Your Official NYC Ranking & Mayoral Primary Voter Guide

Think global, act local

Did you know America’s most important election is in three weeks?

Ok, perhaps that’s the New York-supremacy talking, but the NYC Mayoral election is likely the most impactful vote anyone in 2025 will cast. Shoved between a Presidential and Midterm year is the chance for voters in my hometown to choose the executive of a city that is bigger than all but 12 states and will occupy the nation’s second biggest bully pulpit. As a deep-blue city, the winner of the Democratic primary generally goes on to win the election in November, making the election on June 24th just as important as the one in a few months.

This year there is added competition. Our incumbent mayor is running as an independent after a first term of scandal, right-wing appeasement, ridiculous comments, and at long last trash cans. We’ll take what we can get. The Dem field is crowded without him. There are 11 candidates running and New York’s primary uses Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). That means when we go to the polls we can put up to 5 different candidates on the ballot. If your top candidate gets knocked out, the next one on your list still in the running gets your vote. It also means it’s important to know more than just your top candidate. This newsletter can function as my endorsement, a voter guide, or for non-NYers a little insight into what’s going on in the Big Apple.

The most relevant headline for NYC politics in the last 4 years came from the Onion.

Tier DO NOT RANK

DNR: Andrew Cuomo

We already have a corrupt, egotistical, lawsuit riddled, big money backed, pseudo Republican as Mayor. We don’t need another one. Unfortunately, the former Governor remains first in polling and is still the most likely candidate to win. Even if he is fifth on your ballot, unless the other last remaining candidate is higher on your ballot, your vote will likely go to him in the final round. That is why it is imperative he remains unranked. His campaign has mostly consisted of avoiding the press, even when that includes running red lights. He probably wants to avoid questions about his resignation from his role four years ago amidst sexual misconduct allegations and an alleged cover-up of COVID nursing home deaths.

While Governor, he consistently raided the MTA budget for rest-of-state projects, leading to a major crisis for the subway system that is the lifeblood of NYC. His housing policy (the most important issue in the election) was written by ChatGPT. He has not lived in NYC for over 30 years, moved into his daughter’s apartment just for this election, and his bagel order is a “Bacon, cheese and egg on an English muffin.” No real New Yorker would ever put those three words in that order.

Most importantly of all, he doesn’t care about NYC. He is in this race because he is hoping name recognition and a vague fond memory of early pandemic press conferences will put him back in a position of power. His “big idea” for the city was not even an idea, it was just “experienced leadership.” His end goal is not helping make this city better, it is enriching and empowering himself. He is the wrong person to lead the biggest city in the country right now. He does not deserve your vote, and I hope New Yorkers don’t make the same mistake the country made last year.

Tier 3

10: Whitney Tilson

My only real exposure to Tilson prior to the debate was a ridiculous attack ad on Zohran Mamdani claiming he was anti-semitic for supporting Palestine. At first I thought it was Republican funded but then this guy popped up. At the debate he was the only one to not call for Mahmoud Khalil’s release during the debate. If you are so blinded by your defense of another country that you can’t defend your neighbors who are being imprisoned for free speech I don’t think you deserve to be a leader of this one. I don’t want a hedge funded, conservative, pro-Israel-even-if-that-means-pro-fascism mayor and based on his 0.7% polling I think most New Yorkers agree.

9: Selma Bartholomew

This might be unfair because full disclosure, I do not know much about her. She wasn’t at the debate, is polling below 1%, and does not have an actual shot to win this thing. I tried to check out her policy priorities page and was immediately confronted with the most confusing run on sentence I’ve ever seen and two typos. I guess when you know you’re not gonna win you can phone it in.

8: Paperboy Love Prince

I actually have ranked Paperboy in the past. Last election they were running the Marianne Williamson lane of “love everyone” and were charismatic enough at a basketball rally with Andrew Yang to make the back end of my ballot. It was also a less competitive field with fewer candidates I liked. I do worry they have spent spent too much time on the internet recently. Their issues page reads like a list of random left-wing ideals scraped from Twitter. Some are in theory good but there’s no actual plan to address them and they are well outside the scope of New York’s mayor. I felt good about the direction of our country in 2021. Four years later I’m not as comfortable throwing out a meme vote even if I know it won’t hurt.

