POWER 9: The Most Powerful Latinos in New York City Politics?
The NiLP Network on Latino Issues
Of the 100 most politically powerful New Yorkers identified by City & State magazine, nine were Latinos. Heading the list was NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito, who ranked first among the Latinos and 4th among the 100.
The Latinos identified as the most politically powerful in the city reflect a major shift in power relations within the Latino community. The selection of Mark Viverito to head the City Council, as part of the political changes brought on by the election of NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio reflects the weakening of the usual Latino power bases in the Bronx and upper Manhattan.
Although Puerto Ricans are the largest group among the top nine identified (4 or 44.4 percent), the majority were other Latinos (2 Cubans, 1 Mexican, 1 Spaniard and 1 Dominican). Puerto Ricans remain the largest Latino population group in the city, making up about 30 percent of the total, but Dominicans and Mexicans are quickly catching up as the Puerto Rican population continues to decline. The Dominican community has made great gains in political representation and their overall profile in the city's politics. There have also been some positive developments in this regard among the city's Mexican population, with one of their own just appointed Deputy Mayor and the first elected to the City Council this past year. The former role of Puerto Rican politicians, especially those in the Bronx, being gatekeepers for the other Latino groups is moving into a situation where greater power sharing among different Latino communities appears to be emerging.
It is encouraging to see that of the nine most powerful Latino identified, the majority (5) are women. The problem of the historic underrepresentation of Latina women has been a perennial one, but the strong leadership role of Latina women in the de Blasio Administration and the City Council represent a significant change along gender lines within the Latino community.
However, of the nine most powerful Latinos, most (7) were elected and appointed government officials and the remaining 2 were labor leaders. The absence of influential Latinos from the business community, religious institutions, the nonprofit sector, and the media reveals a Latino leadership that is narrowly based mostly in government and not as diverse as that of other communities.
City & State also identifies those individuals who were off the current list from the past. Among the Latinos, the most prominent was the former publisher of El Diario-La Prensa, Rossana Rosado, who they identified as being "Out of Orbit." Also off their list because of "Shifting Tides" is NYS Senator Adriano Espaillat. Former NYC Councilmember Joel Rivera was also off the list, the reason being that he was term-limited from office. It is also significant to note that most of the "Bloomberg Alum" were off the list but that Bloomberg's highest-ranking Latino, Deputy Mayor Carol Robles Roman, or any Latino from his Administration, ever made the list.
City & State described their "POWER 100: The Most Powerful People In New York City Politics" as follows:
The ground has shifted in New York City politics. Since we last compiled our NYC Power 100 list-for our Dec. 3, 2012 issue-there has been a sea change in the city's hierarchy of movers and shakers. Gone are most traces of the long-ruling Bloomberg administration. Newly arrived is a tidal wave of progressive change, led by Mayor Bill de Blasio, organized labor and the Working Families Party.
Our list reflects the altered landscape: 49 of its 100 members are new entries, including eight of the top 25. The list has grown more diverse, too, though not as much as one might have anticipated given the rise of the city's majority-minority as an electoral force. This year, 27 members of the list are nonwhite, versus 22 in our previous ranking. The number of women has also edged up from 20 to 24. These slight gains are bound to be disappointing to those who are anxious to see the city's power structure reflect its actual demographics, though there is no question which way history is heading-and as the de Blasio administration finishes taking shape, it is likely that the number of women and minorities among the top 100 most powerful people in the city will continue to grow.
Of course, any list of this sort is bound to generate criticism and controversy. We acknowledge that our ranking is imperfect-yet it is not arbitrary. Off-the-record conversations with many of the five borough's most savvy political insiders helped us arrive at a list that we hope will resound with the people who know the score as well as anyone-our readers. With that, we present our Second Annual NYC Power 100.
The City & State POWER 9 Latinos
By rank on the POWER 100 list
4. MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO
Mark-Viverito rolled the dice by endorsing a lagging Bill de Blasio early in the mayoral race, and her gambit ultimately paid off when de Blasio eventually cruised to victory. The mayor rewarded Mark-Viverito's loyalty by shrewdly engineering the Council Speaker race in her favor. All eyes will be on Mark-Viverito to see if she can lead a Council independent of the agenda of the mayor and dodge comparisons to former Speaker Christine Quinn, who was criticized for her close alliance with Michael Bloomberg.
