For New York Latinos, the battle for representation has not been fully won. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani swept into office in part thanks to Hispanic voters, but some Latino leaders have said they’re being taken for granted. The mayor’s disputes with Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Adriano Espaillat, even after both supported his candidacy, didn’t help. And it’s not much better outside of the city, with only Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in statewide elected office.
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Yet Latinos have been building a strong bench, in politics and elsewhere in the public sphere. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is eyeing a run for the White House. Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez are set to bring fresh ideas to Washington, D.C. State legislative candidates like Brian Romero and Jonathan Rivera are on the rise. And many more Hispanic New Yorkers are making their mark, as governmental appointees, business and nonprofit executives, and leaders of labor unions and institutions of higher education.
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The Latino Trailblazers list, researched and written by City & State’s Amanda Salazar, puts a spotlight on dozens of outstanding Hispanic leaders across the state.
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