Pedro Espada

In a closed-door meeting with four State Senators yesterday, Governor David Paterson expressed openness to supporting someone other than Malcolm Smith, the leading candidate to become the Democratic Majority Leader, according to two people in the meeting.  read more »

ALBANY—Senators in the now "gang of three" remain uncommitted for a Senate leadership vote after a marathon meeting Tuesday afternoon.  read more »

According to a police report, Pedro Espada’s son, Alejandro, was arrested this morning in connection with an incident that occurred earlier this month, when City Hall gadfly and blogger Raphael Martinez-Alequin claimed he was attacked by Espada supporters while filming an opponent's campaign event.

Martinez-Alequin works part-time for Espada's political rival, State Senator Efrain Gonzalez.

The arrest report is pictured above.

A reader emailed to say that Bronx Democratic County Chairman Jose Rivera is hosting a victory party for State Senate Democratic challenger Pedro Espada, who ousted indicted incumbent Efrain Gonzalez in Tuesday’s primary.

The event is taking place Saturday night at the Montecarlo Room, located at 2700 Jerome Avenue.

Rivera and the county were officially supporting Gonzalez for re-election, but didn’t put enough resources behind him to help him win on Tuesday, and seem to have quickly embraced the successful insurgent.

Relatedly, Jordan Moss, an editor the West Bronx News, has a lengthy description of the Bronx Democratic County's process for re-electing their county chairman, which, according to their bylaws, has to take place within 20 days of the primary.  read more »

Here’s City Hall gadfly Rafael Martinez-Alequin talking about a complaint he filed with the police. He says he was threatened by a woman who didn't like his attempts to document allegations about State Senate candidate Pedro Espada's residency. Espada is trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Efrain Gonzalez. Martinez-Alequin is working part-time for Gonzalez.

Pedro Espada, the head of the nonprofit Soundview HealthCare Network, is sending campaign-like mailings (“From the Desk of Pedro Espada, Jr.”) from the organization's office offering things like "free mammography mobile screenings" and "free fruits and vegetables."

These mailings were handed over by a reader who lives in the Bronx. Three of the mailings were sent out in May and June and a fourth had no date stamped on the envelope.

By advertising the group’s legitimate work, Espada, who served in the State Senate representing the neighboring district, can reap the political benefit of raising his profile and being in contact with the public in a favorable way.  read more »

Here’s Village Voice investigative reporter Wayne Barrett in City Hall today, saying that Christine Quinn shouldn’t necessarily be held responsible for the City Council's recent troubles.
 read more »

Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui mailed out a disturbing video to NBC News in which he says things like, "You have vandalized my heart, raped my soul and torched my conscience."

Reactions to the late-term-partial-birth abortion ban from the 2008 candidates was quick and broke along party lines.

Hillary Clinton's favorable ratings sunk in a USA Today/Gallup survey.

John Edwards may be having lunch with Mario Cuomo today.  read more »

Pedro Espada Jr., the former Bronx state Senator, is considering forming an alliance with Bronx Republicans that could lead to his return to public office, according to two people briefed on the plans by Espada.

According to these sources, Espada, who is still a registered Democrat, would help recruit enough county Republican committee members to oust current Bronx GOP leader Jay Savino and install someone else.  read more »

That new borough-wide infrastructure would then help Espada run for elected office, like the Borough Presidency, which has been talked about recently.