Top Latino activists are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to appoint a Hispanic person to replace former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, who quit after being hit with federal bribery charges this week.
Luis Miranda — the chairman of the Latino Victory Fund and dad of “Hamilton” playwright Lin Manuel Miranda — is leading the charge.
“The Latino Victory Fund urges Gov. Hochul to make history again by selecting a Latino/a as her Lieutenant Governor running mate. In a state where one out of five neighbors is Latino/a, it is imperative that the state’s government reflects the communities it serves, and that we elevate one from the deep bench of Latino/a administrators and officials who are qualified, and prepared to serve in the state’s highest office,” Miranda said.
“The Latino community is a powerhouse demographic that contributes tremendously to New York State’s economic, cultural and political landscapes. It is long overdue that New York and our governor seize this opportunity to expand diversity and inclusion at this point in the history of our State,” he said.
There is not a single Hispanic holding elective city-wide or statewide office.
Benjamin resigned as lieutenant governor hours after he was charged with bribery by the Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams’ office.
Hochul could immediately appoint a temporary replacement for lieutenant governor through the end of the year.
There is precedent. When then-Lt. Governor David Paterson suddenly became governor after Eliot Spitzer resigned after being exposed in a prostitution scandal, Paterson appointed former MTA boss Richard Ravitch as the Lt. Gov.
Though he resigned, Benjamin’s name is still on the Democratic primary ballot as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Miranda told The Post that city Department of the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez and Northern Manhattan Councilwoman Carmen de la Rosa would be good choices.
Miranda is also a political consultant who co-founded two firms — the MirRam Group and Hamilton Campaign Network — with former Bronx Democratic leader and Assemblyman Roberto Ramirez. The firm helped run De La Rosa’s campaigns and is retained by numerous politicians, including state Attorney General Letitia James. He also worked with Cortes- Vazquez at the Hispanic Federation, an organization he co-founded and where she had previously served as president.
Absent that, Miranda said that two other Latinas already running for lieutenant governor, Diana Reyna, Tom Suozzi’s running mate and Ana Maria Archila, Jumaane Williams’ running mate, would fit the bill “to expand diversity in the state,” if elected.
“If @GovKathyHochul doesn’t seize the opportunity to select a Latina/o as Lt Gov running mate, we have already two other choices to expand diversity in the state@AnaMariaforNY, @Reyna4NY,” Miranda tweeted.
Former Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito agreed that Democrats should back one of the two Latinas for LG in the Democratic primary, if Hochul doesn’t come up with a Hispanic candidate of her own.
“2 Latinas, @Reyna4NY @AnaMariaforNY, are now the only (D)s running for LG in the primary. Looks like we may finally see the representation/visibility that is waaaaaay overdue & that we deserve (assuming Democrat victory in Nov),” Mark Viverito said.
Both Miranda and Mark Viverito slammed the state Democratic Party leadership convention over the paucity of Hispanics invited to speak at its nomination convention in February.
