Fernando Mateo. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Fernando Mateo
Republican
Age: 61
Fernando Mateo founded a jobs training program, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, and two restaurants before deciding to run for mayor in February. He also advocates for bodega owners via the United Bodegas of America. More recently, he started two Latin restaurants — the scandal-plagued La Marina in Inwood, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019, and Zona de Cuba in the South Bronx.
