This article was curated by It’s That Part, where we highlight the truth in every fact—curated for deeper insight and critical reflection.
If youve been watching the race for mayor of New York City, you know that there are two Democratic frontrunners the media has zeroed in on: Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani.
As the former governor of the state of New York and a longtime politico before his resignation in 2021 over sexual harassment claims, Cuomo has an astronomical lead with Black voters in the primary racewith one Emerson College/PIX11/Hill poll putting him at 62% with would-be Black voters and Mamdani at 38%.
Black New Yorkers make up the second-largest population in the city after Caucasian residents, with the U.S. Census counting non-Hispanic Black residents as 20.2% (or 1.78 million) of the population.
Why is Cuomo polling so strongly with Black voters, especially with a historic number of Black candidates in the race?
Could it be name recognition, nostalgia, or a practical calculation that more experience will equate to better governance? Have mixed feelings over the Eric Adams mayoral administration and its associated scandals taken the luster out of rallying for representation?
Whatever the reasons, the strong return of Cuomo and the fresh enthusiasm for Mamdani have dominated media attention for the past few weeks, overshadowing other candidates platforms, particularly other Black candidates in the race.
With ranked-choice voting in NYCs Democratic primary election, voters can choose up to five candidatesso even with Cuomo and Mamdani in the lead, knowing about other candidates platforms matters.
Heres a recap of who is in the race on the Democratic side (Eric Adams is now an Independent) and policy proposals that are worth attention:
Michael Blake: Son of New York, Democratic insider
Michael Blake is the son of Jamaican immigrants who was born and raised in the Bronx. He served as a state assemblyman in New Yorks 79th District from 2015 to 2021. Blake is also a reverend who has focused on economic empowerment in his advocacy work.
His biggest claim to fame is working in the Obama administration and serving as vice chair at large of the Democratic National Committee.
Blake has taken big swings at Cuomo, dedicating ads to getting Black voters to vote #NoCuomo.
You do not need an Andrew Cuomo to help you, Blake told theGrio in an interview. Andrew Cuomo has failed Black folk. Cuomo had 13 women who said that he had sexually harassed them and had a toxic environment. I’ve been a feminist my entire life, including a husband, a bonus father, and a reverend. The current administration is failing you. A Cuomo administration would fail you.
Blakes policy agenda centers around affordability, stable rent, and guaranteed income as a strategy for helping people stay out of poverty. He points to childcare and housing as the largest expenses that impact everyday New Yorkers.
I believe we should have a guaranteed income to help close the gap for New Yorkers to pay those bills, he told theGrio. If someone knows that that gap is there to help them in a time of need, you reduce the anxiety and stress that happens in life, and you actually give people an opportunity and a chance.
Blake says that with a city budget of $115 billion and a reduction of NYPD overtime chargeswhich recently totaled $1.4 billionthe funds could be reallocated.
Blake has been endorsed by former NY Congressman Jamaal Bowman and, interestingly enough, by Zohran Mamdani. The two cross-endorsed each other in a strategic move that works given NYCs ranked-choice voting option.
Adrienne Adams: No drama, serious business and could be NYCs first woman mayor
Adrienne Adams is one of the few candidates in the race whose day job most closely resembles the job shes running for. As the speaker of the New York City Council, shes the first Black person ever elected to the position.
As of this article, she was in the midst of trying to balance the citys $115 billion budget.
Adams has no family ties to the current mayor, Eric Adams, but shes been unapologetic in her criticism of him.
It has become clear that Mayor Adams has now lost the confidence and trust of his own staff, his colleagues in government, and New Yorkers, Adams said back in February, accusing him of mismanagement in the wake of his Turkish scandal. He now must prioritize New York City step aside and resign.
Adams has been able to point to her record of creating 80,000 affordable housing units and advocating for zoning reform to show she can help residents find a place to live.
Shes also created pathways for people to finish their college education if they had credits but werent able to cross the finish line through her CUNY Reconnect Program, resulting in 40,000 students served.
Adams promises to focus on affordability and housing and participate in the Trump resistance on a local level. Shes been endorsed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett.
Zellnor Myrie: Brooklyns very ownattorney-turned-state senator championing housing
Zellnor Myrie is a 38-year-old three-term Brooklyn State Senator who is also Afro-Latino (his parents immigrated from Costa Rica). A graduate of Fordham and Cornell Law School, Myrie worked as an attorney before launching his career in public service.
He can boast wins in the realm of helping to pass affordable housing laws that favored renters and has done notable work on increasing access to votingit was Myrie who introduced a bill to make early voting a statewide right in New York.
Im just like every other New Yorker who takes the subway every day, who is still trying to pay back student loans, who is still trying to make my way, Myrie said in an interview with NY1.
Myrie notably has a Black agenda specifically for Black voters, in addition to his larger policy agenda, which includes building intergenerational wealth through homeownership, increasing mental health services, Black maternal health resources, and a Black Business Accelerator Fund.
Myrie is polling in the middle of the pack of the eleven candidates in the race, but hes earned endorsements from former New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman, New York Attorney General Letitia James, New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Dr. Selma K. Bartholomew: Harlem-raised educator and community engager
Dr. Bartholomew (also known as Dr. B) is a self-described outlier who has entered the race with a diverse range of experiences as a businesswoman and educator. A graduate of Lehman College, where she focused on math and physics and earned advanced degrees at Fordham and Adelphi, Dr. Bartholomews vision for NYC includes increased public safety, cleaner streets, stronger educational programs, and free Metro cards for 18to 21-year-olds who are still in the building phase of young adulthood.
Dr. Bartholomew has also stated a desire for a quality-of-life assessment that goes zip code by zip code to report how residents needs are being met.
I am not a traditional candidate, she told The Amsterdam News in an interview. I have always pretty much voted Democrat, and I think the people have to be the change that they want to seeMy mission is clear: I want to bring our children back. I work in schools in New York and across the country, and I see the slow, slow death of our children. They are pushing this synthetic marijuana on our kids. I wanna be able to bring a bigger, bolder vision to New York City.
Although Dr. Bartholomews website lists no endorsements page or major fundraising initiatives, she spoke to her getting on the ballot as a reflection of her grassroots vision:
New York City has had 108 white men as mayors and 110 men. Our election process is really about selection, not election, she told The Amsterdam News. The people with money are the ones who were able to afford the attorneys. They are able to pay people to go out and collect signatures, and they know the process because they might have that historical knowledge. I just did it all on the strength of love and my army of volunteers, and faith.
Paperboy Prince: Artist-turned-candidate
Paperboy Princes ad campaign features them dressed in a suit, clown shoes with clown face paint, entering a New York City finance committee meeting with a message to share. At the end of the ad, it reads: A clown you can trust.
This isnt Paperboy Princes first electoral rodeo. They (their pronouns are they/them) also ran against Nydia Velzquez in the 2020 congressional race and were considered a longshot, but didnt succeed in the race, but managed to get 20% of the vote. Nevertheless, Paperboy Prince, who is also a rapper and activist, campaigns with a focus on a $2,000 universal basic income, housing for all, health care for all, and spreading love.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland with Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Panamanian roots, Paperboy Prince has built a community in NYC, a following on social media, and uses media spotlight in clown attire to press politicians about why they cant accomplish anything.
The people that are in office right now, theyre focused on division. Theyre focused on polarizing sides so they can gain more power. For me, I want to bring everybody together. It doesnt matter what race you are, what gender you are We need to come together as a family, as a city now because thats whats humane.
Polls for NYCs Democratic primary open on Tuesday, June 24, at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m.
