Political pundit and nemesis of the Spano political elite, Alfredo “Freddy” Vazquez launches into the race for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Yonkers in 2023.
Freddy Vazquez entered the political arena in 2021 with his Facebook podcast, “Basement Politics.” Sitting alone in a claustrophobic office space, Vazquez opines on the political corruption he sees as blatant and pervasive throughout Yonkers. While many could initially disregard him as some kook in the park on a soapbox, he has proven to have reputable sources for his allegations of disreputable behavior.
The target of Vazquez’s venom is the “friends and family network” that branches out from the Spano family tree. For a time, Freddy was friends with Vinny, the youngest Spano brother and City Clerk. Through this friendship it seems that Vazquez was exposed to some of the inner workings of, as he might say, the crime racket disguised as a local government. The two main issues Vazquez comes back to are patronage/no-show nepotism jobs, and real estate corruption.
It is because of this reported corruption that Freddy Vazquez opines which is driving his run as a government reformer. However, his own political preferences aren’t that clear. Until this year, Vazquez was not registered in the Democratic party. While he does champion for the expansion of affordable housing, his views on other common left-wing topics are out-of-alignment. Climate change, Covid vaccinations, LGBTQ+ rights, are all issues Vazquez has spoken on that would make most progressives squirm.
The crowded race for Mayor of Yonkers may not leave much room left for another candidate. Even as one with such notoriety as Freddy Vazquez. The incumbent Spano has a hardcore base of conservative Democrats and a war chest large enough to build his own Versailles. Corazón Pineda-Isaac has the support at the county level. With some in the county believing that Corazón is a way to block the Spano family’s ambition at taking over Westchester as they did Yonkers. And, before Freddy’s announcement, the wildcard was Margaret Coleman. Her ambition, commitment, and fundraising efforts have shown that she isn’t going to back away from this fight anytime soon.
Assuming all candidates gather enough petition signatures to secure their place on the primary ballot in June, the tone of this race will markedly change with Vazquez’s addition. Vazquez has proven that he cannot or will not regulate the tone or content of his criticisms. So, this will leave other candidates in a position to either up the ante or be eclipsed by the showmanship that Vazquez is determined to bring to this race. But, for now, each declared candidate should worry about how to get on that ballot at all.
Petitioning begins on February 28th and the primary is June 27th.
