Politico | How Andrew Yang went from rock star to also-ran
- Andrew Yang conceded defeat in New York City’s mayoral race on Tuesday
- Yang was at the top of the pack in early polls thanks to his celebrity status
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Sally Goldenberg and Tina Nguyen on politico.com on June 23, 2021.
Andrew Yang burst into the New York City mayor’s race with strong name recognition, high-profile endorsers and a relentlessly positive message of rebirth for a city torn apart by tragedy.
The final results of the primary race will not be finalised for weeks, as the city Board of Elections tabulates absentee and ranked-choice ballots that can include up to five candidates. The new ranking system will kick in since front runner Eric Adams did not secure 50 per cent of the vote.
But Yang, recognising he had too much ground to overcome, conceded the race two hours after polls closed Tuesday night.
“You all know I am a numbers guy. I’m someone who traffics in what’s happening by the numbers,” he told supporters at his election night watch party, on a hotel terrace in Hell’s Kitchen. “And I am not going to be the next mayor of New York City based upon the numbers that have come in tonight.”
It was a disappointing finish for someone who spent much of the race in a comfortable lead. When he launched his campaign in January, during the Covid-19 pandemic’s second wave, Yang was the most famous candidate by far. He topped his competitors in name recognition and quickly amassed a campaign war chest that allowed him to spend more than US$8 million on the race. And his early support could be measured in individual donors – 21,138, compared to 9,390 for Adams, according to the city Campaign Finance Board’s latest disclosure.