An advertisement featuring Bill de Blasio’s 16-year-old son, Dante, and his endearing Afro, helped push his father to victory in the Democratic primary. Now, with the general election a few weeks away, Mr. de Blasio is hoping to rekindle some of the family charm.
On Thursday, he released an advertisement narrated by his 18-year-old daughter, Chiara. In the 30-second ad, titled “Attention,†Ms. de Blasio offers highlights of her father’s campaign platform. And she takes time to rib her younger brother, now a minor celebrity in New York City political circles.
Mr. de Blasio has called for raising taxes on households earning more than $500,000 to pay for an expansion of prekindergarten and after-school programs. But that plan would require approval by state leaders, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has expressed resistance to the idea of increasing taxes.
Mr. de Blasio may have more direct authority on the issue of hospitals, given that the city’s Planning Commission, which is controlled by the mayor, could block efforts to turn shuttered hospitals into high-priced housing. But Mr. de Blasio’s power to stop hospitals from closing in the first place may be limited, given that they are regulated by the state.
Ms. de Blasio offers an easygoing testimonial to counteract the doom-and-gloom attacks from Mr. Lhota. She avoids mudslinging by speaking about her father’s hopes for the city.
While Ms. de Blasio may not be able to match her brother, whose debut was viewed nearly 300,000 times on YouTube, the advertisement may help keep her father’s campaign focused on the positive in its final stretch.
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