The 2021 New York City mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021. Incumbent Mayor Bill de Blasio was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. On June 22, 2021, the primary elections for the Democratic and Republican primaries were held. The 2021 primaries were the first New York City mayoral election primaries to use ranked-choice voting rather than the

plurality voting Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which a candidate, or candidates, who poll more than any other counterpart (that is, receive a plurality), are elected. In systems based on single-member districts, it elects just one member pe ...

of previous primaries. On election night, Guardian Angels founder and radio talk show host

Curtis Sliwa Curtis Sliwa (; born March 26, 1954) is an American activist, radio talk show host and founder and chief executive officer of the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit organization for unarmed crime prevention. Sliwa was the Republican nominee for the ...

won the Republican primary with 67.9% of the vote, defeating New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers founder Fernando Mateo.

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Borough President and former police officer

Eric Adams Eric Leroy Adams (born September 1, 1960) is an American politician and retired police captain serving as the 110th mayor of New York City since January 1, 2022. Adams was an officer in the New York City Transit Police and then the New York ...

had a lead on election night in the Democratic primary but did not reach 50% of the vote, meaning that ranked-choice voting would come into play. In the final round of ranked-choice voting in the Democratic primary, Adams defeated former

New York City Department of Sanitation The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for garbage collection, recycling collection, street cleaning, and snow removal. The DSNY motto "New York's Strongest" was coined ...

Commissioner

Kathryn Garcia Kathryn A. Garcia (; born March 3, 1970) is an American public official serving as Director of State Operations for the state of New York. She served as commissioner for the New York City Sanitation Department from 2014 to 2020 and was a candidat ...

, 50.4%–49.6%. In the general election, Adams handily defeated Sliwa with 67.0% of the vote to become the 110th mayor of New York City and the city's second African-American mayor.

History

In 2019, New York City voters passed Ballot Question #1 to amend the City Charter to "give voters the choice of ranking up to five candidates in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

beginning in January 2021". The first election in the city to use ranked-choice voting was in the 24th council district in Queens, which took place on February 2, 2021. This was the first time ranked-choice voting was used in the New York City mayoral election. In 2019, journalists and political commentators predicted several potential 2021 mayoral candidates, including

Borough President

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson, NYC Comptroller

Scott Stringer Scott M. Stringer (born April 29, 1960) is an American politician who served as the 44th New York City Comptroller. A Democrat, Stringer also previously served as a New York State Assemblyman, and as the 26th borough president of Manhattan. I ...

, and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Incumbent

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Bill de Blasio was barred by term limits from seeking a third term. By May 2021, thirteen candidates had qualified for the Democratic Party primary, and two for the Republican Party primary. There are also minor party and independent campaigns for the general election in November.

Democratic primary

Polling in late January and early February 2021 showed businessman

Andrew Yang Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and politician. Yang was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. He is the co-c ...

as the Democratic primary frontrunner, with Adams in second place and Stringer in third place. In April,

was accused of sexual abuse by Jean Kim. Stringer denied the allegations, claiming that the relationship had been consensual. In June, a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct. On May 5, 2021, ''

Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...

'' reported that a recent poll found that Eric Adams was leading the Democratic primary contest; this marked the first time since January that any Democratic candidate other than Yang had led in a public poll. On June 7, ''

Spectrum News Spectrum News (formerly Time Warner Cable News) is the brand for a slate of cable news television channels that are owned by Charter Communications through its acquisition of Time Warner Cable in May 2016. Each of the 15 regional channels primar ...

'' reported that Adams had maintained a lead in the Democratic primary. On July 6, the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

reported that Adams had won the Democratic primary. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' stated that Adams, a "former police captain", had prevailed "after appealing to the political center and promising to strike the right balance between fighting crime and ending racial injustice in policing". An earlier report from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' asserted that Adams had run as a "working-class underdog" and had "hammered away at the message that he was the only candidate who could tackle both crime and police reform".

