The New York City mayoral candidates know that support from the Latino community will go a long way toward determining who wins in November.
However, Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa were not at a forum hosted by Agenda Latina NYC on Saturday, which served as a meeting place for Latino business owners and advocates. Their lack of attendance left some perplexed.
With Election Day a little more than three weeks away, a recent poll shows Latinos are projected to make up a sizeable percentage of eligible voters citywide.
“If you want to have a fair voice here, we should have all the candidates”
A poll conducted by the Hispanic Federation earlier this week surveyed 600 of the city’s Latino voters and shows Mamdani leading with 48% support, and that an overwhelming 90% of Latino voters are in favor of building more affordable housing throughout the city.
CBS News New York
Frank Garcia, the chairman of the National Association of Latino State Chambers, said the candidates not in attendance on Saturday is concerning, adding he’s hoping to see them attend future events organized by the city’s Latino groups.
“If you want to have a fair voice here, we should have all the candidates,” Garcia said.
Organizers said Mamdani and Cuomo were invited to the forum. There was no mention of Sliwa, who said he was not invited.
“If I had gotten an invitation, I would’ve tried to obviously make it,” Sliwa said.
Ana Prince, who owns six restaurants across the city, was in attendance and said she’s hoping the next mayor can help small business owners keep costs low, especially when it comes to tariffs. She’s just one example of the Latino vote, which the Hispanic Federation estimates will make up for 15% of all eligible voters in November.
“So those are things we’re really looking forward [to] in the mayor, to work with business owners because us as business owners, we make communities,” Prince said. “We feel part of this. We are New Yorkers.”
Mayoral candidates offer thoughts on Latino voters’ concerns
At an unrelated event on Saturday, CBS News New York asked Mamdani about the topics discussed at the forum.
“Latinos actually face the highest levels of housing insecurity of any group in the city — more than 55%. So our focus has to be clear on how we deliver that rent freeze for more than a million Latinos, and how we’re gonna build enough housing,” Mamdani said.
Cuomo, a Democrat running as an independent, issued a statement, saying, in part, “As mayor, I’ll launch the most ambitious housing plan in our city’s history — 50,000 new units every year — so Latino families can stay, grow, and thrive right here in New York.”
Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, also addressed affordable housing concerns.
“My plan is to get the actual apartments that are frozen, that are not being rented out now, into the marketplace,” Sliwa said. “At least, that’s the first step of many you could take.”
