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General information on the Mayoral Election 21

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General information on the Mayoral Election 21

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Comprising information on each candidate

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Eric Adams (D), Curtis Sliwa (R), and eight other candidates ran in the general election for mayor of New York City on November 2, 2021. Incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) did not run for re-election due to term limits.

The primary election on June 22, 2021, featured the first use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) for a mayoral primary in the city's history. Click here to read more about how ranked-choice voting works.

The top issues in the Democratic primary were crime, policing, affordable housing, jobs, and healthcare. Click here to learn more about the Democratic primary.

De Blasio was first elected in 2013 and won re-election in 2017 with 66% of the vote. Including de Blasio, four of the previous six mayors were Democrats.

For more information about the battleground Democratic primary, click here.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Eric Adams in round 8 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. William Pepitone advanced from the Conservative Party primary for Mayor of New York.

Working Families Party primary election

The Working Families Party primary election was canceled. Deborah Axt advanced from the Working Families Party primary for Mayor of New York.

William Pepitone

Key Messages

The messages below are the candidate's own.

We will restore public safety by returning to fair, proactive policing that concentrates on reducing violent crime and addressing quality of life issues.

As Mayor I will repeal all COVID related mandates and put people back to work.

We must overhaul our failing education system by returning to basic academics and a legitimate grading and honors system while eliminating radical social agendas.

June 22, 2021, Democratic primary

Mayoral election in New York, New York (June 22, 2021, Democratic primary)

Ballotpedia identified the June 22, 2021, Democratic primary as a battleground primary. For more on the Democratic primary, click here.

Eric Adams (D) defeated 12 other candidates in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City on June 22, 2021. Incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) did not run for re-election due to term limits.

The primary election featured the first use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) for a mayoral primary in the city's history. Click here to read more about how ranked-choice voting works.

The following six Democratic candidates received the most media attention and noteworthy endorsements:

Click here to read more about each candidate's professional background and key messages.

Major endorsements for Adams included Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.. The New York Times, New York Daily News, and the New York League of Conservation Voters endorsed Garcia. McGuire was backed by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D).

The top issues in this race were crime, policing, affordable housing, jobs, and healthcare. Click here to compare each candidate's policy proposals on these issues.

De Blasio was first elected in 2013 and won re-election in 2017 with 66% of the vote. Including de Blasio, four of the previous six mayors were Democrats.

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. Candidate cards are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Kathryn Garcia

Raymond McGuire

Scott Stringer

Andrew Yang

See more here: Mayoral election in New York, New York (June 22, 2021, Democratic primary)

Campaign themes

Campaign website

Adams' campaign website stated the following:

Vitaly Filipchenko

Campaign website

Filipchenko's campaign website stated the following:

"

I am focused on cleaning up the streets and reimagining shared roadways. Fighting age, wage, gender and racial discrimination in the workplace. Support small businesses with rent law changes. Root out fraud and wasteful spending in city agencies. Build back a greener, fairer city for low and middle class income families. And I do not want to defund police - but retrain and demilitarize. I am here to represent the concerns of the immigrant community to show they have a voice in New York politics & not just the elite. My English may not be perfect - but my platform is.

POLICE REFORM HOUSING REFORM STOREFRONT VACANCY REFORM EDUCATION REFORM STREET SAFETY AGE DISCRIMINATION WASTE & FRAUD IN CITY AGENCIES SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT GREEN JOB TRAINING ARTS - NUTURE & GROW

"

Quanda Francis

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Quanda Francis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Francis' responses.

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My name is Quanda Francis, and I am running for New York City mayor. Not because of my desire to ascend to the mayoralty because its part of my political trajectory. Not because I have wealthy patrons on Wall Street and in finance who support me under the pretense of quid pro quo. Not because I am a former candidate seeking to run for another high-profile office without even knowing the city. And not because there's never been a woman as mayor of this great city of ours.

I am running because New York City is suffering from a leadership deficit, and it is time to have someone in City Hall who has the capability, competence, and integrity. I am an entrepreneur, accountant, data scientist, consultant, community organizer, youth advocate, Ph.D. candidate, wife, and mother of three wonderful children. That would suggest that I know a thing or two about time management.

I am a born and bred New Yorker who can deliver. How do I deliver? Simple. I hire the best people, provide them with the necessary resources, give guidance, and get out the way-unless I'm needed. That's it. No ego. No funny business. Just good old-fashioned leadership and management. I listen. I analyze. I plan. And then I act.

PRE-K-12 EDUCATION (EDUCATION & RESEARCH INFORMATION SYSTEMS)Our digital revolution will aim to implement modern digital technology more efficiently and effectively in learning, teaching, research and to improve the digital skills of the entire nation. For example, it will ensure that every student receives the necessary knowledge and skills to access modern digital infrastructure for future use

REDUCE CRIME- I have a new vision for public safety. During my tenure as a NYPD Crime Analyst, I noticed several key redundancies and outdated processes that reduced the effectiveness of the NYPD's overall organizational operational apparatuses and investigative capabilities. Information and organization are our greatest tools to ensure we keep all New York City residents safe from harm, especially given the recent increases in Anti-Asian hate crimes and the explosive increase in gun violence. With more accurate identification and actual communication between agencies, we can protect a lot more... with a lot less. I intend to Improve efficiencies in high frequency workflow tasks, deploy needed technology in areas previously impossible, solve

E-GOVERNANCE & DIGITALIZATION New York City can become the pioneer and convert public services into flexible e-solutions for our residents. The implementation of a NYC-Government Cloud solution can provide an excellent foundation for public e-services and solutions, which can make New York City the most digital city in the world.

