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With historic NYPD appointment, Mayor Adams builds case with Latino voters
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jul 17, 2023
Modified Jul 20, 2023
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jul 17, 2023
Modified Jul 20, 2023
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The news conference had all the fervor of a South Bronx block party.
On a sweltering late July morning, spectators and city officials assembled in front of the 40th Precinct to watch Mayor Eric Adams name Edward Caban as New York City’s first Latino police commissioner. Several times, the crowd broke into chants of “Eddie, Eddie,” a show of their close bond with a child of Puerto Ricans who grew up in the Bronx.
“This is an amazing moment for not only the Spanish-speaking community, this is an amazing moment for our entire city and country,” Adams said.
Beyond its historic significance, political experts say there was a well-crafted political message at play too: rows of assembled administration members and elected officials that included important Latino power brokers such as U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat and municipal union leader Henry Garrido.
“He’s already in campaign mode,” said Gerson Borrero, an NY1 political commentator and a frequent critic of Adams. “Because he hears the dogs barking,” he added.
Adams is coming off several weeks of controversies, including the sudden departure of the city’s first woman Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell amid reports that she had been undermined, a testy town hall exchange with a housing activist, a New York Times report scrutinizing a photo of a slain police officer that he claimed had been in his wallet for years, and a campaign finance scandal involving a donor who was a former NYPD officer who the mayor has said he knew socially.
Monday’s event is not likely to erase the concerns and criticisms facing the mayor, but Caban’s appointment strengthens Adams’ argument that he has fulfilled his pledge to create a diverse administration, and specifically, one that taps into an ethnic group that makes up nearly 30% of the city’s population.
On the same day, Adams’ campaign announced that it had raised $1.3 million, adding to his total war chest of more than $2.6 million.
Caban joins a list of other Latinos who occupy key posts in the administration: Deputy mayor of strategic initiatives Ana Almanzar, Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguz, Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina and Immigrations Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro.
Whether those high-profile hires will translate into voters in the upcoming 2025 re-election is yet to be seen.
Some suggest that benchmarks like crime — which has been on a downward trend — will matter much more in the end to voters of every group.
“You can name Puerto Ricans at every level, but if the communities of New York don’t feel safe in their streets, in their barrios, or in the subways, people quite frankly don’t give a crap,” Borrero said.
At the same time, city councilmembers, including those who represent Latino communities, have criticized Adams for budget cuts that they argue will hurt their constituents.
Most recently, the mayor came under attack for vetoing a package of housing bills that expand rental subsidies for low-income New Yorkers. Following a veto override by the Council last week, the issue may now be headed to court.
“There is no doubt that the mayor is focused on diversity. I think we have to give him some props for that,” said Camille Rivera, a Democratic strategist. “But I think what’s next is ensuring that the policies out there are actually helping Latinos and communities of color.”
There are early signs that Adams may face challenges in courting Latino voters.
Among the sparse surveys focused on city residents, a Quinnipiac poll in January found 44% of self-identified Latinos saying they disapproved of the mayor’s performance. Another 33% of those surveys said they approved of the job he was doing, while 21% said they didn’t know.
Adams won the 2021 primary with a margin of less than 10,000 votes over Kathryn Garcia, the city’s former sanitation commissioner.
Similar to previous winning mayoral candidates, he focused his strategy on forming a diverse coalition of voters. After Black voters, Latinos represented the second strongest voting bloc for Adams during the 2021 primary.
But Latino voters tipped in his favor, they did not do so overwhelmingly, according to John Mollenkopf, who heads CUNY’s Center for Urban Research and studies election data.
His analysis showed that in the final round counting of ranked choice votes, a little under 17% of Adams’ voters were voters from districts with either a majority or plurality of Latino residents.
“Latinos broke somewhat in his favor,” Mollenkopf said.
He argued that Adams’ choice of appointments reflects a political reality.
“If you want to be an inclusive mayor from a coalition that is multiracial and multiethnic, you have to represent key parts,” he said. “That’s urban politics 101.”
The mayor’s outreach has extended to other parts of his base in recent months, in particular religious communities in the outer borough. He has bemoaned the growing lack of spirituality and faith in schools, questioned the separation of church and state, and spoken about being disrespected as mayor before a Black congregation.
Part of the calculus for the mayor may be in turning toward those that helped get you there.
On Monday, he invoked a familiar theme of blue-collar struggle that he leaned on during his campaign.
“I think about every mother who right now is cleaning someone's office, cleaning someone's home, who's cleaning the streets, and hoping one day that this dyslexic child that they have can grow up to be the mayor of the City of New York,” he told the audience.
Driven by the humidity, many members of the crowd, including elected officials, quickly dispersed following the event. Among those that lingered were police officers, several with Latino surnames on their name tags.
Following weeks of difficult headlines, the mayor appeared rejuvenated by the cheers that approached that of a campaign rally. But his willingness to engage the public on a historic day appeared to only go so far.
After posing for photos, he rode away in his SUV without taking any questions.
Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized Caban’s family history. His parents are from Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory. An earlier version of this story also misstated the first name of Immigration Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro.
Tagged
public safety
Politics
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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