Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Council Speaker and a surrogate for Hillary Clinton, employs ethos in order to send the message Clinton is more stable and fit to run for presidency than Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. According to NY1, Mark-Viverito endorsed Clinton in September 2015, helping launch the group “Mujeres for Hillary” and traveling across three states to speak in favor of Clinton.

Mark-Viverito shows her support as a surrogate speaker in early September 2015 by stating Clinton puts forward a “stronger and clearer vision.” Mark-Viverito employs ethos by confirming credibility through her position as City Council Speaker. Burns states it was not always known if Mark-Viverito would support Clinton after she expressed admiration of Bernie Sanders earlier in the year. This contributes to the idea that out of every candidate, Mark-Viverito believes Clinton holds the most stable track record in regards to policy and past voting. This is a means of creating credibility for Mark-Viverito, as though she had experience with each candidate and chose the best option. Mark-Viverito employed ethos when she said “[Clinton] is really taking on issues that matter to me personally.” She is attempting to persuade the audience to delve deeper into Clinton’s issues by persuading them to take the issues personally. She states “I am solidly behind Hillary Clinton” and refers to her as “a friend to Puerto Rico.” Mark-Viverito is attempting to create the image of Clinton as a friend to all by endorsing her campaign and publicly speaking on her behalf.

In conclusion, Mark-Viverito effectively employs ethos when acting as a surrogate for Clinton through her position as City Council Speaker.