South Bronx voters will choose their new representative in City Council Tuesday in a special election that’s heavy on candidates but expected to be light in turnout.
There are six contenders in the race to replace Maria del Carmen Arroyo, a Democrat who resigned suddenly from the District 17 post at the end of 2015.
Arroyo won her seat in a 2005 special election, also held in February, that drew just over 3,800 voters.
A similar turnout would represent barely 5 percent of the nearly 85,000 voters registered in the district — which includes roughly 68,000 Democrats.
Candidates include favorite Rafael Salamanca Jr., a district manager at Bronx Community Board 2 who is backed by the Bronx Democratic Party.
“He knew the neighborhood the best, knew about the issues and most importantly had a proven track record of getting things done,” Anthony Perez, director of the Bronx Democrats, said of the party’s endorsement.
The remaining candidates are activist and businessman Julio Pabon, who challenged Arroyo in 2013; Arroyo’s former chief of staff, Joann Otero; activist George Alvarez; minister and businessman J. Loren Russell; and Marlon Molina, a banker and member of Bronx Community Board 3.