Crisis tests leadership and Adversity tests character. Unfortunately, many of those in leadership positions failed to be visionaries, competent decision-makers, and strategic planners. The fate of our city rests not only in the will of the people but in the competency and integrity of our leaders, especially our elected officials.

My platform is dedicated to our youth, many who are foreigners in their own city. I'll repeat it. Many of our young people are foreigners in their own city. Their travel is limited to a three to four-mile radius. How can they give their best to a City they don't even know?

How can their potential be reached if they are not exposed? How can their potential be reached if they are not given access? How can their potential be reached if they're not heard-if they're ignored-if they're disregarded? You tell me how.

Education is important, and we have a plan. So is employment, and we have a plan. But so is our young people's safety. So is their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Therefore, nurturance and guidance from elected officials and government; from businesses and agencies; from community-based organizations; and from our educational apparatuses are all duty-bound as a collective to ensure that our young people become intelligent, emotionally-balanced, and productive members of our city.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website

Francis' campaign website stated the following:

Christopher Krietchman

Campaign website

Krietchman's campaign website stated the following:

Fernando Mateo

Campaign website

Mateo's campaign website stated the following:

William Pepitone

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

William Pepitone completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Pepitone's responses.

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We will restore public safety by returning to fair, proactive policing that concentrates on reducing violent crime and addressing quality of life issues.

As Mayor I will repeal all COVID related mandates and put people back to work.

We must overhaul our failing education system by returning to basic academics and a legitimate grading and honors system while eliminating radical social agendas.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website

Pepitone's campaign website stated the following:

Stacey Prussman

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Stacey Prussman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Prussman's responses.

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Stacey Prussman is a national touring headlining stand-up comic, a radio host, actress, and a public speaker. She decided to run for Mayor of New York City for the Libertarian Party, after witnessing the decline of the city she loves by irresponsible and corrupt elected leaders who have abandoned their constituents. Stacey wants to bring NYC back to its former glory by having residents & communities make their own choices, conduct business and do what's in their best interests. Stacey has set priorities that will improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and give them a say in how their city government is run. Her platform revolves around police reform, animal rights, restoring the economy, enabling public education reform and transferring power from government to people.

Self Responsiobility

Helping small businesses grow with tax breaks and radically reducing and reforming zoning.

Restore Power Back to The People.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website

Prussman's campaign website stated the following:

Curtis Sliwa

Campaign website

Sliwa's campaign website stated the following:

Ranked-choice voting

In 2019, New York City voters approved a ballot measure to establish ranked-choice voting (RCV) for primary and special elections beginning in 2021.

The primary election featured the first use of RCV for a mayoral primary in the city's history. Voters were allowed to rank up to five candidates on their ballot in order of preference. A candidate had to receive a majority of votes cast to win the election, and votes for eliminated candidates were redistributed based on the next preference on the ballot.

Here are details about how it worked in the primary election.

Candidates were listed in rows and the numbered rankings in columns.

Voters could choose up to five candidates to support, ranking them from first to fifth.

Voters were not required to vote for five candidates. For example, a voter could vote for only one candidate if he or she desired.

Voters could not vote for the same candidate more than once or give the same rank to more than one candidate.

The New York City Campaign Finance Board said RCV had three benefits:

"

Ranked Choice Voting gives you more say in who gets elected. Even if your top choice candidate does not win, you can still help choose who does.

More civility and less negative campaigning. Candidates who are not your top choice still need your support as your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th choice. This makes them more likely to appeal to a wider audience.

More diverse and representative candidates win elections. Cities that have implemented Ranked Choice Voting have elected more women and more women of color, making their elected officials more representative of their communities.

"

Andrew Siff of NBC New York said that the use of RCV caused candidates to campaign differently than in previous cycles. "The addition of ranked choice voting for the NYC primaries is already leading to some previously unorthodox joint appearances from rival candidates, hoping to secure some second or third place votes that could put them over the top in a potentially close contest," he wrote.

Alex Samuels of FiveThirtyEight said that RCV meant that candidates could not rely on just the support of their home neighborhood to carry a nomination. "[U]nder a ranked-choice voting system, it's unlikely that someone could win by doing really well in just one of the city's five boroughs. That candidate will eventually have to be the second and third choices of voters in other boroughs, too," she said.

In April 2021, the majority of candidates did not have name recognition with most voters. In conjunction with RCV, political scientist Ken Sherrill said, "If we don't watch out, we're going to get a mayor almost chosen by random chance."

