Puerto Rican Day Parade honors arts, culture trailblazers

With Puerto Rican pride on full display along New York City's Fifth Avenue, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday he's returning to the island to help rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Maria.

Speaking at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Cuomo said he's also appointing a commission to oversee the construction of a memorial, located in Manhattan's Battery Park City, to victims of the 2017 storm.

Cuomo, a Democrat, said more than 300 students from state-run colleges will travel to Puerto Rico over the summer to help the recovery. Public health experts have estimated that nearly 3,000 people died in 2017 because of the effects of Hurricane Maria.

Spectators take part in the 62nd annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

"In New York, we have not forgotten," Cuomo said. "We said on day one that we will stand with Puerto Rico every step of the way."

Cuomo has already traveled to Puerto Rico five times since Hurricane Maria hit.

Last year, parade organizers mounted a tribute to those affected by the September 2017 natural disaster, including a group of marchers who had been displaced from their homes.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, takes part in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle))

This year, for its 62nd iteration, the parade is looking to promote the economic development needed for the island to fully get back on its feet. As part of that, it's highlighting Discover Puerto Rico, an organization encouraging business and leisure travel to Puerto Rico.

Grand marshal Ricky Martin, the singer known for his stint in Menudo and his hit "Livin' La Vida Loca," was celebrated alongside his foundation, which is dedicated to fighting human trafficking.

As New York City marks Pride Month, the parade is paying posthumous tribute to Sylvia Rivera, an LGBTQ rights activist who took part in the Stonewall rebellion 50 years ago this month.

A parade unit entertains spectators during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

Others being honored in the parade themed "One People, Many Voices" include singers La India and José Feliciano, golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez and Hall of Fame-bound baseball slugger Edgar Martinez.

Doris Martinez, 61, of Manhattan, said she's been going to the parade since she was 15.

"My mommy made it a point to show me my heritage and culture at an early age, and for me, it's a pride and joy especially to show the world who we are," she said.

A parade unit entertains spectators during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio skipped the parade, opting to campaign in Iowa as he seeks the Democratic party's nomination in the 2020 presidential race.

A parade unit entertains spectators during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

Spectators take part in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

A member of a parade unit entertains spectators during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

A parade unit walks along 5th Ave. during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

A member of a parade unit entertains spectators during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

Hundreds of flags of Puerto Rico fly above people taking part in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

Spectators hold hundreds of flags of Puerto Rico as they watch the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., center, takes part in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoCraig Ruttle)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bruce Blakeman, a Republican county official in New York City’s Long Island suburbs, is expected to launch a campaign for New York governor on Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of his plans.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the plan publicly.

Blakeman's entrance into the race is set to kick off a heavily contested Republican primary race with U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, both allies of President Donald Trump. Stefanik announced her candidacy last month.

Trump on Monday declined to take a side in the incoming primary race when asked about Blakeman and Stefanik, instead telling reporters, “He’s great, and she’s great. They’re both great people.”

Blakeman, the executive of Nassau County, has gained attention for championing a policy that bans transgender athletes from using county sports facilities. He has also created a volunteer law enforcement unit that his critics have labeled as a militia and directed county detectives to work alongside federal authorities in Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Stefanik represents a conservative congressional district in northern New York. She launched her campaign after Trump rescinded her nomination to be his ambassador to the United Nations, citing concerns about the Republican Party’s narrow House majority.

In a statement, Bernadette Breslin, a spokesperson for Stefanik's campaign, said Stefanik is a stronger candidate than Blakeman and that “it is unfortunate that he is putting his ego first to help prop up Kathy Hochul.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate Democrat, is running for reelection but faces a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.

FILE - Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, at podium, speaks during a news conference in Mineola, N.Y., March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo, File)