City Councilman Ydanis Rodríguez has begun the process to run for Rep. José Serrano's Bronx congressional seat, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Those records show Rodríguez filed a statement of candidacy Friday listing his name as the candidate and started a committee called "Ydanis for Congress" for a run for the 15th Congressional District, which includes the neighborhoods of Tremont, Hunts Point, Mott Haven, and University Heights.
Bronx Councilman Ritchie Torres, former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Bronx Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. are among several Democrats already running in what's expected to be a fierce primary.
Serrano, Congress's longest-serving Latino representative, is retiring at the end of his term, citing Parkinson's disease.
As of Sunday afternoon, Rodríguez had not officially announced a run.
Rodríguez does not live in the district. He represents areas such as Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hill in the 10th City Council District.
Rodríguez lost the February special election for Public Advocate to Jumaane Williams (138,803 votes), finishing a distant fifth with 25,253 votes citywide, including 8,454 in the Bronx, the third-most in the borough behind Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake (11,197 ballots) and Williams (10,214).
The congressional primary is scheduled for June 2020.
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