Engel challenger has been on ballot before

Pelham Bay attorney Aniello Grimaldi, also known as Neil, is collecting petitions to challenge Rep. Eliot Engel in the Democratic primary on June 26.

Mr. Grimaldi, 65, served as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx for three years in the 1970s, is an ordained Interfaith minister and currently practices law privately, he said in a recent interview at The Riverdale Press office.

This is not his first stab at running for Congress. 

He ran unsuccessfully in the 2004 Democratic primary for Congress against Rep. Joseph Crowley. He received 1,716 votes, approximately 9.6 percent of the vote, good enough for fourth place. Earlier, in 1999, Mr. Grimaldi challenged Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson for his post and lost.

Mr. Grimaldi, a lifelong Bronxite, does not live in the district he wishes to represent, but congressmen only need to be residents of New York State when elected, not residents of their districts as is the case for state legislators.

According to his website, Mr. Grimaldi’s political platform includes ending world hunger, education reform, world peace, ending excessive military spending, balancing the budget, reforming the immigration system, dissolving the electoral college, dissolving the U.S. Senate and installing term limits for congressmen, among other things. His website banner also asks to vote for him for president of the United States.

Despite his lofty goals, the Bronxite is realistic about challenging longtime incumbent Mr. Engel.

“It’s going to be like David and Goliath,” he said.

When asked why voters in District 16 — which during this year’s redistricting process now includes southern Westchester County and the northern Bronx — should elect him instead of Mr. Engel, Mr. Grimaldi was unsure about Mr. Engel’s position on many issues.

“I don’t know exactly what his positions are. He’s never stood up against the war,” Mr. Grimaldi said, referring to Mr. Engel’s vote for the Iraq War. 

Mr. Engel later called it the worst vote of his career.

“I’m for the transformation of society, he’s not … he just goes along with the pack,” Mr. Grimaldi said. 

He said he has nothing against Mr. Engel personally, but thinks that it’s a congressman’s job to “make society better.” He said he doesn’t think Mr. Engel is doing that.

Mr. Grimaldi said the requirement to collect signatures is unfair and lamented the process. He said he thinks candidates should pay a modest fee to get onto the ballot instead of having to knock on doors. He was able to get his name on the ballot in 2004, so most likely he will be on the ballot this time around as well.