Candidates

Nominee

Borough President, former NY State Senator from the 20th district (2007–2013), former NYPD captain

Eliminated in primary

*Art Chang, former

JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. As of 2022, JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, the ...

managing director, founder of NYC Votes * Shaun Donovan, former Director of the US Office of Management and Budget (2014–2017), United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2009–2014), former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (2004–2008) *Aaron Foldenauer, attorney *

, former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation (2014–2020), former Interim Chair and CEO of the NYC Housing Authority (2019), former Chief Operating Officer of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (2012–2014) * Ray McGuire, former Citigroup executive * Dianne Morales, former social services

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

CEO, former schoolteacher * Paperboy Love Prince, Brooklyn rapper *

, New York City Comptroller, former

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

Borough President (2006–2013), former assemblymember for the 67th district (1993–2005) *Joycelyn Taylor, CEO of TaylorMade Contracting *

Maya Wiley Maya D. Wiley (born January 2, 1964) is an American lawyer, professor, and civil rights activist. She has served as president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights since May 2022. Wiley served as counsel to New York City ...

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

professor, former chair of the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (2016-2017), former counsel to Bill de Blasio, former ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney * Isaac Wright Jr., lawyer *

candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * ...

for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, former

Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) was a collaborative advisory group created by former United States President Barack Obama tasked with creating entrepreneurial growth in America. PAGE was founded by then United States Pr ...

(2015-2017), founder of

Venture for America Venture For America (VFA) is an American nonprofit organization and fellowship headquartered in New York City. Founded by Andrew Yang in 2011, its mission is "to create economic opportunity in American cities" by training recent graduates and youn ...

Write-in candidates who did not qualify for ballot access

* Nickie Kane, web designer, entrepreneur and paralegal student at City University of New York * Eddie Cullen, tech entrepreneur and professor at

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...

*Thomas Downs, restaurant worker *Guiddalia Emilien, real estate agent and small business owner *Garry Guerrier, paramedic and nurse *Max Kaplan, director of social media at Talent Resources * Barbara Kavovit, CEO of Evergreen Construction and former ''

Real Housewives of New York City ''The Real Housewives of New York City'' (abbreviated ''RHONY'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo (American TV network), Bravo on March 4, 2008. Developed as the second installment of ''The Real Housewives'' fran ...

'' cast member *Ira Seidman, data scientist *Ahsan Syed, candidate for NYC Mayor in 2017

Withdrawn candidates

*Michael DeName, former independent US presidential candidate * Rubén Díaz Jr., Bronx Borough President (2009present), former NY State Assemblymember (19972009) ''(endorsed Eric Adams)'' *Quanda S. Francis, president of Sykes Capital Management ''(withdrew to run as an independent)'' * Zach Iscol, entrepreneur,

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

veteran ''( running for NYC Comptroller; lost election)'' * Corey Johnson, Speaker of the NYC Council (2018present), NYC Councilmember for the 3rd district (2014present) ''( running for NYC Comptroller)'' * Carlos Menchaca, NYC Councilmember for Brooklyn's 38th district (2013–present) ''(endorsed Andrew Yang)'' *Julia Qing Reaves, LGBT+ activist *Stephen Bishop Seely, actor * Loree Sutton, former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Veterans' Services (20172019), former

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

''(endorsed Kathryn Garcia)''

Declined

Andy Byford Andy Byford (born 1965) is a British transport executive who has held several management-level positions in transport authorities around the world, such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authori ...

, former president of the NYC Transit Authority (20182020) *

Melinda Katz Melinda R. Katz (born August 29, 1965) is an American attorney and politician from New York City, serving as District Attorney of Queens since January 1, 2020. A Democrat, she previously served as the Queens Borough President. Katz was also a ...

, Queens County District Attorney (2020present),

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

Borough President (20142020), NYC Councilmember for the 29th district (20022009), NY State Assemblymember for the 28th district (19941999) * Melissa Mark-Viverito, former NYC Council Speaker (20142017) * Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Representative for

New York's 14th congressional district New York's 14th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City, represented by Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The district includes the eastern part of The Bronx ...

(2019present) ''(endorsed Maya Wiley)'' *

Christine Quinn Christine Callaghan Quinn (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as the Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, she was the first female and first ...

, former NYC Council Speaker (20062013) * Max Rose, former US Representative for

New York's 11th congressional district New York's 11th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. The 11th district includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn, including the neighborhoods of B ...

