The Cuban-American entrepreneur defies Mamdani for the mayor of New York

Joseph Hernandez, a 52 -year -old entrepreneur from Cuba, was motivated to participate in the New York town hall race by his disdain for leftist policies defended by Zohran Mamdani.

“I am the absolute opposite of Zohran Mamdani and what it represents,” Hernandez told Fox News Digital. “I believe that hard work, education and grain are what makes you succeed in this country.”

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Hernandez, a Manhattan businessman, directs Blue Water Venture Partners, a health care and technology investment company. He also founded more than a dozen health care companies and pharmaceutical products during his career, according to the website of his campaign.

“I don’t really need to do this in my career or my life, but I am really, really concerned about the trajectory of this big city,” he told Fox News Digital.

Hernandez, a Manhattan businessman, directs Blue Water Venture Partners, a health care and technology investment company. (Joseph Hernandez for New York)

Hernandez said he had launched his independent mayor offer just over a month ago and that since then had collected about $ 300,000.

“We think we have a lot of support, and we continue to ask people to support us because we have a great battle,” he said. “It’s a big political machine that fights us.”

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If it is elected, he has three main priorities: security, affordability and technology. He hopes to strengthen public security by hiring 10,000 additional police officers, improving city services through the use of artificial intelligence and transforming the vacant office space into affordable housing.

“The city is not sure,” Hernandez told Fox News Digital. “You cannot get into metros at night. Women are attacked almost every night. People are robbed here. There is no law and order – there is no respect for the law.”

Hernandez said he was motivated to enter the New York mayor’s race by his disdain for leftist policies defended by Zohran Mamdani. (Deirdre Heavey / Fox News Digital)

At the age of seven, Hernandez came to the United States with his family to flee the communist reign of Fidel Castro.

“My father was a political prisoner in Cuba. He was thrown into prison because he did not agree with the communist regime, and they stole all our properties and businesses effectively,” he said. “… We came to this country with nothing. … It is an incredible society, and we let it slide.”

Mamdani landed the approval of a higher support from Cuomo in the primary of the mayor of New York

Hernandez recognized that concerns about the fact that he shares the moderate and conservative vote is understandable. However, he believes that the real problem is the way New York directs his elections.

The sun sets on the horizon of Midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York on November 15, 2024, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Gary Hershorn / Getty Images)

“I filed a complaint against the city a few weeks ago, really demanding to bring the vote of choice classified during the general elections,” he said.

The Democratic candidate at the town hall, Zohran Mamdani, maintains a heavy lead in the race for New York town hall, according to a recent Siena survey of registered voters.

Mamdani questions 44%, and former governor Andrew Cuomo, who presents himself as an independence, is 25%. The Republican Curtis Sliwa is 12% and the outgoing mayor Eric Adams is 7%.

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The campaign for Zohran Mamdani did not immediately respond to the request for comments from Fox News Digital.