WHY I AM RUNNING

My name is Joseph Hernandez — and I’m running for Mayor of New York City not as a career politician, but as a citizen who’s had enough.

I wasn’t born into privilege or handed power. My father washed dishes. My mother cleaned homes. They fled communism with nothing but the hope of a better life for their children. That dream brought us to America — and like so many immigrant families, we worked for every step forward.

I studied hard. I built businesses. I created jobs, raised a family, paid taxes, and lived under the policies that career politicians only talk about. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when government forgets who it serves.

Our streets are unsafe. Our schools are failing. Our subways are filthy. Small businesses are buried under bureaucracy. And the political class? They host press conferences and point fingers, all while our city spirals.

That ends now.

I’m running because I believe in citizen leadership — the idea that real people, not lifelong politicians, should step up when the moment demands it. People with real-world experience. People who understand what it means to struggle, to build, and to dream.

I’m not here to protect a title or climb a political ladder. I’m here to fix a broken system with bold, common-sense plans:

• Restore public safety by hiring 10,000 new police officers and enforcing real accountability.
   

• Clean up our streets and subways while holding every city agency to a higher standard.
   

• Build affordable housing, revitalize our schools, and use AI and smart technology to cut waste and deliver better services for every New Yorker.

This campaign isn’t about left or right — it’s about moving forward. It’s about restoring opportunity, safety, and pride in the greatest city on Earth.

If you’ve ever felt ignored by City Hall… If you’ve walked down the street and thought, “This isn’t the New York I fell in love with”… If you still believe in the promise of this city — Then join me.

Let’s take back our city. Let’s prove that the American Dream is alive and well — right here in New York, the greatest city the world has ever seen.

Thank you. Let’s get to work.

Joseph