(20192021) ''(formed exploratory committee but did not run)'' * Ritchie Torres, US Representative for New York's 15th congressional district (2021present) ''(endorsed

)'' * Jumaane Williams, NYC Public Advocate (2019present), former NYC Councilmember for the 45th district (20102019) ''(running for re-election as NYC Public Advocate)'' ''(endorsed Maya Wiley)'' * Jeff Zucker, chairman of Warner Media News & Sports (2019present)

Results by round

Republican primary

Candidates

Major candidates

The following candidates appeared on the Republican primary ballot. Sliwa ran on a platform opposing the Defund the Police movement, supporting a property tax overhaul so that wealthy citizens pay more in comparison to working-class residents, keeping in place the Specialized High School Admissions Test while increasing opportunities for vocational training in charter schools, and focusing on fiscal restraint. He also opposes the killing of unwanted animals and supports making all animal shelters no-kill shelters.

Failed to qualify for ballot access

*Abbey Laurel-Smith, businesswoman *Adam Oremland, attorney and social media personality *Bill Pepitone, retired

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

officer ''(ran as the candidate for the Conservative Party)'' *Sara Tirschwell,

CFO The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...

of Foundation House

Withdrawn

*Cleopatra Fitzgerald, activist *Christopher Scott Krietchman, entrepreneur

Declined

*Nicole Gelinas, fellow at the

Manhattan Institute The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Anto ...

* Andrew Giuliani, son of Rudy Giuliani, former special assistant to the president, former associate director of the

White House Office of Public Engagement The White House Office of Public Engagement is a unit of the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States. Under the administration of President Barack Obama, it was called the White House Office of Public ...

''(running for governor in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

)'' * Randy Levine, president of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

*Kelly Kennedy Mack, president of Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group *Scherie Murray, businessperson, candidate for NY State Assembly in 2015, candidate for NY District 14 *

David B. Samadi David B. Samadi is an American board-certified urologist, a Newsmax contributor, and the former Chairman of Urology and Chief of Robotic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. Biography Born and raised in the Persian Jewish community of Iran, at ag ...

, urologist * Eric Ulrich, NYC Councilmember (2009present)

Endorsements

Opinion polling

;Polling key and sponsors

Debates

Results

Third parties

Conservative Party

Nominee

*Bill Pepitone, retired

officer

Working Families Party

Candidate

*No candidate nominated

Declined

*Deborah Axt, former director of Make the Road New York *

professor

Empowerment Party

Nominee

*Quanda S. Francis, Sykes Capital Management President and Accountant

Libertarian Party

Nominee

*Stacey Prussman, activist and comedian

Party for Socialism and Liberation

Candidate

* Cathy Rojas, teacher and socialist activist

Independents

Declared

*Thomas Downs, activist *Quanda Francis, president of Sykes Capital Management *Christopher Scott Krietchman

General election

Debates

Endorsements

Polling

;Polling key and sponsors

Results

Though Adams won the election easily in the heavily Democratic city, he received fewer votes than Bill de Blasio in either of his two mayoral runs, and lost many heavily Asian American precincts. This is partly attributed to Sliwa's pledge to halt the construction of homeless shelters which were proposed by Adams to be built in neighborhoods such as Asian-majority Sunset Park. Other issues of importance to Asian American activist leaders included proposed reforms to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test in high schools, bail reform, and plans to build new jails in neighborhoods such as

Chinatown, Manhattan Manhattan's Chinatown () is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City, bordering the Lower East Side to its east, Little Italy to its north, Civic Center to its south, and Tribeca to its west. With an estimated population of 90,000 to 1 ...

References

External links

* {{2021 United States elections

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

Eric Adams

History

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Write-in candidates who did not qualify for ballot access

Withdrawn candidates

Declined

Results by round

Republican primary

Candidates

Major candidates

Failed to qualify for ballot access

Withdrawn

Declined

Endorsements

Opinion polling

Debates

Results

Third parties

Conservative Party

Nominee

Working Families Party

Candidate

Declined

Empowerment Party

Nominee

Libertarian Party

Nominee

Party for Socialism and Liberation

Candidate

Independents

Declared

General election

Debates

Endorsements

Polling

Results

See also

References

External links