By Dan Murphy
Yonkers City Councilwoman Corazon Pineda-Isaac made it official on Feb. 16, announcing that she is a candidate for Mayor and will run in a democratic primary against Mayor Mike Spano. “I’m proud to live here, proud to serve the people, and I’m proud of what it means to be from Yonkers. It means having a relentless spirit and potential, and fighting for what you have and what you want to see in your future. But that meaning feels like it has been lost on the 2nd floor of City Hall where the current Mayor sits.”
Pineda-Isaac, who has served on the City Council for the past 9 years, and is currently serving her third term on the council, went on the offensive against Mayor Mike Spano. “For generations, Yonkers has been run by the same people, and the same family, who think that being from this city means being part of the club that they run with the same antiquated policies that do not benefit us. They use the same playbook from the 1980’s and have failed to recognize that Yonkers has changed.”
“Look around you tonight, this is Yonkers, and we don’t see that in city government and we need to change that. We are done living in the past, we need new leadership with an eye towards the future.”
Pineda-Isaac spoke about her personal journey to running for Mayor of New York’s third largest city. “My mom and dad came to america from the Dominican Republic before I was born. They raised my brother, sister, and I in the Bronx and Harlem before purchasing a home in Yonkers and living their version of the American dream.”
“My parents and its residents all embody what the city of Yonkers means. The only thing holding Yonkers back is the leaders who prioritize themselves over the people. That stops today.
“We’re done with economic politics that don’t work for us. Economic development should not be about who we attract to Yonkers, but how to preserve the people who are already here.
“We are tired with the Yonkers Public Schools not allowing their students to fulfill their potential because they don’t have the resources and tools needed to help our students grow. The best policy that we can give someone is a quality education. If we don’t fund our schools properly then we have failed the people of our city.
“Education will be my top priority. It is not a priority for the current adminstration and the current Mayor of Yonkers. I am a mother of three, two are in the Yonkers public schools. Representation matters. When I am elected, I will be the first woman, and the first person of color ever elected Mayor of Yonkers.
“We are done handing Yonkers over to developers that build luxury housing with no strings attached. We have a dire need for affordable housing in our city. We passed an ordinance with a 20% set aside for affordable housing, that was vetoed by the Mayor. I will pass that ordinance when I am Mayor, and if you are going to build in this city you have to build for this city.
“I am not part of a political dynasty. I am an afro-latina, and someone who has dealt with racism and sexism. These perspectives have not sat in the Mayor’s office. I am not afraid.”
Pineda-Issac was introduced by former Council President Chuck Lesnick. “I have supported Corazon as a councilmember since she first ran, and she has done a good job. This is a democracy and let the voters decided. Hopefully, all can run a respectful campaign.”
Some Yonkers democrats that we spoke to said that Pineda-Isaac and another announced democratic candidate for Mayor, Margaret Coleman, “have to come to an agreement where one gets out and endorses the other. If that happens then the trend in voting patterns in Yonkers could help her.”
“There are several democratic primaries in Yonkers this June, which could impact the Mayor’s primary. Indivisible is also supporting Corazon. But there is a reason that Mayor Spano won three times, and is going for four.”
