This article is adapted from our May 22 edition of RANKED CHOICES, THE CITY’s weekly election newsletter. Click here to sign up.
Dear New Yorkers,
Beep beep, new BPs coming through!
Among the many other elections in next month’s primary — dozens ofthe comptroller, and of course the mayor — there are also elections for the five borough presidents, known to some as “Beeps.”
They can’t bills and have a limited budget, but borough presidents do wield more power than you may think. They weigh in on land-use decisions, with influence that could make or break a project. And they also appoint to the city’s community boards, which can have a lot of hyperlocal soft power. The job can also be a springboard to other big jobs, with Mayor Eric Adams, former Brooklyn borough president, a top example.
Learn more about the job one former official called the “convener in chief” — and who’s running in each borough — from my colleague Rachel Kahn.
We’ve updated our Meet Your Mayor quiz with more detailed answers from some of the candidates, which means now is a great time to go through your options again even if you already took it last week.
And finally, a programming note: Ranked Choices will arrive on Tuesdays from now until the primary, so look for us in your inbox in just a few days!
— Katie Honan and THE CITY’s election team
What We’re Reading …
- Although he cut public worker pensions as governor, Andrew Cuomo is now ing other mayoral candidates calling for an increase.
- The head of a local super PAC tried to remove every opponent from the ballot in a Bronx council race. He wasn’t successful.
- It’s a YIMBY vs NIMBY fight in a lower Manhattan Council race, with a pro-housing candidate challenging an incumbent who has opposed new developments.
What’s Ahead …
Days until the June primary: 33
May 23: The next campaign finance disclosure deadline, which means we’ll get a fresh look at how much money each candidate has raised, and who is contributing.
May 29: First Democratic comptroller candidate debate 7 p.m. on PIX 11.
May 30: First Republican mayoral candidate debate, 7 p.m. on NY1.
June 9: 🚨Change-of-address deadline for your voter registration ahead of the primary!🚨
June 14: Early voting begins.
Your Election Questions, Answered
❓Reader Patrick S. asked: Has Kathryn Garcia made an endorsement? Why did she disappear?
Answer: Garcia came within 7,197 votes of defeating Eric Adams in 2021’s mayoral primary after a New York Times endorsement boosted her campaign focused on competency and experience. The former sanitation commissioner is no longer involved in electoral politics, and last year vehemently denied she would run for mayor again. But she has definitely not disappeared!
In September 2021, she was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul as the director of state operations, where she’s involved with nearly everything across New York State. It’s a huge job.
And on May 29, she’ll be the special guest for a special live election preview event with Ben Max of Max Politics and the FAQ NYC co-hosts. Heads up: She is not planning to endorse in the mayoral race, but will talk about lots of other topics.
Have a question for our election team? Reply back to this email or send your questions to [email protected].
THE CAMPAIGN KICKER: Speaker Adrienne Adams’s campaign announced Wednesday that her campaign had qualified for matching funds. She crossed the threshold days after Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who has maxed out, urged his ers to chip in for Adams so she could get the city funds and help them defeat Cuomo — so far leading the primary in assists.
