Abigail Martin seeks re-election for Democratic district leader

When I first chose to run for office, I did so because I wanted to bring my experience as a social worker and a mother into the space where decisions are made.”

ABIGAIL MARTIN, 81st Assembly District leader

In the same week her twin 8-year-old daughters decided to run for student government at P.S. 81, Abigail Martin announced the relaunch of her campaign for district leader in the 81st Assembly District.

“When I first chose to run for office, I did so because I wanted to bring my experience as a social worker and a mother into the space where decisions are made — decisions that impact our lives on a daily basis, from the need for a stop sign on the corner, to protecting my reproductive freedom,” Martin wrote in a statement. “I didn’t realize the impact this career change would have on my daughters. That seeing their mom fight for her community and causes she cares about would empower them to do the same.”

In 2022 Martin won her election against Sara Liss by 1,893 votes for the position of female district leader.

Martin was one of four of a new slate. In that election three of those four won, with Ramdat Singh becoming the male district leader and Morgan Evers becoming the female state committee member. As for the male state committee member Michael Heller, the only one not part of the slate, won his election.

In Martin’s news release she highlighted some of her accomplishments such as forming the Unity Democratic Club and asked for support to her campaign with petitioning starting in less than three months.

Montefiore AIDS Center gets $6.8M

On World AID Day Montefiore AIDS Center was awarded $6.8 million in New York state and New York city Department of Health funding as an effort to amplify its prevention and treatment program for Bronx adults and youth over the next five years, particularly of Black, Indigenous, People of Color as well as the LGBTQ+ community.

According to the center, one in four new HIV diagnoses in New York City happen in the Bronx, with the majority of those individuals being Black or Hispanic and under 40 years old. This is why three grants that have been secured since last World AIDS Day have been focused on those groups, the press release stated.

“We have made tremendous strides in addressing HIV and AIDS,” stated Barry Zingman, principal investigator at Montefiore for the three grants and Medical Director of Montefiore AIDS Center. “But since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, communities of color and people who identify as LGBTQ+ remain at higher risk and unacceptable disparities remain.”

Zingman stated the funding from the state and city would allow them to expand services, enhance their team with more counselors, patient educators and mental health support to make sure patients obtain care to meet medical and psychological needs. It would also help treat both patients with HIV and groups who are at higher risk of getting the virus.

According to the city’s HIV surveillance annual report, 363 people were diagnosed with HIV in the Bronx in 2022. Across all five boroughs of people who were diagnosed with HIV, 695 were Black, 651 Latino/Hispanic, 196 White, 64 Asian/Pacific islander and 3 Native American people.

For transmission rates across the five boroughs, heterosexual people had 231 cases, men who had sex with men had 797 and transgender people with sexual contact had 50.

“Our experience consistently reinforces the importance of regularly learning from and caring for our communities, particularly people who are stigmatized and might be distrustful and disengaged from the healthcare system,” Zingman said. “Having these additional funds and support from the State and City will help us make a real difference in people’s lives…”