FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 1, 2025

 

Contact:

Brennan Gorman

Hernandez for NYC

‪(631) 921-5749

press@hernandezfornyc.com

 

LARGEST GROUP OF BODEGA OWNERS BACK INDEPENDENT MAYORAL CANDIDATE JOSEPH HERNANDEZ AT CAMPAIGN LAUNCH AS HE DEFENDS CAPITALISM AND REJECTS SOCIALIST POLITICS

​

 

NEW YORK, NY — Independent mayoral candidate Joseph Hernandez officially launched his campaign for Mayor of New York City today at a press conference in front of the New York Stock Exchange, calling for a return to public safety, affordability, and independent leadership across all five boroughs.

 

Hernandez, a Cuban-American biotech entrepreneur and political outsider, was joined by supporters, community leaders, and the Bodega and Small Business Group, the largest organized network of bodega owners in the city, led by its founder and president Francisco Marte. The group announced their official support for Hernandez’s candidacy. The National Supermarket Association, a major voice for independent grocery store owners, also attended and expressed their support for Hernandez’s pro-business, pro-community agenda.

​

The announcement follows a major campaign milestone: Hernandez recently qualified for the general election ballot by submitting nearly 15,000 petition signatures, close to four times the required threshold, to the New York City Board of Elections.

​

“New York City became the center of the world because it welcomed strivers, risk-takers, and builders—not bureaucrats and ideologues,” said Hernandez. “Socialism has no place in a city built on ambition, hustle, and opportunity. We must protect and empower the people who keep this city running: the small business owners, the workers, and the families who believe in the promise of New York.”

 

Speaking alongside Hernandez, Francisco Marte emphasized the urgency for change and the importance of leadership that understands the city’s small business economy.

 

“Our bodega owners work hard every day to serve their neighborhoods, but we’re being crushed by crime, taxes, and neglect,” said Marte. “We need a mayor who understands what it means to run a business and keep a community safe. Joseph Hernandez is that leader, and the Bodega and Small Business Group is proud to support his campaign.”

​

With the symbolic backdrop of Wall Street, Hernandez drew a sharp contrast between his campaign and the growing influence of socialist politics in New York.

 

“This campaign is about restoring common sense to city government and putting working New Yorkers first,” Hernandez added. “We need leadership that rewards hard work, supports entrepreneurship, and brings people together to solve real problems, not divide us with tired ideologies.”

 

Joseph Hernandez will appear on the general election ballot this November as an independent candidate for Mayor of New York City.

 

For media inquiries or to schedule an interview, contact Brennan Gorman at (631) 921-5749 or press@hernandezfornyc.com.

 

###

 

About Joseph Hernandez:

Joseph Hernandez is a Cuban-American biotech entrepreneur and independent candidate for Mayor of New York City. A refugee and the son of a political prisoner, he immigrated to the U.S. at age seven and built a nationally recognized career founding healthcare companies and advancing public health innovation. He is running to restore safety, affordability, and accountability to New York City leadership.

 

For more information, visit hernandezfornyc.com.

​

​