Mayoral partisanship

New York has a Democratic mayor. As of February 2022, 63 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 26 are affiliated with the Republican Party, four are independents, six identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and one mayor's affiliation is unknown. While most mayoral elections in the 100 largest cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.

What was at stake?

Report a story for this election

Ballotpedia researches issues in local elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many areas. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local election. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.

Additional elections on the ballot

February 2, 2021

February 23, 2021

March 23, 2021

June 22, 2021

November 2, 2021

New York state legislative special elections, 2021

New York Proposal 1, Redistricting Changes Amendment (2021)

New York Proposal 2, Environmental Rights Amendment (2021)

New York Proposal 3, Remove 10-Day-Advance Voter Registration Requirement Amendment (2021)

New York Proposal 4, Allow for No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment (2021)

New York Proposal 5, NYC Civil Court Jurisdiction Amendment (2021)

Municipal elections in Bronx County, New York (2021)

Municipal elections in Kings County, New York (2021)

Municipal elections in New York County, New York (2021)

Municipal elections in Queens County, New York (2021)

Municipal elections in Richmond County, New York (2021)

City elections in New York, New York (2021)

About the city

New York City is a city in New York and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. As of 2013, its population was 8.4 million, making it the largest city in the United States.

City government

The city of New York uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor and city council each serve four-year terms.

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

External links

1. Emerson College Polling, "Adams Takes Back Lead as Wiley Emerges in NYC Mayor Race," accessed June 14, 2021

2. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.

3. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named error

4. Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

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Mayoral election in New York, New York (2021)

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Eric Adams (D), Curtis Sliwa (R), and eight other candidates ran in the general election for mayor of New York City on November 2, 2021. Incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) did not run for re-election due to term limits.

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Elected Brooklyn borough president in 2013 and ending his second and final term this year due to term limits, Adams has made public safety and poverty-fighting central themes of his mayoral campaign. Before entering politics as a state senator, he was an NYPD officer, rising to the rank of captain, and became a public figure through his leadership of the dissident group 100 Black Men in Law Enforcement WhoCare.

As borough president, Adams, 60, has been largely supportive of the real estate development boom that grew out of Brooklyn's increasing popularity as a place to live and work. He has used his visibility to promote health and wellness, saying he cured his own diabetes through disciplined diet and exercise - and urging Brooklynites to follow hislead.

Adams has a reputation for intense commitment to his work, evidenced by sleeping in his office during the height of the pandemic and criss-crossing the borough to distribute masks to constituents. Sometimes his zeal for the job has crossed lines: He has unapologetically used his nonprofit One Brooklyn organization to raise money from people with business before his office and allowed his chauffeurs and staff to turn part of the public plaza in front of Borough Hall into a parkinglot.

Website: ericadams2021.com

Positions

THE CITY sent three multiple-choice surveys to every Democratic and Republican mayoral candidate on the ballot for the June 22 primary, starting in February. Adams responded to our first survey, containing 20 questions, but not to the second or third. We have filled in missing responses where possible using his public statements.
Read more about how we surveyed the candidates.
View topic guide

The Bronx: Do you support building a stadium for the NYCFC soccer club next to Yankee Stadium?

No response / no position

Queens: The Sunnyside Master Plan envisions 12,000 affordable homes, a new regional rail station, 60 acres of open space and more to be built atop a platform over the western Queens rail yard. Will you work to realize the plan?

No response / no position

Staten Island: Will you commit to restoring 24/7 half-hour service on the Staten Island Ferry? If so, when?

No response / no position

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Elected Brooklyn borough president in 2013 and ending his second and final term this year due to term limits, Adams has made public safety and poverty-fighting central themes of his mayoral campaign.

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Debate between Pepitone, Flores, Stora and Prussman

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Debate between Pepitone, Flores, Stora and Prussman

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(l-r) Top: Bill Pepitone, Stacey Prussman; Bottom: Raja Flores, Ben Max, Skiboky Stora

Four candidates for mayor of New York City who will be on the general election ballot appeared for a debate hosted by Manhattan Neighborhood Network and moderated by Gotham Gazette's Ben Max: Conservative Party nominee Bill Pepitone; Libertarian Party nominee Stacey Prussman; Raja Flores, who will be on the Humanity United ballot line; and Skiboky Stora, who will be on the Out Lawbreaker ballot line. Watch:

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WATCH: Mayoral Candidates Pepitone, Flores, Stora & Prussman Debate

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(l-r) Top: Bill Pepitone, Stacey Prussman; Bottom: Raja Flores, Ben Max, Skiboky Stora Four candidates for mayor of New York City who will be on the general election ballot appeared for a debate hosted by Manhattan Neighborhood Network and moderated by Gotham Gazette's Ben Max: Conservative Party nominee Bill Pepitone; Libertarian Party nominee Stacey Prussman; Raja Flores, who will be on the Humanity United ballot line; and Skiboky Stora, who will be on the Out Lawbreaker ballot line.

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A restaurateur and founding member of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, 42-year-old Upper West Sider Mateo has been a fixture in his community since the early 1990s. He founded a job placement program for incarcerated, nonviolent first-time offenders and the "Toys for Guns" program, which eventually expanded across thecountry.

