'Hoy,' 'El Diario' Split on New York's Mayoral Race

By: Mark Fitzgerald The rivalry among New York City's Spanish-language dailies now extends to who should be the Big Apple's next mayor.

Last Tuesday, ImpreMedia's El Diario La Prensa endorsed Democrat Fernando Ferrer, who would be the city's first Hispanic mayor.

"As a Puerto Rican in a multi-racial, multi-cultural city that is 27% Hispanic, Fernando Ferrer is the best leader for our times," the English-language version of its editorial said.

But on Friday, Tribune Co.'s Hoy endorsed incumbent Republican Mayor Mike Bloomberg -- saying Ferrer's ethnicity and other good qualities were not enough to overcome Bloomberg's record of achievement.

"The daily newspaper Hoy pushes the increase in Hispanic influence and leadership, has as its principal mission to be vigilant in improving the living conditions and opportunities for our communities," the Spanish-only editorial said. "However, the Hispanic leadership of Fernando Ferrer doesn't offer many more ideas that justify a change of direction, nor the tools of the resources to reach those goals."

Bloomberg, who going into the Nov. 8 election has so far outspent Ferrer 17-to-1 during the campaign, is far ahead in opinion polls.

The split between El Diario and Hoy reflects a simmilar division among Hispanic organizations in New York. Last weekend, for example, Bloomberg was endorsed by the Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce while Ferrer was accompanied on campaign spots by the governor of Puerto Rico and several local Hispanic politicians.