Congressional District 13 flipped back to blue on election night, with Shirley Aldebol unseating the first Republican to hold office there in 20 years.

Born to Puerto Rican parents and raised in the Bronx, Aldebol is a public-school mom who most recently spent nearly three decades running the largest property service workers union in the country.

“I really got tired of the Bronx being left behind for so long, I felt that we weren’t getting the resources that we needed, I felt so many people were suffering under this affordability crisis and I thought it was time for me to do something," said Aldebol.

Through her grassroots campaign, Aldebol flipped District 13 that encompasses City Island, Throgs Neck, Morris Park and Pelham Bay. It's the first time a politician flipped the district back to the Democratic Party - by a slim but decisive margin.

"Wherever I had an opportunity to talk to a voter one-on-one, I did that," said Aldebol.

Aldebol said she has a plan to appeal to the roughly 48% of voters who didn't vote for her.

"I have neighbors who are Republicans, neighbors who are Independents, I have neighbors who didn’t vote, I was elected to serve the constituents, and that is what I’ll do," said Aldebol.

Aldebol will be sworn into the position just shy of the New York State Gaming Commission's decision on the three downstate casino licenses. Bally's Bronx, which is being proposed near Ferry Point Park, has been a highly contested issue that current Councilmember Kristy Marmorato opposed.

“This is going to be the highest economic development project – having union jobs come to the Bronx is important.. “I share some of the concerns that people have about, you know, the traffic, the environment. You know, is there going to be an increased crime? I think that the key to the key to this is going to be to continue to talk to Bally's, to continue to make sure that those issues are addressed," said Aldebol.

Quality-of-life, education and public safety are her top priorities. She's mainly in-line with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on the affordability crisis and believes that is what put her over the edge on votes.

“People are really feeling the squeeze and people want to see something they want to see change, A lot of the people that I've spoken to throughout the district, you know, have, you know, issues with affording their rent, spoke to people who said, you know, I may not be able to retire, you know, at age 65 or 67 because I won't be able to afford to live here and I've been living here for 20 years. I may not be able to afford the rent on a fixed income. Seniors who own their homes are struggling to, you know, pay for insurance, increasing taxes and, you know, just the maintenance of their homes. So we have to provide support, both for homeowners," said Aldebol.

Aldebol will take office in the new year.