Mateo is no stranger to public scrutiny. The former co-owner of La Marina was under the microscope after a liquor license suspension following a bartender drug bust propelled the Inwood Park hotspot into bankruptcy, and Mateo admitted to using an unemployed woman to funnel donations to Bill de Blasio's 2013 mayoralcampaign.

Mateo seeks to expand the NYPD by 20,000 officers and place two cops on every subway platform. While he has touted his bipartisan work with de Blasio in the past, Mateo now contends that another Democratic mayor will " sink our city. "

"I'm the only true Republican in this race. I voted for Trump twice," Mateo recently told The New YorkTimes.

Website: mateothemayor.com

Positions

THE CITY sent three multiple-choice surveys to every Democratic and Republican mayoral candidate on the ballot for the June 22 primary, starting in February. Mateo responded to our first and third surveys, containing 40 questions, but not to the second. We have filled in missing responses where possible using his public statements.
Read more about how we surveyed the candidates.

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A restaurateur and founding member of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, 42-year-old Upper West Sider Mateo has been a fixture in his community since the early 1990s. He founded a job placement program for incarcerated, nonviolent first-time offenders and the "Toys for Guns" program, which eventually expanded across thecountry.

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Proud son of Brownsville, retired NYPD captain, former State Sen., current BK Borough Pres, & next Mayor of New York City. Contact: info@ericadams2021.com

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Last March, we were tested as a nation and as a city like never before. Our healthcare system, retailers, transportation operation, financial sector, education apparatus, sports & recreation centers and tourism and etc., all felt the full brunt of an unrelenting and unforgiving pandemic. Unfortunately, there was a certain degree of governmental ineptitude which compounded the problem. Many lives were lost unnecessarily due to bureaucracy, in-fighting, egomania, and incompetence. As New Yorkers, we deserve better. In times of crisis, the government will be exposed. However, exposure is not the issue. If the government is running effectively, exposure does not cast a negative light on those who run the municipality. In fact, exposure is a friend. Conversely, when the government is failing and there is a seeming incapacity to mitigate mayhem and disarm dysfunction, exposure becomes a foe. To get New Yorkers back to work, it is important to ensure that every city agency is run by professionals that are capable, compassionate, and competent. I will appoint diverse new leadership to run key New York City agencies and all of my appointments would be based on the talent of the individual relative to other prospects. In short, "the best person for the job" is my mantra. I would create a New York City-wide Career Bank portal that centralizes career/job bank listings to reduce redundancy, increase usage, improve navigation, and accelerate job/career prospecting. I would also develop more City employment opportunities (e.g., researchers, surveyors, maintenance workers, analysts, technology specialists, etc.). I believe the city should be a catalyst for job/career/entrepreneurial opportunities; and attract and retain large firms that will stimulate our employment sector.

Workforce Development is an integral aspect of a city's economic vitality. The pandemic has decimated the job market resulting in layoffs and recession-like unemployment. Complicating matters is how particular racial and ethnic communities have been affected. According to a recent study, people of color accounted for nearly 70% of New York City job losses.

Particularly, Industries and jobs have been adversely impacted displacing many working class people who did not have financial margins (i.e., long-term savings) that could sustain them for months. Deepening the crisis was the political meandering in the House and Senate that delayed stimulus payouts. The first step is returning to pre-pandemic employment levels; however, the goal is to have a robust job/career market that far exceeds the pre-pandemic employment levels.

As Mayor, I would stimulate the job market by utilizing analytics models, committees and subcommittees consisting of various industry leaders, and New York City agencies as partners with private sector entities to enact a Workforce Development 10-Point Plan.

The Workforce Development 10-Point Plan consists of the following items:
1. Appoint a Workforce Development Executive Officer along with Borough Superintendents to spearhead and oversee workforce development initiatives.
2. Identify persistent threats to the New York City economy and measure short-, mid-, and long-term impacts.
3. Devise action plans that accelerate the return to pre-pandemic job market levels and pinpoint population segments that were unemployed, underemployed, and "discouraged" pre-pandemic to provide training, job/career preparation, and placement.
4. Examine future job/career/entrepreneurial/. Foster education and training initiatives for formerly incarcerated individuals that will provide them with meaningful employment and/or entrepreneurial opportunities.
6. Reduce city taxes on small businesses and ease rent payments for small businesses.
7. Establish a wage supplement plan providing wage vouchers to small businesses to lessen payroll burden.
8. Create a New York City-wide Career Bank portal that centralizes career/job bank listings to reduce redundancy, increase usage, improves navigation, and accelerate job/career prospecting.
9. Develop more City employment opportunities (e.g., researchers, surveyors, maintenance workers, analysts, technology specialists, etc.). I believe the city should be a catalyst for job/career/entrepreneurial opportunities; and
10. Attract and retain large firms that will stimulate our employment sector.

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Quanda Francis - The Coalition to Restore New York

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Last March, we were tested as a nation and as a city like never before. Our healthcare system, retailers, transportation operation, financial sector, education apparatus, sports & recreation centers and tourism and etc., all felt the full brunt of an unrelenting and unforgiving pandemic.

