Erick Salgado may have suffered a big loss in the primary, but he is not ready to give up his mayoral hopes. The former Democratic candidate announced on Monday he is running in the general election on the School Choice Party Line.
“My running for mayor was never about politics. I entered the race because I believed strongly in a set of principles, included among them is a parent or guardian’s right to choose the best school for their child,” Salgado said in a statement.
The pastor and businessman said the School Choice Party places a high priority on “providing parents and guardians with viable public/private/charter school options for their children.”
One suggestion he has is to give tax credits to parents who enroll their children in private school as a way to offset some of the cost.
“Bankruptcy should not be a requirement of parents providing their children a sound education consistent with their religious or philosophical beliefs,” he said.
Salgado also explained that he is running as a third party candidate out of concern that the Democratic and Republican candidates are not addressing the needs of the city’s diverse communities.
“New York City has evolved away from being a melting pot. It is now a mosaic of many communities, each with its own customs, personalities and issues,” Salgado said. “The next mayor will have to understand this and be able to address these differences from day one in office.”
Salgado, who received 2.4 percent of the vote in the primary, will face an uphill battle in the November 5 election.
A Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday, September 19 showed Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio with a 66 to 25 percent lead over Republican Joe Lhota. Independence line candidate former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión Jr., had two percent.
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