José Rivera
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| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 78th District | |
| In office January 3, 2001 – December 31, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Roberto Ramirez |
| Succeeded by | George Alvarez |
| In office January 3, 1983 - December 23, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Armando Montano |
| Succeeded by | Israel Martinez |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 15th district | |
| In office December 23, 1987 - December 31, 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Fernando Ferrer |
| Succeeded by | Joel Rivera |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1936-07-30) July 30, 1936 (age 87) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Joel Rivera, Naomi Rivera |
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José Rivera (born July 30, 1936) is a former politician who served in the New York State Assembly from 2001 to 2022, representing the Fordham-Bedford, Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford Park, and Belmont sections of the Bronx. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Rivera was born in 1936 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 1987, sitting in the 185th, 186th and 187th New York State Legislatures. He was a member of the New York City Council from 1987 to 2000. Rivera was elected again to the State Assembly in 2000, and was the head of the Democratic Party in the Bronx from 2002 until he was ousted in 2008 by the so-called Rainbow Rebels.[1]
Prior to his election to the Assembly in 1982, Rivera gained prominence as a labor advocate and organizer of construction workers and "gypsy" taxicab drivers.[2]
During his tenure as County Leader of the Bronx, Rivera was frequently advised by Mike Nieves, a Democratic party consultant and strategist.[3] Rivera was a vocal advocate for the withdrawal of the U.S. Navy from its bombing range on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and was arrested in 2001, together with Al Sharpton and other political figures, for trespassing onto the Navy's Vieques facility. The Navy subsequently agreed to withdraw from the Vieques facility. Two of his children, Joel Rivera and Naomi Rivera, were formerly elected officials in the Bronx, and were members of the New York City Council and New York State Assembly, respectively.
In the 2022 primary, he lost his re-nomination bid to George Alvarez.
'...Then the Puerto Ricans, who are the pioneers in this struggle, began to offer services with the so-called gypsy cabs, cars that weren't regulated by the city...We had a Puerto Rican who was born in this industry, José Rivera...'
| New York State Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Armando Montano |
New York State Assembly 77th district 1983–1987 |
Succeeded by Israel Martinez |
| Preceded by | New York State Assembly 78th district 2001–2022 |
Succeeded by George Alvarez |
| New York City Council | ||
| Preceded by | New York City Council 13th district 1988–1991 |
Succeeded by Michael DeMarco |
| Preceded by | New York City Council 15th district 1992–2000 |
Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bronx County Democratic Committee 2002 - 2008 |
Succeeded by |