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By Michael Lovito

Only a month after protests demanding justice for George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin engulfed New York City, a very different demonstration took place less than an hour's drive away in the Long Island town of East Meadow. Rather than calling to defund the police, this crowd was rallying in their support, pushing back against what they saw as growing anti-cop sentiment.

Bill Pepitone, one of the event's speakers and a retired New York City police officer himself, appreciated the show of support.

"Some of my most vivid memories were in the days and weeks after 9/11," the burly 53-year old in a sweat-stained "THANK YOU NYPD" t-shirt told the crowd. "I remember how demoralized we were, how disheartened we were, but how our spirits were lifted, and our morale grew stronger because of you."

"But right now, law enforcement, our police officers, our cops, are under a different attack. Not from foreign terrorists, but from weak-kneed politicians who kneel and bow before anarchists and criminals," he said. "Your support is needed now more than ever. Again, stand by our police officers, back them up, let them hear you. The silent majority can no longer be silent, that's what this is about today. For those of you from New York City, there's gonna be a change next year, I promise you."

In order to keep that promise, Bill Pepitone and his supporters will have to wrestle with one simple but essential question: does a retired cop who wants to return to the tough-on-crime policies of Rudy Giuliani stand a snowball's chance in hell of being mayor of New York City in a post-George Floyd world? As the city awaits the final tally of the Democratic primary, Pepitone has a brief window in which to claim some spotlight.

As the Conservative Party's nominee for Mayor of New York, Pepitone has positioned himself as the champion of voters who think the answer to the city's post-Covid, post-protest malaise is some good old-fashioned law and order. And on paper, he's a post-Trump conservative's dream: a dad-next-door who's not afraid to dabble in right wing populist talking points, but one who does so in the calmest way possible. Even when he does get a little angry in his speeches, he comes across as firm, not manic, and in the few media appearances he's made since launching his campaign in June, he comes off as gently concerned, not crusading. It's easy to see why voters would be attracted to someone with Pepitone's personality. Whether or not the famously Democratic city will embrace his pro-police policies, however, is another question entirely.

'It's not bluster'
Born and raised in Gravesend, Brooklyn, Pepitone joined the NYPD in 1989 after graduating from Xaverian High School. For Pepitone, becoming a cop was like joining the family business-his father was a police officer and later a firefighter, and his uncle was a detective (his other uncle is Yankees legend Joe Pepitone). He served for 14 years in the Brooklyn South Task Force, where he was active during the 1989 Crown Heights riots and was a 9/11 first responder. Eventually, he moved on to a teaching role in the police academy as a physical training and tactics instructor.

"He took it very, very seriously. He had a great rapport with the recruits," says George Duquette, a retired NYPD lieutenant who was Pepitone's commanding officer. Duquette says that Pepitone was tasked with identifying weaknesses in the academy's training regimen that were leaving officers vulnerable to injury while in the field, and that he embraced the challenges of this ambiguous task wholeheartedly. "He has passion for everything. You know, it's not bluster. It's, like, a passion and a drive to just do what he's got to."

In 2009, Pepitone and his family moved to Morrisville, Pennsylvania, after his 22-month-old daughter was diagnosed with autism, to take advantage of the state's special needs programs. While the move necessitated Pepitone's retirement from the NYPD, it also marked the beginning of his political career. Concerned with what he called the mismanagement of Morrisville's police department, Pepitone decided to launch a write-in campaign for mayor only six weeks before the election was held in November of 2013.

"It was very, very late," he tells Brooklyn Magazine. "But we put together a really strong write-in campaign. We knocked on every door in [Morrisville], we spoke to people, we had meet and greets. We got our message out very, very quickly."

Pepitone finished second in that race. Two years later in 2015, Pepitone ran as a Republican for Morrisville's borough council, defeating the council president and serving for two years before moving to Staten Island in 2019 after his divorce.

After watching New York go through a summer of civil unrest and an uptick in crime, Pepitone decided to throw his hat in the ring to become mayor of America's largest city.

"I decided that I could do a couple of things," Pepitone says. "I could either go on social media and vent my frustration that way. Or I could step up and do something with my experience, both in law enforcement and politics. I felt that I'd be a perfect candidate to be the next mayor of New York. And here I am."

'Upset, but not angry'
Just as he did in Morrisville, Pepitone decided to run for mayor of New York as a Republican. But despite being the first to announce his candidacy for the party's nomination last June, he failed to gain ground with New York's Republican power brokers. The Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan Republicans all endorsed former Federation of Taxi Drivers head Fernando Mateo, while the Brooklyn and Staten Island parties endorsed Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.

Pepitone did, however, garner the endorsement of the Conservative Party of New York State, a third party that frequently cross-endorses Republican candidates (New York state law allows candidates to run on multiple party lines; in 2020, Donald Trump ran as both a Republican and a Conservative, while Joe Biden was nominated by both the Democrats and the Working Families Party). Looking to save money and avoid what he thought would be a "circus" of a race, Pepitone dropped out of the Republican primary and is instead running for mayor on the Conservative ticket. Because he didn't have to face a primary, Pepitone was, for a time, the only candidate who was guaranteed to appear on the ballot in November.

