Jeannette Salcedo, the resident association president at NYCHA’s Castle Hill Houses in The Bronx, recently found herself at the center of a political controversy when she learned from a media source that former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s campaign had listed her as an endorser for his mayoral candidacy.
Salcedo was surprised and confused by the post on Cuomo’s Instagram account that claimed her support for his campaign.
“How did that happen?” Salcedo questioned.
She firmly stated, “I did not endorse him. I do not know who I’m endorsing. My questions, as far as I’m concerned, haven’t been answered.”
Despite her clear position, Salcedo’s name was included with 26 other NYCHA tenant association presidents on a list released by Cuomo’s campaign in May.
The situation raised eyebrows as several other tenant association presidents listed also claimed they had not endorsed Cuomo, indicating a pattern of confusion surrounding the endorsements.
Five tenant association presidents contacted by THE CITY confirmed they had not endorsed Cuomo, stating they were still considering their options in the mayoral race.
Two additional presidents did not clarify their support but mentioned they had not authorized their names to be on the list.
Meanwhile, six presidents publicly confirmed their support for Cuomo, though one admitted she did not realize her name would be made public.
Esther Jensen, a spokesperson for Cuomo’s campaign, cast doubt on the dissenting claims, suggesting that some tenant leaders might have felt pressure from supporters of other candidates.
“Something smells here,” she noted, after stating that the endorsement list had been available to the public for over a month.
As NYCHA leaders cover the needs and concerns of over half a million residents across the boroughs, their endorsements can significantly impact a mayoral campaign, especially for Cuomo, who emphasizes his extensive background in housing.
Cuomo, a frontrunner in the mayoral race, has put forward a robust housing plan, proposing a five-year, $2.5 billion investment to rehabilitate NYCHA properties, introduce private management in more developments, and create new housing on available land within NYCHA campuses.
However, Cuomo’s campaign has encountered difficulties, including a botched housing plan that leaked sections generated by artificial intelligence, and financial penalties imposed for ads related to the campaign that were deemed illegally coordinated.
Salcedo indicated that while she had been approached by the Cuomo campaign, she had expressed her uncertainty about endorsing him.
“I told them to put me on the list to learn more,” she explained.
Following the misunderstanding involving her endorsement, Salcedo posted on social media to clarify her position and expressed her disillusionment with Cuomo.
“When you speak to someone in a leadership role, it’s important to get their words correct. You don’t just take their words and run with it,” she stated.
Moved by the miscommunication, Salcedo has reconsidered her potential support for Cuomo, saying, “That threw me to the left. I don’t want any parts of you.”
Many NYCHA leaders, including Salcedo, are eager to hear concrete plans from mayoral candidates about improving the aging public housing infrastructure, especially in light of looming federal budget cuts.
Some tenant association presidents who appeared on the list expressed feelings of deceit regarding how their names were utilized.
Two presidents revealed that they only discovered their names were included on the endorsement list after being contacted by City Hall officials, who had received communication about the supposed endorsements.
One unnamed tenant association president called the situation “dirty politics,” emphasizing that the Cuomo campaign had misrepresented their discussions and lost trust.
Her indecisiveness about whom to support in the upcoming election remains,
as she acknowledged that the campaign tactics had complicated her views on Cuomo.
Another tenant association president, Lehra Brooks of Throggs Neck Houses, revealed that she had supported Cuomo but felt blindsided upon seeing her name publicly associated with the endorsement.
Brooks expressed, “I didn’t know they were putting us out as tenant association presidents. I was speaking for me, personally,” while admitting she still supported Cuomo due to his pandemic leadership.
Rashida Reid, president of the South Beach Houses Resident Association in Staten Island, also found herself on the list without having made a definite commitment to support Cuomo.
Reid articulated her need to weigh her options before making any endorsements: “I have not made up my mind. I need to see what [the candidates] stand for.”
Kimberly Comes, president of the Redfern Houses Resident Council in Far Rockaway, confirmed her endorsement of Cuomo, mentioning his visit to their community, but did focus on that she had not contributed any money to his campaign.
She expressed her belief in his potential for effective leadership, stating, “He came to visit our community, and he spoke with some of the residents. We feel he would be a great mayor.”
image source from：https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/06/05/nycha-housing-cuomo-endorsement/