7: Jessica Ramos

A week ago Ramos could have easily rounded out my Top 5. She was endorsed by the Working Families Party (WFP), a number of unions, and has a solid progressive track record as a State Senator. I also like her plan for a New York City Works Progress Administration - something I think the country would benefit from reviving and New York is a great place to pilot it.

Then last week she decided to endorse Andrew Cuomo. He did not endorse her back. Two months ago she was questioning his mental acuity. Now she claims he’s the kind of leader the city needs. She had recently ramped up attacks on Mamdani for a lack of experience, and was apparently upset that she was only 5th on the WFP rank, not endorsed by AOC at all, and failing to generate enthusiasm amongst progressives. The reaction to her 180-endorsement was unsurprisingly negative. The WFP and some unions dropped their endorsements. NYC politics Twitter issues denunciations. Even the press said it was about revenge. It’s entirely possible she cut some sort of back-room deal with Cuomo to land a deputy mayorship. That’s the kind of Tammany Hall NY machine politics that Cuomo wants to continue. Her thinking is also incredibly short-sighted. She is perhaps hitching a ride with the next mayor but dropping the progressive coalition she has built through her career. That kind of flip-flopping and compromising (or perhaps a lack) of values is not what the politics of the future should look like. She shouldn’t be on your ballot.

Tier 2

6: Michael Blake

Michael Blake is not going to be the next mayor, but I appreciate his confidence. When asked who the most effective Democrat in the country right now is, the DNC vice-chair from 2021 whose last personal electoral victory was in 2018 named himself. He has not been polling well enough to make the second mayoral debate, but he made sure to spend the first one taking pointed shots at Andrew Cuomo. Gotta leave your mark somehow. His platform is a mixed bag: he wants to lower the congestion pricing charge but will block ICE from places of worship. His platform is focused on affordability, the middle class, and taking a hard stance against Donald Trump. I wouldn’t be dismayed if he was the next mayor but with his polls at just 1% I’m not gonna think too hard about what that would really look like.

5: Adrienne Adams

The Speaker of the NYC Council was a late entrant into the mayor’s race, only joining in March. In a short amount of time she’s done an admirable job of campaigning, getting endorsements from AG Letitia James, AOC, and the city’s largest union. Through her Speakership she has plenty of experience with dealing with all aspects of the city budget - it is after all negotiated between the council and mayor. Her tenure would be marked by more participation with local electeds rather than what is normally a contentious relationship between NYC’s executive and legislative branch.

Her policy positions are not prominently displayed on her website but her big idea is guaranteed basic income for some of the thousands of children and young people who are homeless in our city. Her biggest accomplishment as Speaker was passing the City of Yes rezoning plan. She’s got a strong track record, is level headed enough to manage a sometimes boisterous council, and has institutional support that will make her transition to Gracie Mansion painless. She’s also doing the best at pulling Cuomo supporters away from him, and that alone is worth giving her a rank in case she makes it to the last round in a face-off with the former Governor.

I worry a bit that she ranked Eric Adams first four years ago even if she now says she regrets it. It was pretty obvious what type of mayor he would be. He was at the time the “moderate” candidate which is a lane she has tried to occupy. She also seems to be taking shots at Mamdani who earlier in the race asked his supporters to donate money to her campaign. All’s fair in NYC politics but it does seem harsh. Especially when the criticism is that he is calling for abolishing ICE. You can’t say you’ll stand up against ICE and then say “actually maybe we should keep them around” when they are the tip of the anti-democracy spear. I’ll still probably have her on my ballot, and perhaps those looking for a more centrist-Dem candidate can rank her a bit higher than I will.

4: Scott Stringer

The fifth place finisher in the mayoral primary last time around, Stringer is throwing his hat in the ring again. He is already a fairly accomplished New York politician. He has served as Manhattan Borough President, Assemblyman, and Comptroller. He’s supported progressive causes throughout the years, including supporting LGBTQ+ rights, banning fracking in the state, and divesting NYC pension funds from fossil fuels.

