Who will win race for New York City mayor, the ‘second most difficult’ job in US?
- Race for New York City mayor too hard to predict, with no clear favourite
- Job often called ‘the second most difficult’ in the US, after that of president
Thirteen candidates, and no clear favourite: one week before the Democratic primary to select the mayor of post-pandemic New York City, progressives and moderates face off in a race made all the more uncertain by a new system of voting that has muddied all predictions.
Will it be Eric Adams, the moderate, black ex-policeman and president of the borough of Brooklyn? Or Andrew Yang, the tech entrepreneur with Taiwanese parents, also a moderate who infamously promised to pay US$1,000 to each American when he ran for president?
Or a woman, which would be a first? Perhaps Kathryn Garcia, another moderate who has proven her mettle in several municipal leadership positions and received The New York Times’ blessing. Or Maya Wiley, a black lawyer specialising in civil rights, who was recently endorsed by the party’s progressive rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
The diverse group of candidates dominate the latest polls for the job often called “the second most difficult” in the United States, after that of president – though traditionally low turnout in the primaries makes predictions unreliable.
Since New York is a Democratic stronghold the winner is likely to also succeed in the November election and take over from the outgoing, unpopular far-left Democrat Bill de Blasio, who is winding up eight years at the helm of the US’ largest city.
The main challenges will be “getting the city back on its feet” after the pandemic and racial tensions, said Penny Arnold, 51, a school fundraiser, after she voted early this weekend.