Thompson Winning Friends in the Bronx The BronxWorks Heights senior center is a serene place, known for its whole-wheat bagels, soothing nap-time music and afternoon bingo. But when William C. Thompson Jr., a Democratic candidate for mayor, paid a visit on Friday, the atmosphere turned rambunctious. Not so much for Mr. Thompson, but for his popular sidekick: Ruben Diaz Jr. Mr. Diaz, the Bronx borough president, received a celebrity's welcome, bombarded with a barrage of kisses, whistles and requests for photos. As he moved from table to table, he tried to turn the attention to Mr. Thompson. "Say hi to Bill Thompson," he said. The next mayor. Mr. Thompson, in his low-key manner, lingered behind, shaking hands and smiling. Mr. Thompson has found a friend in the Bronx, home to 1.4 million residents, most of them Hispanic and black - a crucial demographic for his campaign. He has received endorsements from several local politicians, including Fernando Ferrer, the 2005 Democratic nominee for mayor. In the home stretch of his campaign, Mr. Thompson is hoping to capitalize on support from Latino elected officials in the Bronx. He spent nearly all of Friday in the borough, hopping from senior centers to firehouses to community centers, 11 stops in total. "This is kind of a Bronx day," he said in an interview. The reception has been fabulous. Mr. Thompson said he was confident his campaign had momentum, citing polls that showed him losing badly in 2009 to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who went on to win by a far smaller margin than expected. "We continue to surge and pick up each and every day - every hour - in momentum and energy," he said.