What is the mayoral election?

The mayor is the chief executive of a city, town, or municipality. In New York City, the mayor is responsible for overseeing the administration, representing the city and ensuring the delivery of public services.

The mayor’s specific duties vary depending on the local government structure.
Some responsibilities of a mayor of the things a mayor does that affect students are advocating for education funding, supporting after-school and summer programs, promoting safety and supporting student health.

A primary election for the New York City mayor is scheduled for June 24, 2025.
The June election is for the political party primary, meaning winners advance to the general election in the fall. Because NYC is a heavily Democratic city, usually the Democratic candidate who wins the primary also wins the general election in November. But this year, that’s changed. Incumbent Eric Adams is running as an independent and will be on the ballot in November alongside a Democratic and a Republican candidate.

As of 2024, New York had term limits for the position of mayor: Mayors could serve two consecutive four-year terms and then could only hold office again after one full term had elapsed.

Who’s running?
The following candidates are running in the primary mayoral election on June 24, 2025.

Adrienne Adams – Democrat
Adrienne Adams is the Speaker of the New York City Council and the first Black woman to hold this role. She represents District 28 in Queens. She has set goals to make housing affordable for people and started the CUNY Reconnect program that helps working-age New Yorkers who previously had college credits but did not complete their degree to re-enroll in CUNY and finish their education, ultimately enhancing their economic opportunities.As Speaker, she has started programs to help working moms and adult students. She has pushed back against budget cuts to city services.

Michael Blake – Democrat
Michael Blake is a politician from the Bronx, New York. He was a state Assemblyman from 2015 to 2021. He also worked in the Obama White House. He wants to create universal child care, offer tax breaks for middle-class homeowners and wants to speed up government payments.

Andrew Cuomo – Democrat
Andrew Cuomo is a politician from Queens, New York City. He was Governor of New York for ten years, from 2011 to 2021. He resigned in 2021 after facing sexual misconduct allegations. During his time as governor, he helped pass many laws like same-sex marriage, paid family leave, and stronger gun control. He also worked on big projects like the Second Avenue subway and improved the city’s airports.

Brad Lander – Democrat
Brad Lander is a city official from Brooklyn, New York. He is the New York City Comptroller. He wants to help homeless people find stable housing, bring back funding for early childhood education and improve how the city handles building projects and programs.

Zohran Mamdani – Democrat
Zohran Mamdani is a politician from Queens. He moved to New York when he was a child and he has been a member of the New York State Assembly since 2021. He wants to freeze rent prices, make buses and child care free and build public supermarkets to lower food costs.

Zellnor Myrie – Democrat
Zellnor Myrie is a politician from Brooklyn. Since 2019, he has been a New York State Senator. Now running for mayor, he wants to build and protect one million homes in the city and create free after-school programs for all public school students.

Jessica Ramos – Democrat
Jessica Ramos is a politician from Queens. She lives in Jackson Heights. Since 2019, she has served in the New York State Senate. She wants to improve access to child care, build affordable housing and make mental health care easier to access across the city.

Scott Stringer – Democrat
Scott Stringer is a politician from New York City. He’s held several city jobs, including comptroller and Manhattan borough president. He wants to make the NYPD stronger, fight corruption, create more space for affordable housing, expand child care and clean up the streets. In 2021, Stringer faced accusations of sexual misconduct by two women.

Whitney Tilson – Democrat
Whitney Tilson is from Connecticut and lives in the upper east side. He wants to lower crime, grow the city’s economy, and stop wasteful spending in the government

Curtis Sliwa-Republican
Curtis Sliwa is from Brooklyn, New York, and is known for starting a group that helps stop crime without the use of weapons called the guardian angels. He wants to fight crime and strengthen the police department to help make the city safer.

Jim Walden- Independent
Jim Walden is an attorney from New York City. He wants to fight corruption in the city, create more jobs and solve problems like housing shortages by encouraging private companies to work alongside the government.

Eric Adams – Independent
Mayor Eric Adams is the current mayor. He now lives in Gracie Mansion, but previously claimed his home was in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, raising questions after reports suggested he also stayed in New Jersey. Mayor Eric Adams was charged in 2024 with taking bribes and illegal foreign donations, but he said he was innocent. In 2025, the case was dropped. Meanwhile, he is working to make the city safer and more affordable by shutting down illegal smoke shops and expanding housing through the City of Yes zoning plan, which addresses the city’s housing shortage and supports small businesses.

As of April 20, 2025, polls report that Andrew Cuomo is in the lead with 45% of the votes in the Democratic race. He is followed by Zohran Mamdani at 22%. 14% of voters didn’t know who to choose and the rest of the candidates had less than 10% of the vote.

How to register to vote

To register to vote in New York City, you can do it online, by mail, or in person at the Board of Elections or a DMV office. You have to meet the eligibility requirements and register at least 25 days before the election.

Voting eligibility

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must be 18 years old by Election Day.
• You must be a New York resident for at least 30 days before the election.
• You cannot be currently incarcerated for a felony conviction.

Where to vote

People in New York City can vote at their assigned local polling site. This is based on their home address.
You can find your poll site here: Poll Site Link