If youâre reading this newsletter, chances are youâve been tuned into the mayoral primary horse-race for a while, watching Andrew Cuomoâs domination and investigation, Eric Adamsâs jumping the fence out of the Democratic primary, and Adrienne Adamsâs late-breaking but assertive entry into the race.
But most New Yorkersâthe roughly 25% of registered Democrats likely to vote in the primary, that isâwonât tune in until after Memorial Day. At that point, the candidates will be jockeying harder: ramping up their ads on the airwaves and sending canvassers to swarm farmersâ markets and subway stations. Basketball playoffs will be drawing to a close, but the race for Gracie Mansion will be entering its most meaningful stretchâwith both contests, hopefully, promising a New York that can have good things.
Critically, itâll be prime time for you to get the word out to your networksâand weâll be providing a ton of ways to get involved:Â
Sign up for our Abundance Day of Action on Saturday, May 31.
Continue the conversation at our Mayoral Debate Watch Party on Wednesday, June 4.
Sign up if youâre interested in joining our relational organizing pilot, helping us test the efficacy of new persuasion tactics in lower-salience down-ballot races.
In the meantime, for those who need a quick catch-up on the state of the race, itâs been a news-heavy season, but the polls havenât moved much.Â
The ex-governor continues to hold a commanding lead with about 40% support, even as his opponents skip attacking each other to aim their fire fully at him. Left-wing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is in a solid second place, but not close enough to catch Cuomo in a ranked choice simulation. (A reason heâs uplifting his opponents, in hopes they can collectively take the front-runner down.)
The only other candidates scraping ten percent are Comptroller Brad Lander, who has maxed out to the spending cap, and Speaker Adrienne Adams, who has qualified for matching funds. Still, neither has been able to bring down Cuomoâs numbers significantly or stem Mamdaniâs high-vibes riseâand no one else has been able to make a dent.Â
Itâs the beginning of the end, and time is running out.
If you want to go deeper into the state of the horse-race over the long weekend, hereâs some content we recommend.
Where They Stand: There isnât much in the way of high-quality voter resources spanning across issues, but the New York Times has a quick rundown of candidate positions. Issue-specific orgs and publications are offering a bit more detail on policy areas from class size to housing.
Pick your Pony: The City has a nifty quiz to help you find the candidates most aligned with your views. (Unfortunately, it collapses a lot of nuances. For example, candidates are credited with wanting to âexpand development rights in every community districtâ whether their plans call for tens of thousands of homes or a million).
Deeper Dives: If you want to get really in the weeds, weâve been enjoying Ben Maxâs double-barreled podcast recap of Andrew Cuomoâs record as governor, New Yorkâs profile of Zohran Mamdani, Michael Langeâs conjecture that only Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez still has the power to shake up the race, and the New York Editorial Boardâs in-depth interviews with every leading candidate.
See you on the other side of Memorial Day weekend, when the home stretch comes into sight.
Will it be a photo finish, or will Cuomo lap the field? Time, and all of us, will tell.