Spanish
New York.- The primary elections for municipal positions in the City of New York are on June 24th and in the early voting centers, "there has been a lot of movement" from this community, which could have a significant impact on the primary results.
“Here in Upper Manhattan, Dominicans are politically valuable. Our opinion, when we go out to vote en masse, can tip the balance in favor of one candidate or another. I, who have been close to seeing this process, have seen participation”, commented the Dominican political activist Josefina Morales, cited by El Diario de New York. What Josefina comments cannot be validated with certain data yet, but if a rearview mirror is put on the participation of Dominican communities in the electoral processes, where mayors and presidents are chosen, they are always on the map as one of the most enthusiastic in the calls to vote. According to the data, in the previous 2021 municipal primaries participation in this process did not exceed 23% throughout the city, in this electoral district it reached 35%, one of the highest figures recorded. Specifically, District 10, which includes Washington Heights, Inwood, and Marble Hills, is home to a total of 115,000 voters, of whom more than 66% predominantly identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to 2023 census data. From the total of the ten community districts, with the lowest participation percentages in the past 2021 primary elections, seven are in The Bronx, the rest in Queens and Brooklyn. Some consulted believe that little by little, Hispanic communities, not just Dominicans, are understanding that voting for a councilman is very, very important. "He is the elected leader who is closest to you, to whom you can demand things for your block (square). How much can you talk to a president or a governor, so that they solve a community problem for you?", interprets José Cabello, a merchant from St Nicholas Avenue, who assures he "pushes" his relatives, to go out and express themselves in the municipal elections.Two Dominicans Face District 10 Municipal Council
Since last Saturday, early voting is taking place in the Big Apple to decide which candidates will obtain the nomination of each party, to appear on the ballot in the general elections in November. It is necessary to be a member of a political party to vote in the primaries. In these neighborhoods, voters are choosing in addition to the mayoral candidates, also the comptroller, the Public Advocate, the Borough President, and the Manhattan District Attorney.You may be interested in: Alofoke Media Group filled Dominicans in New York with emotion
In District 10, voters also have the option of choosing the Democratic candidate for council member who will represent them on the City Council. That local legislative position has been held since 2022 by the Dominican-born councilwoman, Carmen de La Rosa, who is running for re-election. Although she will have to compete with another candidate, also from the island, Francesca Castellanos. Indeed, since 1992 that seat in the City Council has been continuously occupied by a Dominican, since Guillermo Linares was elected, followed by Miguel Martínez who had to leave the position due to embezzlement charges and then Ydanis Rodríguez, who is currently the Commissioner of Transportation of the City of New York (NYC-DOT).
