With Election Day A Week Away, NYC Mayoral Candidates Courting Latino Voters
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - With election day a week away, the Democratic mayoral candidates are in hyperdrive, spending big to convince Latino voters, the largest single voting block in the city, to pick them.
As CBS2's Marcia Kramer reports, Spanish is not Andrew Yang's native tongue, but he speaks it in a campaign ad. Scott Stringer wants Latino voters to know his stepfather is former City Clerk Carlos Cuevas. Kathryn Garcia is also spending big to win over Latino voters.
So far, the Democratic candidates have $1.4 million on hundreds of 30 second spots on Spanish TV, and there's a very good reason for it.
"Latinos constitute the largest single voting block in the city and the second largest voting block in the Democratic primary, so if you're look at this eight candidate primary, the winner is absolutely dependent on strong turnout in the Latino community," said David Birdsell of Baruch College.
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Which may be why Eric Adams was in the Mexican American community in Sunset Park, promising to deliver city services to the community, no matter what their immigration status.
"We're going to really ensure that this is a sanctuary city, where you don't have to worry about receiving city services because ICE is partnering with our agencies to prevent you to do so," Adams said.
And with Adams and Garcia running first and second in the latest poll, it may be why Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, an Adams supporter, had this message: "Kathryn Garcia is not Latina," he said.
Garcia, whose former husband was Puerto Rican, brushed it off.
"I've been Kathryn Garcia for 26 years and I'm super proud to have two half Puerto Rican children," she said. "I'm running a race I'm super proud of, and this is - I've not been a politician, I'm learning that politicians like to throw a little mud."
Since the primary is just a week away, you can expect all the candidates to fan out in communities across the city, looking for every last vote.
New York City voters can take advantage of early voting through Sunday to cast ballots not only for mayor, but for comptroller, public advocate, borough presidents, city council members, and Manhattan DA.
