New York Elected Officials Flock To Annual Conference In Puerto Rico: Here's Why You Should Care

Even with the most recent election fresh in the minds of everyday New Yorkers, legions from the city’s political class have flown south to the island of Puerto Rico for a 5-day conference known as SOMOS. The annual schmooze-fest draws a mix of current and former elected officials, lobbyists, consultants, union bigs, nonprofit leaders and job seekers intent on building relationships and laying the groundwork for what they want in the future.

Why is this event such a big deal?

Even before the results of the 2021 general election are certified, alliances are being formed to shape the next year’s political trajectory — from the upcoming City Council Speaker’s race in January, to the primaries for New York State governor, state attorney general, congress and more in June. All the major players will be there, bumping into each other in hotel lobbies and grabbing dinner in Old San Juan when official events are done.

Politics are not the explicit purpose of the event, despite the networking, arm-twisting, imbibing and sunbathing that inevitably takes place. The conference is supposed to educate New York lawmakers and policy shapers about issues important to Puerto Ricans — both those on the island and the 1 million residents of New York State — plus the needs of the broader Latino community at the city, state and federal level.

This year’s event is sold out, after being canceled last year due to the pandemic, and it comes during peak season for political posturing, with major changes in leadership coming at the city and state levels. Organizers estimate it will be the largest in its 40-year history with more than 800 attendees expected.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, only people who are fully vaccinated and have their vaccination cards plus identification on hand will be allowed to pick up their conference badge. (Organizers say the Excelsior app won’t work in Puerto Rico.) But that’s still a whole lot of people mingling in some not-so-large places, with a mix of rain and sun in the forecast. (Mask up, friends!)

Here’s what else you need to know about the tropical seaside conference, even if you are enjoying the autumnal five boroughs with the rest of us.

What is the stated purpose of SOMOS?

“It’s to promote unity,” said Assemblymember Maritza Davila, chair of the New York State Assembly’s Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force, which works with the nonprofit SOMOS, Inc. to organize the event. Davila emphasized the need for partnership and understanding between New York legislators in terms of the issues impacting people living in Puerto Rico. Davila, who moved as a child from Catano, Puerto Rico to Bushwick, Brooklyn, one of the neighborhoods she represents, said she tries to keep her focus on what is happening on the island.

“This is not a party,” said Davila. “It takes a lot of work to put this event together,” she added, arguing SOMOS will examine the way government and corporate policies originating on the United States mainland impact the lives of Puerto Ricans and the diaspora in New York.

What are some of the official events?

One issue getting a lot of attention from both lawmakers and nonprofit leaders is the fight to combat so-called “vulture” hedge funds, which make big profits by buying up debt on the cheap from governments facing default and then using a loophole in New York State law to sue those same governments for full repayment.

“Puerto Rico is confronting a devastating debt crisis,” said Jesus Gonzalez, director of strategic initiatives for the nonprofit Center for Popular Democracy, citing the island’s $74 billion in bond debt. He will be one of the panelists tackling this issue and pushing state and federal legislative solutions that his organization believes can help alleviate some of that crushing burden. He said they are pushing at the federal level for passage of the Territorial Relief Act, introduced by Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez of Brooklyn, which would eliminate Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Control Board and cancel the debt.

Gonzalez said the panel is also likely to discuss legislation that is being considered at the state level to prevent a small number of investors from being able to block or prolong debt restructuring, as has been an issue in Puerto Rico and elsewhere around the globe.

On Friday, there also will be workshops on how to close the learning gap left by more than a year of remote education, overcoming the stigma associated with seeking mental health services, building unions that empower workers, and examining Hurricane Maria’s lasting impacts as a way to talk about resiliency and recovery in the face of natural disasters.

What about those events outside the official conference?

That’s where the politicking really begins. “When I was running for Speaker, I used the conference as a way to showcase myself as a candidate,” said former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who will be at this year’s event, too. Her mother still lives on the island and she makes regular trips there. Back in 2013, she held a reception at SOMOS, solidifying her standing as a top-tier candidate in that year’s Speaker’s race, and to make a point about the historic nature of her candidacy. Mark-Viverito went on to become the first Latina to serve in a citywide position. “So that was an important moment — the history that was going to be made for our community,” she said.

This year, the Speaker’s race will once again be at play at SOMOS. City Council member Justin Brannan, of Brooklyn, has already sent out an invitation for an event themed, “A toast to the newly elected New York City Council Members” for Thursday night, co-hosted with Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz and the Transport Workers Union. That invitation was sent out before Election Day, and Brannan is now narrowly trailing his Republican challenger Brian Fox, before absentee ballots are counted.

One of the other leading Speaker candidates, Council member Carlina Rivera, is also hosting a reception on Friday for new and returning Council members. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez — the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the United States Congress and power player in city politics — and Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez are co-hosts.

Other events are more focused on the local Puerto Rican community and how lawmakers can use their political power to amplify the work of these groups. New Council member-elects Amanda Farias of the Bronx and Alexa Aviles of Brooklyn are hosting the “Nos Tenemos Roundtable” on Saturday, bringing conference attendees into conversation with local social justice groups there. Farias said the purpose of the event is to look for opportunities for collaboration, particularly around issues of environmental justice and how Puerto Ricans are fighting back against the debt crisis. She said they very deliberately chose the event location, which will not be at one of the local hotels and instead at a former school building that’s been transformed into a community and cultural space.

Do people really debate policy issues there?

Put that many elected officials and interested parties in one place and they can’t help but talk about policy. Organizers leading some of the biggest fights in the city started laying the groundwork at previous SOMOS conferences. Back in 2018, Camille Rivera, currently a partner with New Deal Strategies, was the national political director for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The emerging topic at that conference, held just after Governor Cuomo’s re-election, was whether an announcement was coming about a new Amazon headquarters in the city. “We had heard rumors Amazon was coming and we were trying to figure out if those rumors were true,” Rivera said. Since the union was fiercely opposed to a potential deal, she said they were cornering every lawmaker and staffer at the event to find out what a deal for Amazon might look like and to begin formulating a strategy to fight against it.

“The campaign was obviously a thousand-cuts strategy,” Rivera added, and it worked. The deal tanked in part, she said, because of the early organizing and coalition building that began at SOMOS.

How real is the politicking?

“It’s all about the buzz,” one former Democratic elected official told Gothamist / WNYC. “Who are people talking about. At this year’s conference, that could run a gamut of contests. Obviously, there is the City Council Speaker’s race. In the gubernatorial primary, Governor Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James will both be holding court. (Mayor de Blasio, known to be eyeing the race, will also be there). Public Advocate Jumaane Williams is among a handful of elected officials skipping the conference. He’s said publicly he’s not a fan of flying. Also, now that James is not seeking re-election to the state attorney general’s office, that opens the door for another round of elected officials to position themselves as a candidate in the state AG’s race.

Plus, both the Hochul and the incoming Adams administrations are staffing up. So for people looking for a gig in either administration, it’s a great place to see and be seen. Adams will also be at the conference although his team has not released his final schedule.

For new elected officials, especially those attending the conference for the first time, there is a lot to take in. Sandy Nurse, Council member-elect from Brooklyn, said she is going to connect with her new colleagues in a beautiful setting while continuing to learn about the issues facing the island.

“I don’t know how the speaker’s race politics will play out,” said Nurse adding, “I’m sure all of the candidates are going to try to find a way to shine in that moment.”