The local ties could be a deciding factor in the race, especially as candidates look to draw a contrast with Jones, who is not from the district. Voters still care about candidates’ roots, some observers said.
“It’s certainly a factor when people go to vote,” said Hunter Rabinowitz, the president of the Brooklyn Young Democrats, whose group has not yet endorsed a candidate. “People love people that come from the community. It’s a huge, huge thing in New York.”