State GOP reaches out to Hispanic voters

ALBANY -- As they try to protect their razor-thin majority in the State Senate, Republicans are reaching out to Hispanic voters.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) is hosting a Hispanic leadership conference dubbed "Unidad Latina," a two-day event that begins Friday at the Sheraton hotel in Manhattan. It is the first time that Senate Republicans have held such an event.

Democrats say it's a political ploy for votes, not an earnest attempt at addressing Latino issues; some have urged a boycott. Political analysts say it's a smart move for Republicans to reach out to a constituency that's up for grabs. Republicans hold a 32-30 edge in the Senate going into next year's elections.

Skelos said the event is meant to bring together civic and business leaders to focus on economic challenges and opportunities for the growing Hispanic community. The Hispanic Federation, a coalition of community service groups, co-sponsors the event. He said the conference dovetails with his top legislative priority, job creation, and that Hispanic-run small businesses are one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy.

"This is an opportunity. This is a bipartisan event," Skelos said.

He noted that among the slated attendees are New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, and several Democratic state legislators, including Assemb. Philip Ramos (D-Brentwood) and Sens. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) and Jeff Klein (D-Bronx). Savino and Klein are part of a renegade Democrat coalition that has worked with Skelos on several issues.

Skelos said the agenda will touch a variety of subjects such as "increasing Latino college success," health care and teen suicide. He said his support for Hispanic groups in his Nassau County district goes back years, including getting state grants for Circulo de la Hispanidad, a Long Beach-based community group.

Some Democrats are boycotting.

Sens. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx), Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) and Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan) said that if Skelos were serious about their community's issues, he would not have backed budget cuts for schools, Medicaid and social programs, and blocked an extension of the so-called millionaires' tax during the budget fight earlier this year.

"I think you will agree with me that Senator Dean Skelos is trying to take advantage of the Hispanic Federation to convince Hispanic New Yorkers that he actually cares about our communities by organizing this upcoming event," Diaz said in a letter to his colleagues. "I believe that many will agree with me that this event has been whipped up by Senator Dean Skelos to win the affection of Hispanic New Yorkers and is insulting and disrespectful to the New York State Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus and to New York's Hispanic community."

Political analysts said the GOP is wise to try to broaden its appeal, given that Democrats now hold a roughly 2-1 advantage in enrolled voters in the state.

"It's smart to try to create a swing vote in a growing population," said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant. "The Democrats may think they have control of that vote. They don't."

Steve Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena College poll, said that although Hispanics lean Democratic, "this is a constituency that is not solidly Democratic."

"There is a growing Hispanic electorate in New York, not just in the city, but in the suburbs and upstate," he said. "And clearly, [Skelos] recognizes the importance of that voting bloc in next year's elections."