Top Latino group calls on NY Gov. Hochul to appoint Hispanic lieutenant governor

Latino Victory is calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to appoint a Hispanic candidate as her second-in-command, following the resignation of Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin (D).

“This is a historic opportunity for the governor to appoint a Latino,” Latino Victory Board Chair Luis Miranda told The Hill.

Benjamin resigned Tuesday after being arrested in connection to a corruption investigation surrounding his efforts to obtain a $50,000 grant for a nonprofit organization controlled by a campaign donor.

Benjamin pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court and vowed to defend his actions, which his lawyers called “laudable, not criminal.”

Hochul has unilateral power to appoint Benjamin’s successor, and a broad, speculative list of potential candidates has sprung up overnight.

There is pressure on Hochul to choose a candidate representative of the state’s diversity, in part to avoid losing diverse representation following the resignation of Benjamin, who is Black.

But Miranda said the selection process is an opportunity for Hochul to broaden that representation.

“Given the fact the speaker, Majority Leader, the mayor of New York City, the attorney general, are all African American, and we have our quota, again, of good, white elected officials, the only ones missing from the political equation are Latinos and Asians,” Miranda said.

New York, a historical magnet for migrants, is a center of U.S. Hispanic culture, but not of political power. About one-fifth of New York’s population is Hispanic, yet the state has never elected a Latino or Latina to statewide office.

“When I go to Chicago and I go to Humboldt Park and I see on Humboldt two Puerto Rican flag sculptures at each end of the avenue, I always ask myself, ‘why haven’t we been able to do that in New York City?’ We’re in New York City — we’re 30 percent of the population when you put all the Latinos together,” Miranda said.

Hochul, a Buffalo native and the state’s first female governor, will also likely look to balance her administration with someone from New York City.

She will face her first election to the top post in November, after rising from lieutenant governor following former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) resignation in August.

Two Latinas who were challenging Benjamin in the primary for lieutenant governor are among the top contenders to replace him until the election: Ana María Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, and Diana Reyna, a former Brooklyn Borough deputy president.

“The dynamics have changed a bit which is why at Latino Victory we’re beginning to take a look at this race again. No doubt that incumbency gives you a leg up, but also coming and running with the blessing of the state Democratic Party comes with resources that Diana and Ana María now have to go and hustle,” said Miranda.

Miranda warned that a third potential contender, Director of State Operations Kathryn Garcia, has a Hispanic name but is not in fact Hispanic, which could lead to confusion.

“She has never said that she is Latina, to her credit. People may be confused but she doesn’t present herself as a Latina,” said Miranda.

While Latino Victory has not yet issued an endorsement for a specific candidate in the race, Miranda said picking a Hispanic lieutenant governor could help solidify Hochul’s own legacy in New York politics.

“Number one, because we have plenty of good candidates on the administrative side and on the political side,” said Miranda.

“The second because she will be making history. She will be giving the Latino community – and as a result, diversity and equity – victory in the state of New York. And she will be known nationwide as someone who elevated a community that is 20 percent of the state to the highest level. And third, because it’s good politics for her,” he added.