Stringer’s proposals as a candidate are also promising. He has an ambitious and realistic housing plan that would take city owned lots and build Mitchell-Lama housing on those sites. This would make it worthwhile for developers who could see a reasonable ROI and provide much needed affordable housing all across the city. The rest of his policy proposals are similarly well thought out, achievable, and will improve the city in meaningful ways. The experience of being Comptroller seems to really let you get in the weeds on how this megalopolis works and that knowledge would come in handy as mayor.

3: Zellnor Myrie

My current State Senator is taking the biggest swing on NYC’s most pressing challenge. Myrie has made housing the centerpiece of his campaign, promising to build 1 million new units, the most of anyone in the race. He is running a more progressive version of the “Abundance” agenda that highlights the need to address racial inequality. He is also pushing for some of the more “moderate” positions such as expanded policing but with a bit more common sense: he doesn’t want to blindly boost police budgets but make sure they are meeting real targets such as solving 100% of gun violence crimes. On climate he wants to address flooding in Black neighborhoods which historically have developed in the most low-lying and flood-prone areas of the city.

While his plans don’t cover as much ground as Lander’s or Stringer’s, the ones he has developed are detailed and thoughtful. He is a likeable candidate and focused on the most important issues to New Yorkers. His positions end up appealing to progressives and moderates alike and I suspect he will end up 3rd or 4th on many ballots. I don’t think he has enough support at the #1 spot to win, but he has run a good campaign with good ideas and for some voters may fill a sweet spot to get him to the top of your ballot. I wouldn’t fault anyone for putting him there, and he will definitely be somewhere on mine.

Tier 1

2: Brad Lander

In another year Lander would be my number one choice. Even this year there is still a solid chance he ends up at #1 when I step into the booth. Putting him at #2 is less about him and more about the reasons outlined for the next candidate.

As the current NYC Comptroller he has a wealth of experience and knowledge that serves as direct preparation to be Mayor. Lander’s policy proposals are comprehensive and admirable. On transit he is pushing for 6-minute subway headways, expanded bike lanes, and building the IBX. He would take back more of our streets with year-round outdoor dining and pedestrian zones. He wants to expand library access and build housing in conjunction with their expansion. On the issue I care about most (climate) he is the only one with a truly comprehensive plan to tackle all aspects of the crisis. That includes building more rooftop solar, planting 1 million trees, and centering climate resiliency in infrastructure planning.

While he has progressive bona-fides he is also focused on the issues that more moderate voters care about and is offering pragmatic solutions. His big proposal is tackling the homelessness-mental health crisis. The increase in mentally ill New Yorkers living on the street is one of the reasons people feel that the city is increasingly dangerous despite violent crime actually being at record lows. Politicians like Cuomo lie about NYC being “crime-ridden” to court moderate voters and take a stance of being “tough on crime” despite not having an actual plan to deal with it. Lander recognizes that the very real problems we have are not so easily generalizable and has concrete steps to address both actual drivers of crime and the perception of lawlessness.

Lander is not ideologically driven. He is results oriented. When Hudson Yards was originally proposed Lander was a critic. He worried that it would not make sense for the city financially and would equate to a handout to real estate interests. As Comptroller he put his bias aside and looked at the data which told him the opposite story: Hudson Yards was bringing in more than expected and was a win for the city’s finances. There are lots of pieces of this that make him a unique politician: admitting when you are wrong, focusing on facts over vibes, and speaking honestly to voters even when it is something your base doesn’t want to hear.

On housing Lander is building on an already stellar record. He helped rezone the Gowanus Canal turning a Superfund site into nearly 10,000 units of housing and a waterfront park. He plans to build half a million homes over 10 years through simplifying zoning laws and opening up city land including some golf courses for development. He will improve NYCHA and protect tenants while giving landlords tax breaks for improving the housing stock. There’s a lot to like.

