After months of campaigning, and a barrage of television and radio advertisements, New Yorkers went to the polls on November 9 to cast votes for the next mayor, members of the City Council and borough presidents. In the end Mayor Michael Bloomberg scored a decisive victory over his challenger, Democrat and former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and sending a Republican to City Hall for the fourth consecutive mayoral election. Mr. Bloomberg’s victory means for 16 years Democrats will have been locked out of the mayoralty in a city where registered Democrats comprise the majority of voters. Still, Democrats retain control of the City Council, holding a 48-3 majority, and holding four of the five borough presidencies.

The real question is: what does this mean for Blacks and Latinos given that people of color – Blacks, Latinos, Asians and increasingly immigrants of color – comprise the city’s new majority? Preliminary assessments of voter turnout indicate that Mayor Bloomberg captured as much as 47 percent of the Black vote and 38 percent of the Latino vote, against a public servant and career politician who was well known in these communities. The mayor also did well among labor, an important part of the traditional Democratic base in New York City. In many ways Mayor Bloomberg has exposed the vacuum that exists in so-called “progressive” politics in our city, while at the same time has presented an opportunity for Blacks and Latinos to redefine their politics.

Equally noteworthy is that while the mayor scored a decisive victory over Mr. Ferrer, beating him by 20 percentage points, he did so in an election with shamefully low voter turnout. Only 1.5 million New Yorkers reportedly cast ballots in this election. So while the mayor may claim a mandate, that claim must be weighed against the minimal level of voter participation in the city.

We must also be concerned with the manner in which this campaign was waged. By opting out of the city’s campaign finance system, and spending over $70 million of his own money to run for office, Mayor Bloomberg has set a dangerous precedent. In a city of incredible wealth, the mayor may have created a new price of admission to public service: a ticket that only the very wealthy can afford to purchase. The influx of cash also had a tremendous impact on who was heard during this election, with the mayor overwhelming his opponent over the airwaves.

In taking an objective look at this election, its clear that Blacks and Latinos must reassess the manner in which they engage the political process. Though some will point to the mayor’s performance as an indication that voters of color are making different choices based upon the available options, those choices must be weighed against the reality of life in New York City for many of these same individuals. Despite the positive rhetoric of the mayor throughout the campaign, the city is still plagued with chronic joblessness for Black men, a large population of Black and Latino youth who are not in school and unemployed, embarrassingly low rates of Black and Latino Regents diploma graduates in city high schools, a housing market where costs are outpacing ability to pay, few options for the thousands of formerly incarcerated who return to their communities seeking a fresh start, and high rates of poverty among almost one-third of the city.

Now that the election is over, the real work must begin in creating a new vision for New York City.