17. CARMEN FARINA
The 40-year Department of Education veteran came out of retirement to lead the nation's largest school district, with de Blasio making good on his promise of appointing an educator to the position. Under Bloomberg, the schools chancellor became a punching bag for the press, parents and teachers, but Fariña's appointment was widely praised by education advocates. She will play an integral role in establishing the mayor's signature universal preschool and after-school programs, and also be one of the key figures in the contentious
39. JULISSA FERRERAS
Ferreras at one time was floated as a potential Speaker candidate, but when her path to victory became muddied, she quickly got behind Melissa Mark-Viverito. As a senior Queens councilwoman who bucked her county's boss, Ferreras' audacity was rewarded with the chairmanship of arguably the Council's most powerful committee, giving her the opportunity to showcase her leadership skills for a potential future Speaker run.
44. RUBEN DIAZ JR.
Despite not endorsing de Blasio during the primary, the Bronx Borough president is reportedly on good terms with the mayor, and was even rumored to be in the running for an administration post. Right now the Bronx is staking a major claim in the development arena, with Díaz playing a key role, most recently turning lemons into lemonade by revitalizing the Kingsbridge Armory as a marquee center for ice sports after he was criticized for shooting down an earlier project. A rising star in city politics, Díaz will likely use his next term to set the stage for a run at higher office.
55. LILLIAM BARRIOS-PAOLI
As the new deputy mayor of Health and Human Services, Barrios-Paoli, a veteran of three prior mayoral administrations, is embarking on her most influential position in government to date. One of only three deputy mayors appointed to date by Mayor de Blasio, Barrios-Paoli will play a crucial role in trying to reduce the city's soaring homeless population, which includes a record 22,000 children. If Barrios-Paoli openly disagreed with many of the homeless policies under her former boss, Michael Bloomberg, it is clear she has more of a shared vision with the new mayor in regard to tackling income inequality.
65. HECTOR FIGUEROA
Former 32BJ president Mike Fishman was a titan in the labor and political world, leaving big shoes for Figueroa to fill. But Figueroa and his union did relatively well this year, despite supporting Christine Quinn in the mayoral race. Political Director Alison Hirsh was involved behind the scenes in securing a victory in the Speaker's race for Melissa Mark-Viverito. Expect to see Figueroa on the front lines again advocating for an expansion of the paid sick leave law for which Mayor de Blasio has called.
63. NYDIA VELAZQUEZ
Rep. Velázquez has always done well bringing in federal money to her district, but she was never considered a major player in city government until Bill de Blasio took office. De Blasio reportedly enlisted Velázquez to help rally Council support to make Melissa Mark-Viverito the first Latina Speaker, and as a result she can probably call in a favor or two at City Hall-perhaps to help her get re-elected this year if needed, or broaden her power base in Brooklyn in the post-Vito Lopez age, an era she helped usher to an end.
87. VINCENT ALVAREZ
The Central Labor Council, the umbrella organization representing all of New York City's unions, largely sat on the sidelines during the recent mayoral election. Still, organized labor now has a friend in City Hall in Bill de Blasio-so Alvarez, CLC's president, can expect his voice will be heard more than it ever was under Michael Bloomberg. Alvarez has already been out in front on de Blasio's universal preschool push, and more team-ups with the new mayor are sure to come.
99. RAMON MARTINEZ
Martinez, the executive legislative coordinator of the City Council under Christine Quinn, is rumored to be staying on in the Council as Melissa Mark-Viverito's chief of staff, a wise choice for the new Speaker, as his institutional knowledge will prove valuable as she gets acclimated. Martinez has relationships with a wide range of political big shots, including Hillary Clinton, Bill de Blasio and his onetime brother-in-law Joe Crowley-and despite Martinez's behind-the-scenes role, these political connections make him virtually indispensible.
The NiLP Network on Latino Issues is an online information service provided by the National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP). For further information, visit our website at www.latinopolicy.org.