Left, Mayor Bloomberg is greeted by Vicente Trinidad of Latinos Americanos Unidos on Wyckoff Avenue; right, candidate Bill Thompson poses for a moment with Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez at his HQ in East Williamsburg. — Photos by Aaron Short

It’s only three weeks before the election to determine the city’s next mayor, but you would not know it walking around Bushwick. 

There are a few signs in storefronts on Wyckoff and Broadway Avenues for Mike Bloomberg and Bill Thompson, as well as a Maritza Davila primary sign or two — stragglers for sure — but turnout in the Democratic primary was low and interest in the mayoral race has been lukewarm.

Yet Thompson and Bloomberg have been making several visits to Bushwick over the past month in an effort to court the neighborhood’s well-registered Latino population. Thompson opened his second campaign office in the area on October 2nd at Lorimer and Maujer Street (his campaign website lists Assemblymember Vito Lopez’s Bushwick Democratic Club as a satellite) where he was welcomed by Congressmember Nydia Velázquez, Assemblymember Darryl Towns, and about 150 Williamsburg residents.  The message of the day?  “Eight is Enough!” and a term limits argument that was pounded into the office’s barely-surfaced concrete floor, which Thompson is basing his campaign around. 

Just one week earlier, Bloomberg was honored at Latinos Americanos Unidos at 290 Wyckoff Avenue, just across the street from the Bushwick Democratic Club.  He emphasized his record on crime and education, and the importance of immigration reform.  Several Bushwick leaders that were there, many of them religious leaders who were not affiliated with Lopez’s Dem Club, but nevertheless remain politically active, said that the event was not a campaign appearance but that the LAU was mainly honoring the mayor for his years of service. 

This wasn’t for lack of trying.  The Mayor was greeted warmly in the Democratic stronghold.  Shortly after the appearance, LAU President Vincente Trinidad made an endorsement video for the Bloomberg campaign, in Spanish.

"We’re supporting Mike Bloomberg because he has demonstrated, since 2001, 2005, and now 2009 that he is the person of quality that we need as mayor of the city," said Trinidad. He went on to praise the mayor’s work in education, housing, and helping immigrants. An official campaign appearance was scheduled for October 17.

On Saturday morning, Bloomberg kept his promise, stopping by a small church, Missionary Church of Christ on Gates and Bushwick Avenues at 10am to greet the Association of Hispanic Ministers for a campaign event.  He went there four years ago, too, though Bishop Julio Mercado, who endorsed the Mayor, said that there were even more people this year than in 2005.

After appearing in the Upper West Side at noon for an energy event, Bloomberg came back to Bushwick at 1:30pm for a non-campaign event at the Ridgewood Bushwick Youth Center (1474 Gates Avenue) to celebrate the construction of a new building for RBSCC’s All City Leadership Academy. Lopez, who has endorsed Thompson but retains a friendly relationship with Bloomberg (the mayor came to the Ridgewood Bushwick Youth Center a year ago and spent the past two Christmases at the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Center) served as the event’s emcee.

What does all this mean?  That the Latino vote in the mayoral race is up for grabs.  Thompson and Bloomberg know that Latinos vote in high numbers in North Brooklyn (as analyzed by Nicole Marwell).  In this race, Lopez has been somewhat neutralized because of a powerful mayor, who, among other things, is helping advance several important projects including the Broadway Triangle.  Bloomberg isn’t taking any chances, and is trying to reach as many Latino organizations as he can.   

Thompson, meanwhile, faces a difficult challenge, not only being historically outspent, but by having low name recognition even in the Central Brooklyn community in which he grew up and having difficulty securing a strong Obama endorsement after celebrating his victory a year ago.  It all spells trouble for Thompson in Bushwick, but he has an entire city’s turnout levels to worry about.