The article profiles several key candidates in the 2025 NYC mayoral race, including:
Mayor Eric Adams, facing potential vulnerability, surprisingly announced he would run as an independent in the general election, bypassing the Democratic primary.
Major campaign themes include public safety, affordability, and the candidates' past ethical issues, with Mayor Adams's dismissed corruption charges heavily discussed.
The Democratic primary is scheduled for June 24th.
The 2025 New York City mayor’s race is unusually volatile and will have major consequences for the nation’s largest city.
As a Democratic incumbent seeking a second term, Mayor Eric Adams would not typically face a serious primary challenge and would be heavily favored in the general election.
But this year is different. A wide range of Democratic primary candidates entered the race, hoping to seize on Mr. Adams’s perceived vulnerability. And in an apparent acknowledgment of the backlash against him, Mr. Adams announced in early April that he would skip the Democratic primary and run as an independent in November.
The race has focused on several major themes, including public safety, affordability and potentially disqualifying behavior from multiple candidates, with the mayor’s five-count federal indictment on corruption charges front and center. A judge dismissed the charges in April after the Trump administration sought to drop them.
Mr. Adams’s opponents have attacked his ethics and his relationship with President Trump and they have accused him of running the city to serve his self-interests.
Here is an overview of the major candidates for mayor. The primary will be held June 24.
Andrew Cuomo Dem.
Former governor
Mr. Cuomo was elected to three terms as governor and resigned in 2021 after a sexual harassment scandal.
He leads in polls and has highlighted his record as governor, which included major infrastructure projects, raising the minimum wage, leading the state through the coronavirus pandemic and legalizing same-sex marriage.
Mr. Cuomo made enemies through his combative political tactics. Some have already vowed to highlight the sexual harassment allegations, which he denies. He has also faced criticism for his handling of nursing home deaths early in the pandemic.
Adrienne Adams Dem.
City Council speaker
Ms. Adams, the first Black leader of the City Council, is a prominent critic of Mayor Adams, to whom she is not related. She has fought to restore his budget cuts to libraries and free preschool and she supports criminal justice reforms.
Leading Democrats, including Letitia James, the state attorney general, had urged Ms. Adams to run. She is seeking to position herself as a principled and scandal-free alternative to Mr. Adams and Mr. Cuomo.
As Council speaker, Ms. Adams, who is considered a moderate Democrat, has earned a reputation for being able to work with the most ideologically diverse Council in recent memory.
Brad Lander Dem.
City comptroller
Mr. Lander is a progressive leader who contends that he is the best manager to run the city.
He has been a fierce critic of Mr. Adams and a key supporter of congestion pricing, and he has promised to end street homelessness for severely mentally ill people. He has led in fund-raising, despite pledging to eschew donations from real estate developers.
As he presents himself as a common-sense alternative to Mr. Adams or Mr. Cuomo, Mr. Lander has begun to moderate some of his most ardent left-leaning stances.
Zohran Mamdani Dem.
State assemblyman
Mr. Mamdani, a state lawmaker from Queens and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is running on populist ideas like free buses, rent freezes for rent-stabilized apartments and city-owned grocery stores.
Mr. Mamdani has momentum as a favorite on the left, though he lacks widespread name recognition, and has surprised the political world with strong fund-raising numbers. His campaign videos interviewing Trump voters and halal cart workers have gone viral.
Scott Stringer Dem.
Former city comptroller
Mr. Stringer, who has held several elected offices, is running on a message that he is competent and experienced.
He has a history of support from unions and elected officials from Manhattan’s Upper West Side, already securing the endorsements of state lawmakers and Representative Jerrold Nadler.
His 2021 mayoral campaign was derailed by allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. He has tried to make a political comeback by focusing on proposals to address the high costs of housing and child care. He has better name recognition than other candidates and has raised a significant amount of money.
Jessica Ramos Dem.
State senator
Ms. Ramos is a progressive state lawmaker from Queens who supports raising the minimum wage and has close ties to unions.
She notably opposed a major casino proposal in her district that was supported by the billionaire owners of the Mets. She has highlighted her Colombian roots and speaks Spanish on the campaign trail. She is trailing in fund-raising.
Michael Blake Dem.
Former state assemblyman
Mr. Blake was a White House aide under President Barack Obama and served in the State Assembly representing the Bronx.
He considers himself a moderate and says he is focused on addressing quality of life issues. He is a former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2020 and for public advocate in 2019.
Jim Walden Ind.
Former federal prosecutor
Mr. Walden, a prominent lawyer who has handled high-profile cases, is running as an independent.
He is a former prosecutor and political independent who has not run for office before and wants to curtail corruption. He has criticized congestion pricing tolls in Manhattan and city vaccine mandates during the pandemic.
Curtis Sliwa Rep.
Guardian Angels founder
Mr. Sliwa, who lost the general election to Mr. Adams in 2021, is running for the Republican nomination again.
He is a host on the conservative WABC radio station and has led the Guardian Angels, a citizen patrol group, for decades. He has criticized the mayor’s handling of the migrant crisis and opposed the opening of new shelters.
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