Assemblymember Edward “Eddie” Gibbs is running for re-election in the 68th Assembly District in the upcoming primary. He’s up against three challengers so far.
“I don’t take shots. Let my work speak for itself,” said Gibbs.
His district encompasses East Harlem (El Barrio), Randall’s Island, and parts of the Upper East Side and Central Harlem. Gibbs was first elected to his seat in a special election to replace former Assemblymember Robert Rodriguez in 2022. He made history by being not only the first formerly incarcerated individual in the state to be sworn into office but also the first Black representative to hold the 68th Assembly District seat.
Gibbs grew up in the district with a single mother and five siblings. Around age 13, Gibbs said he began hustling for drug dealers, packing groceries, and doing any odd jobs in the neighborhood he could to earn money. His lifestyle eventually landed him in jail for manslaughter at 17, which he said was self defense. Regardless, he turned himself in and accepted a plea bargain.
Gibbs credits his incarceration for turning his life around and is motivated as an elected official to protect seniors, people experiencing homelessness, and underprivileged kids. He also wants to promote public safety and stands by his record in office as he makes a bid for reelection. At least this time around, he said, people can’t attack him for having been incarcerated.
There are three candidates running in the assembly race against Gibbs: Community Board (CB) Chair Xavier Santiago, District Leader Tamika Mapp, and District Leader William Smith.
Santiago said he was inspired to run because of a “complete and utter lack of leadership at the moment.” He is a producer, director, writer, and on-air talent from East Harlem. He owns Saint Productions and serves as the festival director of the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival. He has also chairs CB 11.
“I have literally walked every single corner of this neighborhood,” said Santiago. “A good legislator should not only be empathetic; they should have the capacity to understand how to craft legislation that interacts in a way that benefits the neighborhood.”
His plan is to prioritize affordable housing and healthcare, public safety, small businesses, and education. He’s also a staunch advocate for a ferry service and the Second Avenue subway expansion.
Mapp is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was a single mother at the tender age of 14. At the time, she supported her family by selling Avon products. She went on to serve proudly in the U.S. Army. When Mapp returned home from the military, she moved to New York and earned a college degree.
Mapp has been a district leader for the 68th AD, Part D, and a Democratic State Committeewoman since 2020. She is also an avid volunteer for Girls Scouts of Greater New York and a longtime member of the Greater Harlem Coalition. She has been running for state assembly in the 68th since 2014. She lost to Gibbs in a previous election in 2022.
“Our affordable coops and condos have 421-A expiring, so therefore a lot of our seniors won’t be able to age in place gracefully. [And] for a lot of our single family homeowners the maintenance fees are rising. Eventually they won’t be able to stay in the homes they have that they thought they’d be able to stay in for the rest of their lives,” said Mapp about her platform.
Her advocacy includes efforts to solve the housing crisis, address Harlem’s safe injection sites, combat open-air drug use, and decriminalize youth in the court system. She is also a vocal advocate against privatization of public housing and any RAD/PACT and The Trust legislation.
Last but not least is Smith, a native East Harlemite, who has served as a district leader since July 2021 and a judicial delegate since 2022. He received a bachelor’s degree from The City College of New York, where he majored in political science and management administration. He got his start in public service as an intern in former Congressmember Charles Rangel’s office. He’s also worked with Manhattan Democratic party boss Keith Wright and as a policy analyst at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
“Serving in the state assembly, it would be a great privilege to represent the community but also there are some key needs for our constituents. This is the perfect time to advocate for East Harlem in the state legislature,” said Smith.
Smith plans to focus on public safety and strengthening community partnerships with law enforcement, protecting public housing and expediting repairs for tenants, and funding for educational programming.
The primary kicks off on June 25, 2024.
Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about politics for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
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