Chicon vs. Espaillat in NY politics

[Dolores]

Vito Echevarria, media director for the Hispanic Republican politician
Martin Chicon (a Fordham University alumni), who is currently
running for Assemblyman in Washington Heights (Upper Manhattan,
NYC) against incumbent Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat.
Given that Mr. Chicon, like Adriano Espaillat, is of Dominican
descent, writes to tell dr1 that this race shows that more Dominican-Americans are entering the local political arena.

His report:

There are already signs of this particular Assembly race heating up
-- the re-election bid of incumbent Assemblyman Espaillat
(A.D. 72 -- Washington Heights), which is being challenged by the
young 30-something upstart Republican politician Martin Chicon.

Last Saturday at 12 noon (8/28), a group of Democratic Party
polticians, led by Assemblyman Espaillat and Congressman Charlie
Rangel, led a rally against the GOP and Latino Republicans at
the GOP office on Dyckman Street in Upper Manhattan (the same
office where Martin Chicon -- Espaillat's opponent, has his
campaign headquarters). Also present at that demonstration
were former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, Congressman
Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn), former NYC Councilman Stanley Michaels,
and current Councilman Miguel Martinez. That demonstration -- which
was covered by "NY1", CBS News, El Diario/La Prensa, and even the French
TV network "France 2", was apparently held to discourage GOP efforts to
register local Dominican-American residents to vote.

Mr. Chicon, who faced down these protestors, was singled out by the
police and told to leave the demonstration -- despite the fact that
the Democratic political demonstrators were disturbing the peace,
and prevented Mr. Chicon's office from conducting its regular
function of encouraging local residents to vote.

Mr. Chicon is also appearing on the popular MSNBC political program
"Hardball" with Chris Matthews this Thursday (9/2/04) as part of
MSNBC's coverage of the Republican Convention here in New York.
Mr. Chicon will be using that forum to talk about that demonstration,
and how Democrat politicians like Charlie Rangel and Espaillat are
using intimidation tactics to discourage alternative voting options
in Washington Heights.

For more information on Chicon and his campaign, write to Vito Echevarria at echevar@bway.net

[lensky]

HI Dolores ,just one minor correction in your post. Mr Espaillat was born in DR, that makes him a native of the Island.
Thanks