In a surprising turn of events, leaders from prominent winery and restaurant organizations in New York City are stepping into the mayoral race, opting to endorse Andrew Cuomo. This comes just days after rival groups expressed their discontent over Zoran Mamdani’s backing, according to reports.
Francisco Marte, who heads the Bodegas and Small Business Group—representing around 3,000 small businesses in the city—stated, “We do not endorse candidates,” but added, “We support Andrew Cuomo. He’s the best player we have right now.”
The main concern for many local businesses revolves around Mamdani’s proposal for municipal grocery stores that would offer wholesale prices. Retailers are particularly upset with Mamdani’s previous remarks regarding defunding the police.
Business owners feel that Cuomo would take a firmer stance on crime and shoplifting. Marte pointed out, “He’s committed to greater public safety, and he’s not entertaining wild ideas about competing with city-owned grocery stores.”
This endorsement comes in response to a surprise move by the United Bodegas of America, whose co-founder Fernando Mateo resigned in anger after they backed Mamdani. Marte mentioned that Mateo’s decision was perceived as a betrayal among many members.
According to Marte and other grocers, United Bodegas Chairman Radames Rodriguez’s endorsement has already resulted in a loss of members. “A quarter of the members of the United Bodega Association will leave because they feel betrayed,” Marte said, noting that some have already made their intentions clear.
Rodriguez has not responded to inquiries regarding the matter. His organization encompasses about 2,000 members across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, which is a small fraction of the 13,000 bodegas in NYC.
Carlos Collado, a vice president of the Bodega and Small Business Group, expressed interest in discussing matters with Mateo to unite their members. Mateo, who lost a bid for the Republican mayoral nomination in 2021, has called Rodriguez’s endorsement a “betrayal” and a breach of the group’s bylaws related to political endorsements.
“Hundreds of bodega owners have already contacted me expressing their dissatisfaction,” Mateo told reporters, adding that he had to clarify his lack of involvement in the decision.
Interestingly, Marte and Mateo were not always on the same side. They previously operated together under the American Bodega Association until 2017, when disagreements about control over public statements related to bodega crimes led to a split. Eventually, Mateo and Rodriguez founded the United Bodegas of America.
Marte mentioned that there might still be opportunities for collaboration. “If we see that we have something in common, we can find ways to work together again,” he said.
