Gov. Andrew Cuomo took his re-election campaign to the Caribbean Friday, meeting with political leaders in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Cuomo is hoping the visit will win the support of more than 1 million New Yorkers who are of Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage.

Cuomo says he also wanted to encourage joint economic development ventures between New York and the Caribbean. He promised if re-elected, he will introduce initiatives for New York companies looking to do business in the region.

Rob Astorino, Cuomo's Republican opponent, slammed the trip and accused the governor of ignoring real New Yorkers. Astorino, who spent Friday campaigning in the Bronx, said Cuomo should instead focus on economic issues closer to home.

During the last gubernatorial election four years ago, four out of five Hispanic voters sided with the governor. Polls conducted this year have shown that Cuomo still has a wide lead over Astorino with the Latino vote.