SAN JUAN, PR — Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio headed to this sunny Caribbean city Thursday for a mini-vacation and some politicking — and found himself seated next to long-shot mayoral rival Adolfo Carrión on the flight from New York.
“I’m going to have a really good time in Puerto Rico,” a smiling and tieless de Blasio said while rushing past reporters at the airport, his arm around wife and confidante Chirlane McCray.
The next mayor joined dozens of city and state pols — and lobbyists — who descend here every year for the Somos El Futuro conference of Hispanic legislators.
Topic No. 1 was his future administration.
De Blasio said he was looking forward to the break after a long and sometimes grueling campaign season.
Coincidentally, de Blasio said he was seated on the trip down next to Carrión, who ran for mayor on the Independence Party line but had no impact on the race.
Observers said the two chatted amiably.
The same early-afternoon flight also carried newly elected Comptroller Scott Stringer, City Council members Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) and Brad Lander (D-Brooklyn) and a large security team.
With an abundance of caution, a bomb-sniffing dog was brought aboard the flight before takeoff.
The conference schedule included a session on charter schools, which the mayor-elect has vowed to re-evaluate.
The conference is also where contenders for City Council speaker start making their cases — albeit poolside, under palm trees or even at casino tables.