As I said, in another year, with a different national political climate, Lander would easily be my #1 choice. I wish we were in that world and that he could have consolidated progressives, moderates, pragmatists, and idealists through an excellent platform that will objectively make the city better. The reality is this is turning into a two man race between Mamdani and Cuomo and to an extent a proxy fight about the direction of our country and the Democratic party rather than just municipal issues. For anyone with concerns about Mamdani for whatever reason, Lander should undoubtedly be your #1 choice. Maybe he can pull off an upset within an upset. If not I hope his platform serves as a template for whoever next occupies Gracie Mansion.

1: Zohran Mamdani

This ranking is not based on policy. It might seem a bit hypocritical to not give my first place rank to the person whose agenda I think is the best. But what New York, the country, and the Democratic party need right now is someone who is a passionate, clear communicator of left-wing values and is willing to take the rhetorical fight to the Make Autocracy Great Again movement.

To be clear, Mamdani also has some good proposals. Free childcare up to 5 years old, a Department of Public Safety, and cracking down on bad landlords will all improve the city. Hiking taxes on corporations and the 1% are smart at a time when federal funding is at risk but he’ll have to work with his current colleagues in the State Assembly to implement them. Other plans are well meaning but perhaps short-sighted. Freezing the rent is popular and will help a million tenants but is not a long term solution to the housing crisis. Using public funds to build housing is a commendable mission but easing zoning rules is far cheaper and could have a similar effect. Free busses will save commuters money but cutting hundreds of millions from the MTA’s budget could make service more unreliable or delay much needed subway upgrades. For what it’s worth, Mamdani clearly recognizes the need for private sector involvement in addressing our housing crisis. His general willingness to learn and change opinions is a worthwhile characteristic that the other leading candidate lacks.

Mamdani has also held up well to being a punching bag which is part of the job as mayor of NYC. During the debate “lightning round” when asked what country candidates would visit first as Mayor, the moderators decided his answer of “I would stay in NYC” was not good enough and asked if he would visit Israel, and then whether the country had a right to exist as a Jewish state. Why should the mayor of NYC have to visit Israel? No other candidates got asked follow up questions to their lighting round answers. He gets attacked as a far left socialist but none of those policies I outlined are particularly radical. Bill de Blasio froze the rent and gave New York universal Pre-K and we did not descend into a communist hellscape. A little socialism might even do some good to reduce increasing income inequality in the most capitalist city in the world.

Spreading a popular and appealing message on these issues can also move the salience of them. Democrats keep trying to pick issues that are “better” for Republicans and position themselves as moderates. On immigration Senate Dems responded to GOP claims of an invasion with a bipartisan bill to crack down on immigrants. They gave cover to that false claim and now it is being used to bring the military to bear on opponents of the Trump regime. Appeasement didn’t work for the opponents of fascism in the 1930s and it won’t work today. Mamdani is showing that Democrats can pick their message, not just respond to the Republican one. He made affordability his #1 issue and now it is the election’s #1 issue. Progressive policies are popular but it takes some courage to stick up for them in an increasingly right-wing media environment. Political communication is sadly now more important than policy substance and Mamdani provides a model for progressive policy to leave containment.

For the past 8 years our national politics has been pulled increasingly to the right. One of our two major political parties has for all intents and purposes become pro-autocracy. Our national media refuses to address that crisis and fires reporters who call out the reality. The “opposition” party has given lip service to fighting the autocratic project but has caved in critical moments. A party that is always asking “what will appeal to voters” is not going to survive. Elected officials need to be accountable but leadership does not always mean following polls. Real leaders need to follow their values. Republicans have a consistent message, as despicable as it is. They are implementing the authoritarian playbook of division, fear, and hatred. To reverse our nation’s trajectory we need leaders who will stand for what they believe in, communicate it concisely and effectively, and take the inevitable barbs from the now uneven playing field. We need a vision of an equal, affordable, diverse, prosperous, united, and passionate America. We need a leader who will keep the spotlight on those Americans whose rights are being taken away before all of ours are. There is no better place for that leadership to start than in the country’s biggest, greatest, and most global city. Mamdani is running a campaign that meets the moment. For those submitting ballots on June 24th, I hope he makes it somewhere onto yours.