Who’s Running for Mayor of New York City?

By Emma G. Fitzsimmons

The 2025 New York City mayor’s race has been unusually volatile and will have major consequences for the nation’s largest city.

Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, won a competitive Democratic primary in June, soundly defeating former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo by nearly 13 percentage points through focusing on making the city more affordable.

Mr. Mamdani will face two candidates in the general election, which will be held Nov. 4. Mr. Cuomo confirmed in July that he would run on an independent ballot line.

Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, a group of volunteer would-be crime fighters, is the Republican nominee.

Mayor Eric Adams, a registered Democrat, skipped his party’s primary and ran for a second term as an independent before dropping out of the race in late September.

The race has focused on several major themes, including affordability, public safety and President Trump’s agenda.

Here is an overview of the candidates for mayor.

Democratic nominee and state assemblyman

Mr. Mamdani is a state assemblyman and democratic socialist who stunned the political establishment with his victory in the Democratic primary. He galvanized voters with an intense focus on affordability, campaigning on populist ideas like free buses, rent freezes for rent-stabilized apartments and city-owned grocery stores. His opponents have raised concerns over his limited experience in government and his criticism of Israel.

Republican nominee and Guardian Angels founder

Mr. Sliwa, who lost the general election to Mr. Adams in 2021, is running for the Republican nomination again.He is a host on the conservative WABC radio station and has led the Guardian Angels, a citizen patrol group, for decades. He has criticized the mayor’s handling of the migrant crisis and opposed the opening of new shelters.

Independent candidate and former governor

Mr. Cuomo was elected to three terms as governor and resigned in 2021 after roughly a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment. He also faced criticism for his handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic. During the Democratic mayoral primary, he highlighted his record as governor, which included completing major infrastructure projects and raising the minimum wage. He finished second and plans to run in the general election on a third-party line.

Mr. Adams ran for mayor in 2021 as a former police officer who vowed to bring down crime, and his message four years later was similar. But his campaign faced many challenges, and he dropped out of the race five weeks before Election Day. (He will still appear on the ballot.)Mr. Adams had argued that he improved the city, pointing to his efforts to address public safety, to put trash into bins instead of on curbs and to build new housing. But he was dogged by his indictment on federal corruption charges that the Trump administration later moved to have dismissed; his administration has been plagued by investigations and high-profile resignations; and his approval rating is at record lows.

Mr. Walden, a former federal prosecutor who has handled high-profile cases, ran as an independent. He dropped out of the race in September after failing to gain traction, though he will still appear on the ballot.He had not run for office before and focused on curtailing corruption. He also criticized congestion pricing tolls in Manhattan and city vaccine mandates during the pandemic.

Ms. Adams, the first Black leader of the City Council, sought to position herself as a principled and scandal-free alternative to Mr. Adams, to whom she is not related, and Mr. Cuomo. She has fought to restore the mayor's budget cuts to libraries and free preschool and worked with him to approve a major housing plan.

Dr. Bartholomew is an education consultant.

Mr. Blake was a White House aide under President Barack Obama and served in the State Assembly representing the Bronx.

Mr. Lander, the city comptroller, is a progressive leader and a fierce critic of Mr. Adams and Mr. Cuomo. He cross-endorsed Mr. Mamdani in the primary and finished in third place in the Democratic primary.

Mr. Myrie is a progressive state senator from Brooklyn who proposed creating free universal after-school programs, hiring 3,000 police officers to improve public safety and building one million new homes.

Paperboy Love Prince Dem.

Paperboy Prince is a content creator and community activist.

Ms. Ramos, a state senator from Queens who failed to gain traction in the race, endorsed Mr. Cuomo. She had been a sharp critic of Mr. Cuomo, but did not think Mr. Mamdani should be mayor. She built her reputation as a progressive who supported raising the minimum wage.

Mr. Stringer, the former city comptroller, ran on a message that he was competent and experienced. His 2021 mayoral campaign was derailed by allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.

Mr. Tilson is a longtime Democratic donor and former hedge-fund executive who focused his campaign on public safety and antisemitism. During the primary, he criticized Mr. Mamdani and praised Mr. Cuomo.