Despite a significant display of Bloomberg paraphernalia along Fifth Avenue yesterday, New York’s Puerto Ricans loudly welcomed “one of their own,” the Democratic mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer, to the Puerto Rican Day parade – even as some spectators expressed frustration at the stagnancy of the Ferrer campaign and seemed resigned to a Bloomberg victory in November.

Mr. Ferrer, a Bronx native of Puerto Rican descent, marched in the parade with a cohort of Bronx politicians and associates, including the borough president, Adolfo Carrion, and a longtime political ally and consultant, Roberto Ramirez. The former Bronx borough president, marching without his eyeglasses, was joined by many of the elect ed officials who have endorsed him in recent months, including the state attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, a 2006 gubernatorial candidate. The group, many of them wearing T-shirts announcing “I Love the Bronx,” were preceded by an expansive Puerto Rican flag and a banner that, spanning the width of Fifth Avenue, proclaimed Mr. Ferrer the “People’s Choice for Mayor.”

Judging by an informal survey of spectators along the parade route, Mr. Ferrer seems at least to be the Puerto Rican people’s choice for mayor. “Puerto Ricans, we love Ferrer,” a Bronx resident, Elba Santos, 68, said in Spanish.

Another Bronx resident, Antony Vazquez, 39, said: “He’s got a lot of Puerto Rican power.”

In addition to ethnic and borough solidarity, several of yesterday’s parade watchers cited Mr. Ferrer’s long tenure in elective positions as reason for backing him, saying they felt Mr. Ferrer was owed the mayoralty as his due.

“It’s time for higher office,” Mr. Vazquez said.

Class, too, inspired support for the Democratic front-runner. A Bronx resident, Jeanette Santos, 29, said of Mayor Bloomberg: “I think he’s rich, and he don’t help us out for nothing. He keeps us poor.” Ms. Santos said she has known Mr. Ferrer as an advocate for the indigent since her youth, but she said: “I don’t think he’s going to win.” That may explain her wearing both Ferrer and Bloomberg stickers, one on each breast.

Mr. Ferrer, who during the winter months had led Mr. Bloomberg in polls, saw his numbers plummet in March following statements he made about the February 1999 police slaying of Amadou Diallo. The torpor of the Ferrer campaign in the following months disturbed some of his backers yesterday, who blamed the stagnancy on factors ranging from the press to Mr. Bloomberg’s billions. “Money talks,” a Brooklyn woman, Maria Ortiz, 71, said.

A Bronx man, Shonyae Hawkins, 31, said that while he disagreed with Mr. Ferrer and thought the shooting of the unarmed Diallo was indeed criminal, the stir over the candidate’s remarks before the Sergeants Benevolent Association was “created by the media.”

Some of the Puerto Rican celebrants expressed frustration at what they saw as the Ferrer campaign’s inability to help their candidate connect to New Yorkers.

“They’ve really got to get out there and give them a reason to vote,”a Bronx resident, Rosie Santiago, 38, said. In her view, Mr. Ferrer, too, needs to be more effective in his self-promotion. “He needs to be out there to let the people know what he’s about,” she said.

Much of Mr. Ferrer’s support along Fifth Avenue seemed driven more by personality than by policy. Elba Santos, when asked why she backed Mr. Ferrer, said, in Spanish, “I don’t know,” and then added, “Because he’s a good person, and he has helped many Boricuas.”

Another Bronx resident, Cookie Robinson, 37, said that insofar as she backed Mr. Ferrer, it was because “he’s a very nice person, I got his autograph.” Still, even if Mr. Ferrer is elected over Mr. Bloomberg, she said, “It’s not going to be any better.”

A Queens resident, Elizabeth Hernandez, 45, too, seemed ambivalent between Messrs. Ferrer and Bloomberg. “Last week I liked Mr. Bloomberg, this week I like Mr. Ferrer,” she said.

“It goes up and down, like the market,” she said.

Mr. Ferrer “has been around for a long time,” she said, “but I like Bloomberg because he’s done good for this city, he’s done good for education.”

In terms of signage and support among parade-watchers, the day belonged to Messrs. Ferrer and Bloomberg, even though all four Democratic mayoral candidates attended the event. Their showings were generally feeble: Amid a sea of Ferrer and Bloomberg placards, “Latinos for Fields” posters were rare. Another Democratic candidate, Rep. Anthony Weiner, of Brooklyn and Queens, marched with five staff members and made a half-hearted attempt at a salsa step near the parade entrance.

Mr. Ferrer’s Puerto Rican supporters evidenced indifference toward the other Democrats. If Mr. Ferrer fails to win the Democratic primary, Ms. Santiago said, “I’ll probably just stick with Bloomberg.” If voting for Mr. Ferrer is not an option in November, Mr. Hawkins said, “I won’t vote.”

The apathy toward non-Latino Democrats reflects general voting patterns among Hispanics, a veteran New York political consultant, Jerry Skurnik, said.