Chapter 4 examines the role of Dominican community trade organizations, their engagement with New York City's political process, and the learning curve they experienced. It also explores how their involvement influenced electoral outcomes and challenged the leadership and accountability of Dominican American elected officials within government institutions. The moving parts of community empowerment include community-based organizations (CBOs), ethnic business clusters, including taxi services, bodegas, beauty parlors, and restaurants, and the associations that represent them, and the two-way influence on New York City of Dominican political parties and Dominican national elections. This chapter establishes the overlapping relationships between the development of the individuals as they connect to their communities and causes and how community-based groups receive support and continue to cultivate and challenge them as leaders. A careful analysis of these trade group activities shows their influence on political races, as well as revealing the outward manifestation of pride, both of which have facilitated and accelerated political mobilization. Building on the existing literature, demographic and voter data, and in interviews with the relevant participants, the chapter shows how rising political figures have drawn on these resources to build and widen Dominican electoral momentum in a multiethnic city.