As for why the Conservative Party chose to endorse Pepitone instead of the higher profile Mateo or Sliwa, some common themes emerged. The first was both candidates' baggage- Mateo claims he covertly funneled donations to Bill de Blasio's campaign to secure an acquaintance a job with the city, while Sliwa has admitted to faking his own 1980 kidnapping -but an even more important factor seemed to be Pepitone's temperament.

"I never see him nasty to people, I never see him lose his temper with anybody," says Nanci Roden, the Executive Secretary of the Kings County Conservative Party, and one of the party leaders who interviewed and assessed candidates for the party's endorsement. "I mean, I've seen him aggravated and annoyed. But he respects people enough to give them enough time to really explain what they're saying. He's just interested in what people have to say."

Indeed, the most striking thing about Pepitone is the way he's been able to balance the kind of grievance politics that carried Donald Trump to the White House with a gentle, approachable tone that the former president lacked. In his appearances on conservative media like Newsmax and 77 WABC, Pepitone ends up playing the straight man to more aggressive and inflammatory right wing media figures. On Jerry Tomczynski's YouTube talk show " My Political Truth," Pepitone delivered as calm and reasonable a reply any candidate could have to the host's jeremiad against blended learning and the COVID "plandemic."

"Children's safety and health comes first," he said. "I don't like [blended learning], I also believe that children should be in school for the socialization part, which is so important in their young lives. But again, I understand the safety aspect."

While being associated with figures like Tomczynski could turn off New York's overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, Pepitone's supporters are hopeful that his amiable approach to campaigning will help him stand out in a political moment defined by anger and bitterness.

"It's the right way to go about it because I think what happens is you get a lot of people who like to get up and scream and yell and scream and yell, and after a while it's just screaming and yelling and screaming and yelling," says Fran Vella-Marrone, the Chairwoman of the Kings County Conservative Party. "Here you have somebody who is upset with the way that the city is going, yet he's not angry. He wants to do something about it."

The plan

The plan that Pepitone does have for New York City is a blend of Conservative Party priorities and his own law enforcement-centric agenda. His designs on lowering taxes and loosening licensing and permit laws are nearly lockstep with the Conservative platform, as is his proposal to reintroduce testing for the city's specialized high schools.

More populist ideas include his insistence that the next chancellor of the city's Department of Education be a public school teacher ("we need a chancellor who's been in front of school children, who knows the obstacles they face") and his plans to proactively combat homelessness. Pepitone says that he wants to construct "permanent housing" for New York's homeless and provide them with mental health and vocational training resources to help them "get back into society."

The centerpiece of Pepitone's platform is, of course, public safety. Frustrated by the rise in crime that New York experienced in 2020, Pepitone has vowed a return to the "proactive policing" strategies made famous by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, which includes cracking down on low level "quality of life offenses" such as vandalism, public intoxication, and fare evasion.

This may be the toughest policy priority for Pepitone to sell voters on. While the implementation of the "broken windows theory" of policing won Giuliani plaudits from some residents and law enforcement advocates during the mid-90s and early 2000s, the policy has since come under heavy criticism.

The most scrutinized of these tactics is stop-and-frisk, a policy that allows police officers to detain and search people on the street if they " have reasonable belief that the person is, has been or is about to be involved in a crime." Popularized under Giuliani and expanded under his successor Michael Bloomberg, stop-and-frisk became a lightning rod for controversy when it emerged that African Americans and Latinos were stopped at significantly higher rates than whites. In 2013, NYPD officers testified that they were told to meet quotas for stops, summonses, and arrests, and a U.S. district judge ruled that the policy violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. That same year, Bill de Blasio made opposition to stop-and-frisk a cornerstone of his mayoral campaign, and ultimately emerged from a crowded primary to become the first Democrat elected as New York's Mayor since 1989. While the NYPD continues to use the tactic, the number of stop-and-frisks fell by 76 percent during de Blasio's first term in office, and crime fell along with it.

While moderate Democratic mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia has come out in opposition to defunding the police, she has not endorsed the reintroduction of stop-and-frisk. In fact, the only pro stop-and-frisk Democratic candidate with a serious chance of winning the primary is Eric Adams, who, like Pepitone, is also a former cop. While Pepitone maintains that stop-and-frisk is a necessary crime fighting tool, he also acknowledged that the use of quotas has helped create a feeling of distrust between the department and the city's residents.

"When you pressure police officers to reach a certain goal every month, you wind up with unnecessary confrontations," he says. "And this is why you have that division between police officers and the community right now. It's been that way forever, but it needs to change. I don't know if anybody else is willing to do so but I can do it, because I know the damage it's done."

It isn't just Pepitone's politics that make him a long shot. Sheer numbers and recent history are against him as well: the Democratic Party holds a two-to-one registration advantage over every other party in the city, and the Conservative Party hasn't elected a non-cross endorsed candidate for office since 1976 (they've also never endorsed a successful mayoral candidate).

