A wave of shock and disbelief swept through the Bronx’s political community on Monday after an act of vandalism targeted the headquarters of the Bronx Conservative Party in what has now been dubbed “Penisgate.”
At first glance, the gathering outside the office seemed like it might be related to an event or donation drive. Conservative Party member Jim Livrieri was arriving to set up for his biweekly community chess club, which he hosts alongside District Leader for the 78th Assembly District Dion Powell. But instead of rallying around campaign materials or engaging with QR codes, passersby were stopping to gawk—and take photos—of explicit graffiti. The front windows of the office, located in the 14th Congressional District, had been plastered with cartoonish stickers of male genitalia.
This location also serves as the campaign office for Tina Forte, 2024 Republican and Conservative candidate for Congress in District 14, who opened the space as a symbol of unity and cross-party support for Bronx Republicans and Conservatives. Over the past year, the headquarters has become a central hub for community organizing on the right, hosting notable events such as the “Bronx is MAGA” rally.
“This is disgusting and juvenile, but unfortunately, I am not surprised,” said Patrick McManus, Chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party. “If this were a Democratic office, we would have the media camped outside and politicians scrambling to express solidarity. But because it is us, we get silence. Still, this will not shake our resolve.”
Elianni Tejada, District Leader for the 77th Assembly District, offered a sharp critique of the perpetrators’ intentions. “This looks like an attempt to intimidate us—an act meant to send a message,” she said. “But the real joke is on whoever took time out of their day to make and post penis stickers. That is not activism, that is embarrassment.”
Her colleague, Emmanuel Findlay, Jr., Alternate District Leader for the 79th Assembly District, was equally unfazed. “If they are acting like this, it only means one thing: they’re scared,” he said. “And if they are shaking in their boots, maybe it is time we double down.”
A report was filed with the 45th Precinct, and law enforcement is currently reviewing surveillance footage and gathering community tips. Photos and videos of the incident have since circulated online, sparking both outrage and ridicule.
While political tensions have been simmering for months in the Bronx—with a rising Conservative presence shifting the borough’s traditional political narrative—this marks the first blatant act of targeted vandalism against the party’s infrastructure. Until now, the office had faced only minimal pushback, with minor protests that rarely gained traction.
But this latest escalation begs deeper questions: Was this a prank that went too far? Or is it a warning sign of increasing hostility in the Bronx’s evolving political battleground?
As the 2025 election cycle heats up and Conservatives continue making inroads in traditionally liberal strongholds, local leaders warn this may not be the last attempt to silence their movement.
“We will not be intimidated by foolishness,” McManus concluded. “This only fuels our resolve. The Bronx is changing—and we are not backing down.”
If you have information regarding the vandalism, please contact the Bronx Conservative Party via their website here.
