NYC Mayoral Candidate Tries to Break Down Stigmas Around Interracial Families in Ad

(CNN) -- The first television ad released by New York City mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio highlights the candidate's mixed-race family, a dynamic he has prominently featured in his public life.

The spot stars the Democrat's 15-year-old son, Dante, whose large afro has become a bit of a trademark on the campaign trail.

Dante, who does all the talking in the ad, says his father is the only Democrat who will "raise taxes on the rich to fund early childhood and after-school programs" and "end a stop-and-frisk era that unfairly targets people of color."

As he narrates, the ad shows footage of de Blasio's African-American wife, Chirlane, of 19 years, and their two children, Dante and Chiara.

"Bill de Blasio will be a mayor for every New Yorker, no matter where they live or what they look like," Dante says. "And I'd say that even if he weren't my dad."

The family has openly sought to break down any stigmas associated with interracial families. When a controversial Cheerios commercial earlier this year featured a mixed-race couple and their daughter, the de Blasios publicly stuck by the cereal brand.

"This is the first TV commercial I have ever seen with a family that looks a little bit like ours," Chirlane wrote in a blog post on the campaign website in June. The post featured a photo of the family eating Cheerios around a table.

The family also starred in de Blasio's television ads during his 2010 campaign for public advocate.

A Quinnipiac University survey last month showed de Blasio gaining ground in the Democratic primary, as Anthony Weiner's numbers fell amid his renewed sexting scandal. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn remained at the top with 27% of support among likely Democratic voters, with de Blasio not far behind at 21% and former comptroller William Thompsom at 20%. Weiner, meanwhile, was at 16%.

A separate survey released around the same time by NBC New York/Marist/Wall Street Journal showed a similar line-up with Quinn as the frontrunner and the other three basically tied.

De Blasio was sworn in as public advocate in 2010, the city's second highest elected office. His past work includes managing Hillary Clinton's first U.S. Senate bid from New York in 2000 and serving in the City Council for eight years, representing Brooklyn neighborhoods.