Democratic mayoral candidates differed in their approaches to improving the city’s transportation system and addressing broader issues like immigration, but one topic brought them together: their disdain for the current administration.
Participants in the Thursday mayoral candidate forum included city Comptroller Brad Lander, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos and former Assemblymember Michael Blake. The event, coordinated by an array of Brooklyn-based Democratic groups, was held at the Brooklyn School of Law. Former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Mayor Eric Adams and attorney Jim Walden did not attend.
The candidates were unanimous in their criticism of the mayor's handling of housing, immigration and transportation issues. The event occurred after news broke that Adams would meet President-elect Donald Trump at his private Florida club Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
“He's been pleading for a pardon for a long time now, and clearly willing to sell out our immigrant neighbors and our city," Lander told attendees in his opening remarks. "But still, my head almost exploded [when I heard.]”
Candidates emphasized the importance of tenant protections, right to counsel and affordable housing reform. Myrie pushed his plan to build and preserve one million homes through rezonings and incentive programs. Blake and Mamdani both supported reforming current affordability standards to include a wider swath of New Yorkers.
Immigration policy drew particular attention given the prospect of increased ICE, or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, activity under a Trump administration.
“One of my staff members’ brothers was stopped by ICE in the Bronx earlier this week,” Ramos said. “He was told that he should be carrying his work permit with him (...) in case he was stopped again. This is something that really threatens our economy. It threatens the safety of migrant families.”
When asked about how the city deals with its police force, most candidates offered a cautious critique of use of force, high overtime spending and management of mental health crises. Ramos advocated for turning police scanners back on, and both Myrie and Ramos advocated for better funding of the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Mamdani emerged as the NYPD’s most outspoken critic, who advocated for disbanding the Strategic Response Group, putting the NYPD under civilian control and reducing the size of its communications department.
“I didn't need to see a five minute video shot by drones of how the NYPD invaded Columbia University,” Mamdani said. “We need one to two people to be able to share the basic facts.”
Candidates were short on details in regards to how they would work with the incoming presidential administration, vowing to protect the city’s interests, but acknowledging that the city depends on federal funding for a great deal of infrastructure.
On education, Blake said early school lunch times should be addressed.
“Why on earth would we say to a student that you would have lunch at 10:00am or 10:30am, because we are saying we can't find the space,” Blake said over Zoom. “If we actually created more space and found more opportunities where students can actually eat a little bit later, then you are not going into a scenario where a child is hungry and distracted as the days continue on.”
Candidates spoke about their support for better-protected bike lanes, improved bus lines and more mental health resources within subways. Ramos said the mayor should be able to appoint the president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and Myrie called out the infamous sluggishness of the B41 bus along Flatbush Avenue.
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