bronx, helping small business owners get back on their feet, and ensuring working families are at the heart of our City’s economic recovery. Additionally, I will work tirelessly to increase access to affordable housing, improve educational outcomes, and improve public safety. I’m ready to tackle all of the pressing issues our community faces, and vow to be a powerful voice for the Bronx in the City Council.”

The son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Feliz was born in New York City and raised in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, where he attended local public schools. As a tenant attorney, he successfully defended vulnerable Bronx residents who were at risk of eviction and sued landlords who were in the practice of tenant harassment. Feliz helped form a tenant association of over 50 tenants and successfully negotiated a settlement from a powerful landlord in the Southern Boulevard section of the Bronx to provide tenants with nearly $100,000 in damages due to the deplorable conditions in the building.

Prior to his work as an attorney, Feliz worked on behalf of Bronx families as a legislative staffer for State Senator Gustavo Rivera. He then joined the historic 2016 campaign of Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the 13th Congressional District. Feliz also co-founded the Northwest Bronx Democrats for Change, where he has worked to increase political participation by organizing community town halls and holding voter registration drives in the Bronx.

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