By Alexis Yeap 6/30/25
Election season is back for the Big Apple because on November 4th New Yorkers are going to vote for their mayoral candidate. The choices are predominantly split 4 ways between two independents, 1 democrat, and 1 republican candidate. So here’s a basic rundown.
First up we got the incumbent, Eric Adams. He was the democratic nominee in the 2021 mayoral elections but this time he’s going independent since he declined to run for the Democrats and was declined by the Republicans. Eric Adams is a controversial figure amongst New Yorkers and is widely criticized for his handling of many situations, namely the migrant housing crisis. He’s also under an FBI investigation for bribery in his last campaign. He’s also the first mayor of New York to be charged with a crime while still in office.
Next up is former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. After resigning from his position in disgrace for his multiple sexual harassment charges, Cuomo seeks to revamp his political career with this election, by running for the democrat party’s ticket. Later on he conceded to Democrat candidate Zohran Mamdani and is now running as an independent. Cuomo has also embroiled himself in controversy during this election when a photo for one of his campaigns showed candidate Mamdani with a thicker beard that was digitally altered. For this, he’s been accused of being rather islamophobic.
Zohran Mamdani is a Muslim American candidate who gained popularity through his more populist stance such as making bus rides free in New York. It also doesn’t hurt that he strategically used social media to bring more attention to his campaign. He’s outspoken on his anti-zionist stance when it comes to the Gaza War. For this and much more, he’s been accused of being anti-semetic, this however contrasts New York’s Jewish community’s support for his campaign. He’s the presumed winner of the democratic primary after Cuomo’s concession and his confident and quick answers during the primary’s debate.
Last but not least is the Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Sliwa is famous for his creation of the Guardian Angels, a civilian group who fights violent crimes. In New York this group especially targeted violent crimes on the Subway. They’re often distinguished by their signature red beret which Sliwa often wears. His political platform is based on repealing unpopular bills by Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo and improving the city’s economy.
Although most of us probably don’t live in New York City, this is a pretty interesting election especially with the reaction to Mamdani’s stances and victory. Additionally half of the candidates mentioned are pretty controversial and watching them try to maintain or rebuild their careers can be pretty fascinating. So enjoy as yet another election season is upon us, at least it isn’t the midterm election of 2026 yet.