VIDEO: Espaillat endorses Rodriguez over Levine for City Council speaker

William Alatriste/For the New York City Council

Rep. Adriano Espaillat has been an ally of New York City Council members Ydanis Rodriguez and Mark Levine, and both city lawmakers live within the congressman’s district – so with the two council members running to take over as speaker, who is the first-term congressman supporting?

At a campaign event for Rodriguez this past Friday, Espaillat openly offered his support for Rodriguez, a fellow Dominican. In a speech in Spanish, Espaillat said that it was important to elect a Latino speaker of the New York City Council.

“Entonces, estamos aquí para endosar la candidatura de Ydanis para portavoz del consejo municipal,” Espaillat said, which is roughly translated as, “Well then we are here to endorse the candidacy of Ydanis for City Council speaker.”