This article is adapted from our April 10 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.
Dear New Yorkers,
As I see it, one of the fun perks of running as an independent candidate, as Mayor Eric Adams is now, is getting to pick your own ballot name. The art of naming your entire platform seems like one upside to having to explain over the next eight months that he’s not running on the Democratic line — even though he insists he is still a member of the party.
The 2019 special election for public advocate, for example, had 17 candidates who all picked their own ballot line names, with entries like “Fix the M.T.A,” “No More Delays” and “No Amazon.”
(The winner, Jumaane Williams, went with the simple but imperative “It’s Time Let’s Go.”)
This week, the mayor announced his ballot name as “Safe Streets, Affordable City.” But it won’t look like that when you go to vote. New York State election law rules that any ballot-line name with more than 15 letters will have to be abbreviated — and if the Adams campaign doesn’t pick how it’s shortened, the Board of Elections will, per a spokesperson.
(“Sfe Strts, Aff. City” perhaps. Really rolls off the tongue!)
For fun, I asked folks on social media what they’d pick as the mayor’s ballot line. What would you go with? Let me know by replying.
— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team
What We’re Reading …
Big election reform news, if it happens: Mayor Adams’s Charter Revision Commission — not to be confused by the other Charter Revision Commission hosted by the City Council — is considering proposing open primaries and even-year elections in the city. That would transform how local elections work. You may get to vote on those proposals in November, if they move forward.
The police commissioner as a potential future mayoral candidate? Politico’s thorough investigation into the lavish spending of George Gresham, the president of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East — including $50,000 to civil rights leader Jesse Jackson to pay for medical bills.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams sat down with our FAQ NYC podcast to discuss her mayoral run and talked about her proposal for a guaranteed minimum income to more than 21,000 homeless young adults and children. She also spoke about how the departure of four deputy mayors helped motivate her to run. “I could not sit back and do nothing about it,” she told us.Heads up: FAQ will have an interview out next week with Comptroller Brad Lander. Stay tuned!
What’s Ahead …
Days until the June primary: 75
April 15: Mayoral forum for residents of affordable co-ops, like HDFCs and Mitchell-Lama. 6 to 8 p.m. at The Center at West Park, 165 W. 86th St.
April 16: Immigrant-focused mayoral forum hosted by THE CITY (!!!), Documented, the New York Immigration Coalition and others. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. virtual or in person at the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies, 25 W. 43rd St.
April 17: Bipartisan mayoral candidate forum hosted by public service retirees. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Proshansky Auditorium, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. RSVP here.
Your Election Questions, Answered
❓Reader Carol H. asked: Will anyone be running on the Republican Party? Can only Democrats vote in the Democratic primary?
Answer: Yes, only registered Democrats can vote in the June Democratic primary. (And only Republicans can vote in the Republican primary.) And for the mayor’s race, longtime New York crime-fighter and gadfly Curtis Sliwa will vye to be the Republican candidate. Right now, he’s the only major candidate on the GOP side and has the support of the Republican party leaders from all the boroughs.
❓Reader Jeanne F. asked: How do I sign the petition for Mayor Adams to run as an independent?
Answer: Unlike an online petition, political petitions are usually more by happenstance. They have to be signed in person, usually on the street. Look for eager staffers or volunteers holding the green paper forms at subway stations, busy intersections, or farmers markets. There are also often opportunities to sign petitions at campaign events like rallies — which Mayor Adams promises he’ll start up now that charges have been dropped. Unfortunately, our best advice for this is to keep your eyes peeled as you’re out and about!
Have a question for our election team? Reply back to this email or send your questions to ask@thecity.nyc.
THE CAMPAIGN KICKER: Scandal scarred ex-state senator Hiram Monserrate gave Mayor Adams thousands of petitions to help him get on the ballot. But the mayor never used them.
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The post The Mayor’s Make-Your-Own Party Name: ‘Safe Streets, Affordable City’ appeared first on THE CITY – NYC News.
