Rafael Salamanca, Jr’s Letter to Bronxites

Dear Friends,

When I was growing up in the South Bronx, my parents taught me the value of hard work, resilience, and looking out for your neighbors. My father worked at the Hunts Point Market to provide for our family, and my mother dedicated herself to healthcare, ensuring others got the care they needed. They instilled in me a simple but powerful lesson: When one of us succeeds, we all succeed.

That’s what has guided me in public service. It’s why I first stepped up to lead Community Board 2, where I fought to keep our streets safe and worked to bring much-needed resources to our neighborhoods. And it’s why I ran for City Council—to make sure the Bronx got its fair share, to build more affordable housing, to create real opportunities for working families, and to invest in our young people.

Together, we’ve accomplished so much. We’ve secured over $400 million in capital investments for the Bronx—modernizing our parks, upgrading our schools, and expanding community spaces. We’ve brought thousands of truly affordable housing units to our borough, ensuring Bronx families have a safe, dignified place to call home. And we’ve fought for public safety, not just by getting crime off our streets, but by making sure our young people have programs, jobs, and a real future.

But there’s still more to do.

The Bronx is the heart of New York City, but for too long, we’ve been treated like an afterthought. We need leadership that will fight for our borough every single day—ensuring we get the investments, the jobs, the infrastructure, and the resources we deserve.

That’s why I’m running for Bronx Borough President.

This campaign isn’t about me—it’s about us. It’s about building a Bronx where working families can thrive, where small businesses grow, where our kids have a real shot at success, and where we protect the character and culture that makes this borough so special.

I have the track record to back it up. The challenges we face in the Bronx aren’t new, and they won’t be solved with empty promises or quick fixes. It takes leadership that understands this borough—our struggles, our resilience, our potential—and has the experience to deliver real results.

I’ve fought to bring hundreds of millions in investments to our neighborhoods, delivered thousands of units of affordable housing, and stood up for working families, small businesses, and public safety. But this isn’t just about what we’ve done—it’s about what we can do together.

Let’s get to work.

Rafael Salamanca Jr.
Democrat for Bronx Borough President