What to Know About the New York City Mayoral Race (posted 2020) (2023)

[Would you like to receive New York Today by email?Here is the registration.]

It's Wednesday.

Wetter: Mostly cloudy. High in the low 80's.

Alternativparkplatz: Valid until September 19 (Rosh Hashanah).Read about the changed regulations here.

[LiveNew York mayoral primary results.]

With less than two months to go until Election Day, eyes are on the presidential campaign. But another race in thereNew York Citywas gently heated.

Scott M. Stringer, the city auditor,officially declared his candidacyformayoron Tuesday after months of anticipation. His announcement came hours laterKathryn García, the hygiene officer,resigned from her postbefore their own potentialmayor run.

Withmayor Bill de BlasioAs he steps down next year due to term limits, a crowded field has sprung up to replace him. TheDemocratic elementary school, which will likely determine the outcome of the election, is only nine months away. And the confluence of crises thatNew York Cityis facing - from economic devastation and widespread unemployment to civil unrest - is expected to play a major role in the race.

Here's what you need to know:

The initial expectations

months ago, themayor raceappeared to be merging around three well-known Democrats, all male elected officials. Two white men, Mr. Stringer andCorey Johnson, the city council speaker, had notoriety, fundraising advantages, and institutional support that made it hard to imagine other candidates would have a serious chance in the primary.

The third man, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, is black and a former police officer, and many believed he could enlist support from a wide community across the city.

The role of the pandemic and the protests

The outlook changed as the city became an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic that has nearly claimed lives24.000 New Yorker, and as crowds protested against police brutality and systemic racism. My colleague Jeffery C. Mays wrote that the results of the recent Democratic primary showed that political dynamics may have shifted in favor of progressive candidates of color.

Earlier this summer, city public attorney Jumaane Williams, who is black,turned out to be a popular candidatefor his role in the protests, although he says he has no plans to take part in the race. Later,Maya Wiley, a black former top counsel for Mr de Blasio, left her position as aContributor to MSNBCto explore a possible run.

[Do New York City Voters Want Another White Mayor?]

The other influences

New York City's business leaders are also actively considering how best to use their influence and money toMayor's Office 2021, which is scheduled to take place in June (the general election will follow in November). My colleague Dana Rubinstein wrote that Stephen M. Ross, a billionaire developer, floated the prospect of helpRaise $100 millionfor the right candidate, depending on the people involved in these discussions.

However, in the current political climate, it is not clear whether business leaders can shape the conversation or help put a candidate of their choice into office.

The outlook

Over the next few months, candidates will try to prepare for the daunting challenges that await the city's next mayor. It remains unclear whether he will be linked to the de Blasio government - asMrs. Garcia and Mrs. Wileyare among other things – increase the chances of a candidate.

But Peter Ragone, a former top aide to Mr de Blasio, told Mr Mays that those who have a strong base in black communities will start with a huge advantage in the primary if they can form a multi-ethnic coalition.

"There will be no othermayorElected who do not have strong support in the African American community and maintain that support throughout their tenure,” Mr. Ragone said.

From the time

Justice Department steps in to help Trump in E. Jean Carroll rape lawsuit

Rochester Police Chief resigns after allegations of cover-up in prudish case

NY will relocate homeless men from Liberal neighborhood after backlash

15-year-old accused of shooting dead child and 4 others in J'Ouvert

The New York Fire Department substituted the name on its highest award, citing racist past

want more newsCheck out our full coverage.

The mini crossword puzzle:Here istoday's puzzle.

what we read

SomeBus drivers are harassedas drivers refuse to follow mask guidelines and other virus-related rules. [The city]

Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested thatIndoor dining will not be returningto New York City pending an expanded plan to enforce social distancing. [Esser New York]

A large fire at a junkyard in the Bronx that burned vehicles parked on nearby streetsclassified as suspicious by investigators. [NBC4 New York]

Finally, an artist recognizes essential workers

Jane Margolies of the Times writes:

During the pandemic, murals have appeared across New York City thanking frontline healthcare workers. a new work of art,unveiled across the cityon Tuesday paid tribute to other essential workers: the men and women who run the transit system and pick up garbage every day.

And it's by an artist, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, who for decades has honored those who anonymously toil in the service of the city.

Frau Ukeles, 80,der Artist-in-Residenceat the New York Department of Sanitation, is perhaps best known for a performance in which she shook hands with all of the agency's 8,500 employees and said to each, "Thank you for keeping New York City alive!"

Her new work addresses this theme via a 15-second animation of a handwritten note. The message - "Dear service worker, 'Thank you for keeping NYC alive!' For ——> forever" - will be played in an endless loop on a digital billboard in Times Square and on 2,000 message boards on the subways. At Queens Museum, which initiated the project, the work will take the form of five vinyl banners stretched across the 200-foot-wide glass facade of its building in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

The piece comes at a time when the pandemic has plunged the city into a kind of financial crisis not seen since the 1970s, when the artist first took up her unpaid job with the sewerage authority.

But Ms. Ukeles encodes hope in her new work. The animation sequence begins with an orange-red flash signaling the emergency and ends with the neon green of the sanitation workers' safety vests. "It swells from one shade to another," she said, "and we're optimistic."

It's Wednesday - show your appreciation.

Metropolitan Diary: Jackson Heights Country Club

Dear Diary:

The Jackson Heights Pool and Country Club.

It may sound idyllic, but the reality was three concrete pools, a concrete handball wall, and three paved tennis courts beneath the La Guardia Airport runway.

For us, it was the Garden of Eden, from its opening in 1961 to its demise in the late 1980s. Night swim on Wednesdays, outdoor cinema on Fridays and always the Saturday Night Show & Dance.

I was fortunate to be a member as a youth and to have worked there during my teenage years. My fondest memories were of helping my grandfather who was a gardener.

There wasn't much to do when the only grass that needed tending was a green clump near the kiddy pool that was maybe 10ft by 20ft. My grandfather's adventurous idea was to cover the high metal fence that surrounded the area with ivy for privacy.

"It never happens, grandfather," I said as we dug into the hard earth and rock to plant the seedlings.

"You'll see, Jimmy boy," he said. "Give him time and love. Keep shoveling.”

Within a few years, my colleagues and I were standing on extension ladders, hacking at the overgrown vines. Tennis players complained because balls kept getting lost in the thick ivy wall.

I visited my grandfather's grave a few years ago and then drove past where the club had been. What was once a summer playground for thousands is now the Queens of Korea Church and parking lot.

No sign of all those sunburnt faces, of Frank checking passports at the door, or of the mahjong players up on the roof terrace.

But on the corner of the property that framed the church's brick signage, there was a remnant of the past: some of my grandfather's ivy.

– Jim Rocco

New York Today is published around 6 a.m. on weekdays.Login hereto be emailed. You can also find it undernytoday.com.

We're experimenting with the New York Today format. What would you like to see more (or less) of? Leave a comment or send us an email:nytoday@nytimes.com.