Brad Lander has a Scott Stringer problem — and vice versa.
In a New York City mayoral race left in limbo by the likely entrance of Andrew Cuomo, both men are trying to position themselves as the most viable candidate to take on the ex-governor. But their mutual presence in the race is doing the other no favors, given their similar backgrounds: Lander is the current city comptroller, while Stringer is his immediate predecessor.
And both are counting on doing well in vote-rich, affluent neighborhoods like the Upper West Side — Stringer’s home turf — and Park Slope, where Lander resides. When candidates hit the streets this week to begin gathering signatures to appear on the ballot, each man stopped in the other’s neighborhood — Stringer holed up at Bagel Pub on Seventh Avenue, and Lander campaigned outside Zabar’s.
Privately, people in both Stringer’s and Lander’s camps acknowledge that their candidate would have a simpler path to victory in the June Democratic primary if the other were not running. While ranked-choice voting means that a rising tide could lift both men, each would stand to gain if the other dropped out or faded — and both campaigns want to win potential number-two votes from people ranking the other comptroller first, especially in affluent liberal neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brownstone Brooklyn.
“The math states that in order for Scott to eventually become mayor, he wants Brad’s campaign to falter, and the same is true that if Brad has a realistic shot at overtaking Andrew Cuomo, he needs to galvanize some of Scott’s support,” said Trip Yang, a Democratic strategist unaffiliated with any mayoral campaign.
Animosity between the two campaigns has become more visible in recent days. Lander’s campaign manager amplified a social media post calling Stringer vindictive and unfit for office; an adviser to Stringer downplayed their rivalry by likening Lander to “a mosquito on the windshield.”
Both camps also suspect the other of spreading unfounded rumors that their candidate would drop out. Lander has repeatedly denied speculation that he might withdraw from the mayor’s race and instead run for re-election as comptroller, while Stringer’s camp dismissed claims that he might be discouraged by Lander’s recent endorsements from multiple political clubs on Manhattan’s West Side that formerly backed Stringer.
“You’ve got to go [after] who’s above you,” said Stringer adviser Alyssa Cass, referring to Stringer’s position atop Lander in some early polls. “That’s why Lander is coming after us, and why we are totally focused on beating Cuomo.”
Alison Hirsh, campaign manager for Lander, said in a statement: “We’re proud that Brad has the most grassroots support, widest political coalition, strongest momentum, and that polls show he has the clearest path to beat Andrew Cuomo.”
Both Lander and Stringer themselves have remained publicly cordial toward one another. At a Feb. 21 mayoral forum, when Lander noted his agreement with Stringer on a policy issue, Stringer chimed in spiritedly: “Ranked-choice voting!”
“Come on, Cuomo, you don’t know what we’ve got planned!” Stringer added — suggesting that some sort of alliance between the two comptrollers is still conceivable.
Lander and Stringer share other similarities beyond having served as the city’s chief fiscal officer. Both have Jewish backgrounds, and both were elected comptroller after running underdog campaigns against better-known challengers — Stringer defeated ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2013, and Lander triumphed over then-Council Speaker Corey Johnson in 2021.
Both men are also centering their campaigns on competence and managerial skills, contrasting themselves against the self-proclaimed swagger of Mayor Eric Adams, whose own re-election prospects look dimmer by the day.
And both candidates have shortcomings. Given the centrist vibe of the current electorate, Lander is trying to downplay the progressive image he had cultivated for years, including his past support for cutting the police department’s budget.
Stringer, who ran for mayor as a progressive in 2021, is now emphasizing his centrist credentials — and is no longer competing for the left-wing Working Families Party’s endorsement that he won in 2021. As part of his new campaign strategy, Stringer did not actively campaign for the Democratic club endorsements that he ended up losing to Lander, since winning those clubs’ support did little to help his 2021 bid, a Stringer aide said.
Stringer must also continue defending himself against two accusations of sexual misconduct that tanked his 2021 campaign. He denies wrongdoing and is suing one of those accusers for defamation.
In public memos last month, both campaigns laid out their potential paths to victory: Stringer’s campaign said he had the highest favorability rating of any candidate in the field, with especially strong numbers in Manhattan. Lander’s campaign argued he has a higher potential ceiling, since, unlike Stringer, he has never before run for mayor.
Both campaigns are bullish about their chances. Stringer has shown some strength in early polls, with several showing him jockeying with Adams for second place behind Cuomo. Lander has hovered in a similar position — but has so far raised the most money, with $3.9 million in his campaign account versus $3.1 million for Stringer
Of course, there is no guarantee that Lander or Stringer will even make it to second place. Zohran Mamdani, a socialist Assemblyman from Queens, eclipsed all candidates except Cuomo in another poll released this week.
