NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hernandez for NYC campaign has formally requested that Joseph Hernandez—a certified, ballot-qualified candidate for Mayor of New York City—be included in the two official general election debates this fall.

Hernandez submitted nearly 15,000 valid petition signatures, almost four times the legal requirement, and has been approved by the New York City Board of Elections to appear on the November ballot under the Quality of Life Party line. Despite this, debate organizers have moved to exclude him from the stage.

The campaign has sent letters to debate organizers, broadcast sponsors, media partners, and New York City institutional partners requesting his inclusion and urging fairness in the debate process.

The New York City Campaign Finance Board has scheduled two official debates:

• General Election Debate: Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. on NBC 4 New York, in partnership with Telemundo 47 and POLITICO.
• Leading Contender Debate: Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. on NY1, in partnership with WNYC/Gothamist, THE CITY, New York Law School, the Museum of the City of New York, CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The Hernandez campaign argues his exclusion:

• Undermines democracy by silencing a certified candidate.
• Disenfranchises Hispanic voters—nearly 30% of New Yorkers are Hispanic, and Hernandez is the only Hispanic candidate in the race.
• Raises fairness concerns, including equal access to coverage and debate participation.

The campaign has also sent letters to major television and radio outlets requesting equal coverage under FCC regulations, including but not limited to: ABC 7, CBS New York, FOX 5, NBC 4 New York, PIX11, NY1, Telemundo 47, Univision 41, 1010 WINS, WOR 710, 77 WABC, WNYC, WBLS 107.5, Power 105.1, and Hot 97.

"Debates are not the property of political insiders or media gatekeepers. They are a public trust. Every qualified voice deserves to be heard. New Yorkers deserve the full debate, not a filtered one," said Hernandez.

About Joseph Hernandez:
Joseph Hernandez is a Hispanic-American biotech entrepreneur and independent candidate for Mayor of New York City. A refugee and the son of a political prisoner, he immigrated to the U.S. at age seven and built a nationally recognized career founding healthcare companies and advancing public health innovation. He is running to restore safety, affordability, and accountability to New York City leadership.

For more information, visit hernandezfornyc.com.

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SOURCE Hernandez For NYC