Bill Thompson was endorsed by four Dominican-American elected officials, including one that Michael Bloomberg endorsed for re-election last year.
On the steps of City Hall, Thompson was endorsed by City Councilman Miguel Martinez, and Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat, both of Manhattan. Bloomberg endorsed Espaillat in his re-election last year.
Also endorsing Thompson, but not in attendance, were City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras and Assemblyman Jose Peralta, both of Queens.
Espiallat and Martinez both said that it’s nice that Bloomberg is speaking Spanish at his press conference, but the city’s Spanish-speaking communities are struggling right now.
“Those people that speak Spanish are being forced to move out of northern Manhattan, because of rent,” said Espaillat.
Martinez said, “I think it also helps that the Spanish-speaking community to truly see the contradictions in the mayor’s platforms. The mayor talks about economic development, in our communities, businesses are closing, big businesses are opening. He talks about creating jobs, when we’re reading and hearing about massive layoffs in the city of New York.”
Martinez also said it “helps for the debate and for the issues for the Spanish community to truly see the contradictions on the mayor’s policies, when he talks about a better New York, when there’s a New York that’s truly suffering right now.”