Despite these long odds, Pepitone and his supporters are hopeful that he can appeal to voters fed up with the two major parties.

"I don't think we should give up on the fact that just because Democrats tremendously outnumber everyone else there will always be a Democratic mayor," Vella-Marrone says. "I think that depends on the circumstances surrounding the city and what's happening, and what people want to focus on. And if they find somebody that's going to listen to them, they'll support that person no matter what their political philosophy is."

Right now, Pepitone's top challenge is making sure that voters can in fact find him. Outside of his occasional appearance in conservative media and brief interviews with the New York Daily News, The Gotham Gazette, and The Tablet, most of the area's major media outlets-including the right-leaning New York Post-have yet to give significant attention to the Pepitone campaign. While he maintains an active presence on social media, where he writes all of his own Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts, that dearth of free media could prove to be a problem when it comes to generating the level of name recognition needed for a successful third-party bid. But even though the lack of attention has frustrated Pepitone and his supporters, they still relish the idea of playing the underdog.

"He really is a unique candidate," Roden, one of the Conservative Party leaders hoping Pepitone can defy the odds, says. "Do you realize, if he pulls this off, that it will probably be one of the most interesting political campaigns of our time?"

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Meet the mayoral candidate no one is talking about: Conservative Party's Bill Pepitone - Brooklyn Magazine

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By Michael Lovito Only a month after protests demanding justice for George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin engulfed New York City, a very different demonstration took place less than an hour's drive away in the Long Island town of East Meadow.

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Watch Curtis’ second TV commercial. Curtis has dedicated his life to keeping us safe and helping the homeless, and saving our animals. To bring our city back, we need a Mayor who cares about all New Yorkers. Curtis has cared his whole life, and he will do it as the next Mayor of NYC.

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The Cathy Rojas for Mayor campaign believes in the power of the people. We also believe that when we fight, we can win. Volunteer activists and organizers staff the Rojas campaign -- people who have a track record fighting to build a better NYC where our interests are prioritized instead of the interests of the greedy. Cathy Rojas, herself, along with the Party for Socialism and Liberation has consistently organized with New Yorkers for over a decade on a wide array of issues, unlike many other mayoral candidates. Rojas is fighting for a socialist platform that has outlined a realistic way the city resources can be used to meet the needs of New Yorkers by providing jobs and small business relief, defunding the police, upgrading and protecting NYCHA, fighting for full rights for immigrants, creating truly affordable housing and much more. Our volunteers are committed to building a New York where everyone has access to housing, employment, quality education, health care, and building a safe NYC where people can live free from police brutality and harassment. Another New York is possible with your help. Volunteer to rebuild and transform New York.

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Raja is running for mayor to break down the barriers that divide us because he knows what we all know as New Yorkers: we're in this together.

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Quanda Francis For Mayor of New York City

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A Whole New
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For us to survive and thrive through the challenges ahead, we need a mission that unites us all: I want New York City to be a place where everyone has a fair chance, where opportunity abounds, and our behaviors towards one another reflect compassion and benevolence. However, I can not do it without you. my fellow candidates are fueled by large donations from the rich and powerful. My campaign is fueled by determination, cooperation, and perseverance and It is time for the people to have a voice and a choice.

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Quanda Francis for Mayor of New York City

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For us to survive and thrive through the challenges ahead, we need a mission that unites us all: I want New York City to be a place where everyone has a fair chance, where opportunity abounds, and our behaviors towards one another reflect compassion and benevolence. However, I can not do it without you.

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City Journal's 10 Blocks podcast features rich conversations on public policy and culture with host Brian C. Anderson. Thousands of listeners tune in to hear City Journal editors, contributors, and special guests explore the issues of the day—from crime and policing to the campus free-speech crisis, from taxation and economic policy to infrastructure, from joblessness to education, and from urban policy to national affairs.

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City Journal's 10 Blocks podcast features rich conversations on public policy and culture with host Brian C. Anderson. Thousands of listeners tune in to hear City Journal editors, contributors, and special guests explore the issues of the day-from crime and policing to the campus free-speech crisis, from taxation and economic policy to infrastructure, from joblessness to education, and from urban policy to national affairs.

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Experienced reporters talk about the week’s political storylines, but aren’t afraid to let their perspectives and personalities shine through.

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From the mayor to the governor to everything in between, "Off Topic/On Politics: The NY1 Political Podcast" is a weekly discussion of all things political in New York City and state.

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After a year of a global pandemic that has sickened and isolated millions of people under lockdown, Stacey Prussman proposes a unique recovery program for New Yorkers. "I want to bring fun back into New York City," Prussman, a longtime Jewish comedian from Brooklyn, said in a recent interview.

Art, culture and food is what Prussman is highlighting in her campaign for mayor of New York City, including the idea of opening more vegan kosher delis across the city.

"I know that might sound like not political, but in reality, that's what New York needs right now," said Prussman, the Libertarian Party's nominee for mayor of New York City and one of at least five independent candidates in the November 2 general election.

