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Most NYC mayoral candidates aren't campaigning in Spanish. ¿Por qué no?
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 24, 2025
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Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 24, 2025
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This column originally appeared in The Politics Brief, our new weekly newsletter on the people, power and policies that shape New Yorkers' lives.
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Two days after Zohran Mamdani released his first Spanish-language video, the verdict was in. Native Spanish speakers praised the two-minute ad as a departure from the halting Spanish they’d heard from past mayors. Mamdani spoke Spanish like a star student, if not quite a native speaker.
“If his campaign keeps up this kind of intentional outreach, watch out,” wrote Eli Valentin, a political analyst who focuses on Latino politics, on X.
“Too many candidates ignore & take us for granted,” wrote former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “This is an honest & effective way to outreach to Spanish speaking/Latino voters.”
But for all the rave reviews, Mamdani is not fluent in Spanish. Spokesperson Andrew Epstein said Mamdani took Spanish only in middle school, and his team shot the video with the assistance of a native speaker who helped the candidate pronounce his lines correctly. (His campaign released a blooper reel Wednesday showing a series of outtakes and stumbles.)
“It’s not something where he can get up on stage and do two minutes uninterrupted,” Epstein said.
Mamdani’s effort “goes a long way” to meet Spanish-speaking voters where they are, Valentin said. It also highlights the absence of similar outreach from other mayoral candidates.
Besides Mamdani, Jessica Ramos, a state senator from Queens, is the only other candidate who has released ads in Spanish on social media. But her campaign has struggled to raise money and gain traction.
Campaigning in languages other than English could help candidates connect with the city’s many multilingual residents. Nearly half of New Yorkers speak a language other than English at home, according to U.S. Census data.
And Latino voters could make up as much as 18% of turnout for the upcoming Democratic primary, according to Valentin, though not all Latino people speak Spanish.
So why aren’t more candidates trying harder to woo Spanish speakers? Most political experts expect former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the moderate front-runner who has the broadest name recognition, to win a majority of Latino voters. A recent Siena poll showed that among Hispanic voters, Cuomo’s existing polling lead only grew, while Mamdani’s numbers held steady in second. Nearly a fifth of Hispanic voters reported they are still undecided.
Cuomo was endorsed last month by former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who along with Rep. Adriano Espaillat served as a key Latino surrogate for Mayor Eric Adams during his 2021 campaign. His campaign has not produced any Spanish-language videos, but spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said targeting the Latino vote was a “high priority.”
But Valentin argues that other candidates should still try to make inroads with Latino voters. “I don’t think he needs to win the Latino vote,” Valentin said about Mamdani. “If he’s a strong number two, that will serve him well.”
Mamdani’s campaign said the video is only a start. While it’s currently only on social media, there are plans to edit a shorter cut for a digital ad. The campaign is also about to hire a Spanish-language press secretary to boost its engagement with Latino communities.
Valentin said Mamdani, a progressive who has been critical of the NYPD, will encounter skepticism from Latino voters who tend to be concerned about public safety and in favor of more policing. But he predicted Mamdani’s economic message on making the city more affordable would resonate with many Latinos.
City comptroller Brad Lander spoke halting Spanish at a campaign stop with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso on Thursday. According to their respective campaigns, Lander and former city comptroller Scott Stringer only speak English. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie grew up in a Spanish-speaking household but is “more confident” in his comprehension than in his speaking skills, his spokesperson said. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ campaign didn’t respond to questions about the issue. And Azzopardi said Cuomo speaks Italian and a little Spanish.
Mamdani, for his part, has also studied Hindi, Urdu, Arabic and Mandarin.
“This is what it means to be a New Yorker: knowing a few words in a bunch of different languages, and always pushing yourself to learn more,” Mamdani said in a statement.
This story has been updated to note a Lander campaign stop on Thursday.
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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