Heavy Hitters: AARP, Hispanic Federation, Asian American Federation, NAACP, & NALEO Join Forces to Bring Voting Powerhouses' Issues to Center Stage at Historic Mayoral Town Hall

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Jul 29, 2013, 02:22 ET

In partnership with WXTV Univision 41, WABC, New York Amsterdam News, and SinoTV/1380 AM, Town Hall will Focus on Issues Critical to Most Powerful Voting Groups in NYC

NEW YORK, July 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, New York City powerhouse voting groups announced they are holding a historic Mayoral Town Hall. AARP, Hispanic Federation, Asian American Federation, NAACP, and NALEO will team up with WXTV Univision 41, WABC, New York Amsterdam News, and SinoTV/1380 AM to host a New York City Mayoral Town Hall on Tuesday, August 6th at Hunter College, from 10 a.m. to noon. The town hall will be the first time the groups have combined their voter engagement muscle to hold an event.

Hispanic, Asian, and African American/Black/Caribbean voters 50+ in New York City will account for about 47 percent of ballots cast in the upcoming election and according to a recent AARP analysis, roughly half of all voters in the elections will be AARP members.

WXTV Univision 41, the leading Spanish-language television station in the New York area, will moderate and broadcast the town hall. A media panel including journalists from WABC, Amsterdam News and SinoTV will ask the Mayoral candidates a series of questions with several additional questions coming from the expected crowd of over 1,000.

To date, mayoral hopefuls Sal Albanese, Adolfo Carrion, John A. Catsimatidis, Joe Lhota, John Liu, George McDonald, Erick Salgado and Bill Thompson have all confirmed their participation in the town hall.

Together, the groups have key issues they are looking for the candidates to address including: jobs and the economy, housing affordability, sandwich generation issues such as caring for aging parents and older children, as well as how to make NYC a better place to live, work and age.

"There's a lot of noise in this election, our goal is to bring together some of the most powerful voting groups to help cut through it, and give the candidates the opportunity to tell where they stand on New York City voters' kitchen table issues," said Beth Finkel, State Director for AARP in New York State. "The multicultural communities are no longer a minority, and are on the way to becoming a majority of the vote in NYC – we want to be sure their issues are front and center for the candidates."

"With a 53% growth over the past decade, the Asian citizen voting age population now represents 11% of the city's total," Cao K. O, executive director of the Asian American Federation. "The 50+ voters in our community have been paying attention to the mayoral campaigns and are expected to have a high turnout in this year's primary and general elections."

"Hispanic Federation is pleased to partner with AARP, Univision and other key partners to hold a mayoral candidates forum focused on issues facing the 50+ Latino and minority community," stated José Calderón, President of the Hispanic Federation. "Our aging community is facing a growing affordability crisis here in New York City and it's critically important for the next Mayor to prioritize solutions aimed at reducing poverty levels, expanding the social safety net and allowing our seniors to live with dignity and security."

"With Latino and minority voters ages 50 and older comprising an increasingly significant portion of the electorate and population in New York City, it is no secret that these groups will determine the outcome of this year's mayoral race," stated Julissa Gutierrez, NALEO Educational Fund Director of National Programs and Community Relations, Civic Engagement. "This forum is a unique opportunity for the mayoral candidates to address the issues of most concern to Latino, minority and 50 and older voters. Make no mistake about it; these electorates will be a decisive force in New York City politics in 2013."

While AARP does not endorse candidates, have a PAC, or give money to campaigns or political parties, the non-partisan membership organization does provide straight-forward information on the issues to 50-plus voters, the media and the general public.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity of AARP that is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

SOURCE AARP New York State