New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary field is crowded, diverse and tenacious, like the city itself. It includes candidates who would be the first woman, the first Muslim and the oldest person elected to lead City Hall. As the race has heated up, the contenders have traversed the five boroughs in an effort to gain support from millions of voters who hold competing interests and visions of New York.
Running for citywide office, like much of American politics, is a contact sport. Candidates seeking to raise money and boost their name recognition have had to take their message directly to voters — meeting them everywhere from the seats of the G train to the steps outside an N.B.A. playoff game at Madison Square Garden. And that was just before the first debate.
Candidates often campaigned in places where they had personal connections, or sought out New York City icons like the Cyclone roller coaster and the Staten Island Ferry.
Yet the dark political mood has cast a shadow over the contest. All the Democrats running have made big promises to bring the city they love back. Rising costs of living, threats from President Trump and enduring concerns over public safety have captured New Yorkers’ attention and are driving their votes. This atmosphere has prompted some of the candidates who currently hold public office to leverage their positions to make waves and force tough policy conversations.
The race coincides with continuing tensions within the Democratic Party, which is still forging a path forward after bruising losses in last year’s presidential election. And as the candidates seek to galvanize voters and make a name for themselves, they have also sought to paint themselves as fighters for their city, and against Mr. Trump. Here are some moments captured by New York Times photojournalists of the leading candidates on the campaign trail.
Adrienne Adams
A Southeast Queens native and former City Council member now serving as speaker, Adrienne Adams has centered her campaign on her legislative record and her knowledge of city government. She was the last candidate to enter the race and has campaigned with the support of the state attorney general, Letitia James, and groups representing Black voters and women.
Michael Blake
While his campaign began as a quixotic quest to lead City Hall, Michael Blake has, at the very least, won the hearts of many New Yorkers who took notice of his gutsy performance at the first primary debate, in early June. A Bronx native, former state assemblyman and son of Jamaican immigrants, he has maintained a consistent presence on the campaign trail, promising to push for the rights of Black and brown New Yorkers.
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew M. Cuomo resigned as governor of New York in 2021 after allegations of sexual harassment (he denies wrongdoing), and his comeback bid in the mayoral primary quickly became the biggest story of the race. Mr. Cuomo, who served as housing secretary under former President Bill Clinton, has campaigned as a competent manager. He has relied on support from the city’s core Democratic constituencies: unions and Black and Latino voters.
Brad Lander
Brad Lander’s message to New York Democrats who feel politically homeless: Look no further than the “Brooklyn dad” or the “tough nerd” currently serving as the city comptroller. A tireless campaigner and quintessentially earnest public official, Mr. Lander sought to cast himself as a stalwart progressive while criticizing Mr. Cuomo. He became a national figure in late June after ICE agents detained him while trying to arrest a migrant he was escorting out of immigration court in Manhattan.
Zohran Mamdani
Perhaps no candidate has campaigned with as much sweep and social-media savvy as Zohran Mamdani. The democratic socialist assemblyman from Queens, who has focused on making the city more affordable, made use of sleek, shareable videos featuring quintessential New York touch points like subway cars and halal carts, and even a walk along the length of Manhattan, to help fuel his rise to a close second place in the polls.
Zellnor Myrie
Zellnor Myrie has campaigned on proposals to build one million new homes and provide free universal after-school care. A Brooklyn-bred state senator and son of Costa Rican immigrants, he has an only-in-New-York story that has been core to his campaign message. He split his time on the campaign trail between the statehouse in Albany and New York’s Black and brown neighborhoods, where his city sensibilities, namely his Knicks fandom, shined through.
Scott Stringer
Some New Yorkers remember Scott Stringer from his first mayoral campaign in 2021. Others may recall him as the hard-charging city comptroller who preceded Mr. Lander. This year, he has run as an affable technocrat, aiming to refresh voters’ memories of his record and garner new supporters along the way. He campaigned in many of the Manhattan neighborhoods that first put him in office, often bringing his wife and two sons along.
Whitney Tilson
When he started his campaign for mayor, Whitney Tilson was better known for the organizations associated with him — before entering politics, he ran the Kase Capital hedge fund and co-founded Teach for America. But his moderate message, emphasizing education reform and ending hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers, brought voters into his camp.
Maya King is a Times reporter covering New York politics.
The post Snapshots of N.Y.C. Mayoral Candidates on the Campaign Trail appeared first on New York Times.