Prussman, whose Hebrew name is Sheina Chana, has been a stand-up comedian for the past 20 years and in recent years a motivational speaker on eating disorders, mental health and animal welfare. She started her performing career in her 20s, playing Dorie Grossman in the Off Broadway Jewish play called "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral." After recovering from an eating disorder, she became an advocate for people with addictions and eating disorders, and then became more involved in local politics to help raise funds for the various groups she worked with.

The idea of running for mayor came up in a conversation with Larry Sharpe, who was the Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in 2018. The coronavirus pandemic, she said, gave her more time to actually prepare for the race. Insisting, like almost all longshot candidates do, that she's "running to win," Prussman suggested that her years being on stage gave her the confidence to put herself forward as the voice for those tired of politicians and who want to see the city restored to its former vibrancy.

"We hear a lot about public safety, but there is so much more to New York than that," she said during an hour-long interview at a Brooklyn diner, contrasting herself with the major party candidates, Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, who have both focused in their campaign on fighting crime and gun violence. "We live in the energy of feeling fearful and scared. Yes, we want to feel safe, and that's important. But we also want to feel free and alive. I don't suggest that I am anti-police at the moment, but I don't want it to be like 'safety, safety, safety.'"

"I do things big, so I chose running for mayor," she added.

Prussman, who grew up as an only child in a lower middle class Jewish family in South Brooklyn, said she always "felt akin to being mayor" because she liked Ed Koch, the former three-term mayor, who was also Jewish. "I just remember he was New York," she said. "Good or bad mayor, I don't know, I just remember he was the guy that made you feel good."

One of her ideas to help the city combat rising hate and antisemitism is to make sure more high school students are taught how to cook. "Food is love, it's creative and it's a way to connect with the other students," she suggested. "And then when they get older, they know how to make their own food and be healthy and to enjoy a meal together with someone from a different culture and background." Prussman said the schools could collaborate with the private sector, bringing in kosher and other ethnic restaurants "so we can learn about each other's culture through cooking."

"I want to be the Jewish mother of New York City," Prussman quipped.

As a vegetarian, Prussman said her dream is to see vegan Jewish delis stocked with all the delicacies of her childhood and be cruelty-free at the same time. "My favorite deli sandwich is vegan pastrami and cheese," she said, adding that it'd also be kosher for observant Jews who are forbidden to eat meat and dairy together.

Prussman has never been to Israel, but she said she wouldn't object to going on an educational trip to Israel if offered. (Some candidates in the recent city primaries had pledged not to.) "I think traveling is also a way to build bridges," said Prussman, who has family in Israel. Asked about her views on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, Prussman said that she personally doesn't believe in boycotts as a tactic and she certainly wouldn't want to see members of her family hurt by BDS, but she didn't offer a clear position on the matter.

As a third-party candidate, Prussman knows her chances are slim, but said the media should give her the fair coverage she expects. "It's not just Eric Adams and the other guy with the red beret," she said, referring to Sliwa, who is known for his signature Guardian Angels hat. "I believe that my messaging will ring true to a lot of people," she said.
Jacob Kornbluh is the Forward's senior political reporter. Follow him on Twitter @jacobkornbluh or email kornbluh@forward.com.
Interview with NYC mayoral candidate Stacey Prussman

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'I want to be the Jewish mother of New York City': Meet mayoral candidate Stacey Prussman

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After a year of a global pandemic that has sickened and isolated millions of people under lockdown, Stacey Prussman proposes a unique recovery program for New Yorkers. "I want to bring fun back into New York City," Prussman, a longtime Jewish comedian from Brooklyn, said in a recent interview.

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List of further New York podcasts which also focus on music and pop culture

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The Phi on New York podcast deciphers the words that city's philosophers (and other prophets) have written on the subway walls. Through in-depth conversations about the ideas, issues, and challenges that shape lives of New Yorkers, we try to understand what the city is and what it might become. Produced by Joseph S. Biehl Original music by Jay Spero Intro voiceover by Mike "Sport" Murphy Logo art by Mary Ann Biehl

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The Phi on New York podcast deciphers the words that city's philosophers (and other prophets) have written on the subway walls. Through in-depth conversations about the ideas, issues, and challenges that shape lives of New Yorkers, we try to understand what the city is and what it might become.

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The New Yorker’s editor, David Remnick, presents interviews, profiles, and humor, in a co-production with WNYC Studios.

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Wes Anderson and Jeffrey Wright on "The French Dispatch"
The director and one of the stars of the new film, which is about the writers of a magazine, explain the fictional publication's uncanny similarities to The New Yorker.

September 17, 2021

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Wes Anderson and Jeffrey Wright on "The French Dispatch" The director and one of the stars of the new film, which is about the writers of a magazine, explain the fictional publication's uncanny similarities to The New Yorker. September 17, 2021

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This is the youtube channel for the Mateo the Mayor campaign. Fernando Mateo is running for mayor of the City of New York and this channel will display the growing concerns of the community and Fernando's integration and ideas to resolve them.

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Official YouTube Channel for Raja Flores Campaign for New York City Mayor. Raja is a dad, a husband, a community leader, a surgeon and a son of New York City. Join the team at rajafloresny.com.