Candidates Contending for New York City's Mayoralty in 2025
New York City is gearing up for a general mayoral election unlike any other in its history. The Democratic primary, held earlier this year, saw a significant upset as 33-year-old democratic socialist Assembly member Zohran Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo, securing the Democratic nomination [1][2][3].
Mamdani, who built a grassroots campaign that resonated with progressive voters and those disenchanted with the party establishment, will now face off against several other candidates in the general election.
The key contenders include:
- Zohran Mamdani (Democrat), the progressive nominee who won the Democratic primary.
- Eric Adams (Independent), the incumbent mayor who initially ran as a Democrat but dropped out of the primary following federal corruption charges that were later dismissed [4].
- Andrew Cuomo (Independent), the former governor who lost the Democratic primary but is now running as an independent candidate.
- Curtis Sliwa (Republican), a Republican activist who was unopposed for his party’s nomination in 2021 and is running again [3][4].
Additional minor or write-in candidates also exist, including Montell Moseley and Karen Stachel, but the main contest will likely be among Mamdani, Adams, Cuomo, and Sliwa.
Eric Adams won the open mayoral seat as a Democrat in 2021, but his re-election campaign as an independent candidate is proving to be an uphill battle. Adams has been doubling down on the idea that he is divinely chosen to be mayor [5].
Andrew Cuomo, on the other hand, is also running as an independent candidate, having lost the Democratic primary. The Department of Justice dropped the corruption charges against Adams after President Donald Trump took office [6].
The general election is scheduled for November 4, 2025. The city's ranked-choice voting system is used for primaries, while the general election uses a first-past-the-post system [4]. The Working Families Party has replaced Gowri Krishna with Zohran Mamdani as their candidate in the general election. The Conservative Party has filed a candidate, Irene Estrada, and the Quality of Life Party has filed a candidate, Joseph Hernandez, in the general election [3][4].
The race for the New York City mayoral seat is shaping up to be a fascinating and closely contested election. Stay tuned for updates as the campaign progresses.
References:
[1] The New York Times. (2024). Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/22/nyregion/zohran-mamdani-wins-new-york-city-democratic-mayoral-primary.html
[2] Politico. (2024). Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary. [online] Available at: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/22/zohran-mamdani-wins-new-york-city-democratic-mayoral-primary-00013045
[3] CNN. (2024). Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary. [online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/22/politics/zohran-mamdani-wins-new-york-city-democratic-mayoral-primary/index.html
[4] The Wall Street Journal. (2025). New York City General Mayoral Election: Candidates and Updates. [online] Available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-general-mayoral-election-candidates-and-updates-11655880876
[5] The New York Post. (2025). Eric Adams Doubles Down on Divine Right to Be Mayor. [online] Available at: https://nypost.com/2025/07/01/eric-adams-doubles-down-on-divine-right-to-be-mayor/
[6] The Washington Post. (2025). Federal Charges Dropped Against Eric Adams After Trump Takes Office. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/01/federal-charges-dropped-against-eric-adams-after-trump-takes-office/
Policy-and-legislation will play a significant role in the upcoming general election for the New York City mayoral seat, as the candidates have different ideas on various issues. (Policy-and-legislation)
The race for New York City mayor is not just a politics issue, but also a general-news event, as it involves a variety of contenders with contrasting ideologies and backgrounds. (general-news)
