New year, new chance for New York City candidates to vie for power in the 2025 citywide elections, with the biggest, most controversial contender being the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. He will be battling a wide range of opponents to keep his position at City Hall, including a rumored former governor.
The Mayoral Race
More than 30 people have filed to run for mayor this year, though most of them haven’t qualified for the New York Campaign Finance Board’s (NYCCFB) public matching funds program because they haven’t raised enough money. Here’s who the biggest fundraisers are so far, according to NYCCFB latest filings:
Eric Adams
Adams, the second Black man to be the city’s Mayor, is busy juggling the scandal of his upcoming federal campaign fraud trial this April, maintaining a functioning city government, and campaigning at the same time. “I did nothing wrong. I should not have been charged. My attorney is going to seek justice wherever possible,” said Adams at his in-person conference on Jan. 13.
He added that “the recent announcement of someone who pled guilty as my attorney said, we have discovery from the federal government. And in that discovery, this person stated, over and over again, that Eric didn’t know anything about this.” Erlene King, a campaign treasurer for a 2021 Brooklyn Borough President candidate, is the latest to plead guilty to a straw donor scheme that stole $400,000 in matching funds from NYCCFB. Though technically unrelated to Adams’s case, it’s hard to ignore the campaign fraud in both situations.
Adams maintained that his core supporters are still very much there for him. Despite being denied matching funds last month and this month due to non-compliance, he has a campaign war chest of $4,394,640.
City Comptroller Brad Lander
Lander, a staunch progressive going all the way back to his city council days, kicked off his mayoral campaign with a fundraising event at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg this month. He enjoyed the support of elected officials like longtime friend Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Brooklyn Borough President (BP) Antonio Reynoso, and State Senator Liz Krueger. He was awarded $2,977,758 in public matching funds this week. His campaign estimates that he has raised $5.4 million in total, including direct contributions and matching funds.
“This incredible response shows that New Yorkers are hungry for honest, effective leadership,” said Lander. “I’m proud to have earned the most grassroots support and to have qualified for the largest matching funds payment, which will ensure that we have the resources to speak directly to voters in the coming months about our plans to deliver a safer, more affordable, better-run city for all New Yorkers.”
As Comptroller, Lander recently released the Safer For All: A Plan to End Street Homelessness for People with Serious Mental Illness in NYC report, which prioritizes housing and access to mental health as a way to combat street homelessness.
Former City Comptroller Scott Stringer
Stringer is mounting his second attempt at running for mayor after losing to Adams in 2021. He has three decades of public service as a state assemblymember, Manhattan borough president, and former comptroller. He says he’s laser-focused on restoring “competent leadership” to City Hall.
“Our campaign has continued to bring in the resources we need to run a winning race and share my vision for New York’s future,” said Stringer in a statement. “New Yorkers know our city is at a crossroads. They’re ready for a reformer and leader who can get government working for everyone instead of the mayor’s cronies and deliver real solutions to the major challenges the city faces. The robust support we’ve received is a testament to the faith New Yorkers have in our ability to lead and deliver results — not bravado and empty promises.”
He was the only mayoral candidate to be awarded matching funds from the NYCCFB in December 2024 and January 2025. He received $2,088,571 in the first round and $68,552 in public matching funds in the second round.
RELATED: The Rundown: Black and Brown City Council seats up for grabs
Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie
Myrie has been hitting the campaign trail hard since the 2024 elections wrapped. As a senator, he recently “stepped aside” as Elections Committee Chair and is now heading the Senate Codes Committee this year, which oversees matters related to criminal justice, the penal law, and civil rights laws. He introduced Senate Bill S613 this session, which would give state prosecutors’ offices access to law enforcement records for discovery purposes, ensuring that defendants have a chance to examine evidence that could be used against them. He has raised $647,998 in private funds.
“New Yorkers from across all five boroughs are coming together to support Zellnor because they are ready for fresh, new leadership in City Hall. Zellnor is serious about making our city livable and affordable — which is why he’s the only candidate who has released a plan to tackle the housing shortage head on,” said Myrie’s spokesperson Monica Klein.
Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos
Ramos is one of the only female mayoral candidates leading from the front this year. She is a fierce advocate for working families and a proud daughter of Colombian immigrants who grew up in Astoria, Queens.
As a senator, she raised the minimum wage, led the charge to outlaw exploitative work practices, and secured relief aid for excluded workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently announced a plan to expand the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) into a year-round resource and joined advocates in pushing for universal childcare. She has raised $160,131 in private funds.
“I know as a mom of a preteen and teenager that our children are still recovering mentally and emotionally from the pandemic. Giving them year-round opportunities to explore their city, learn new skills, and develop social and practical skills that will set them up for a lifetime of success is going to do wonders for their confidence and outlook. It’s also going to keep them busy and off the street,” said Ramos in a statement.
Wildcard Mayoral Candidates
In every election there are at least a few candidates — like Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, former Bronx Assemblymember Michael Blake, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo — that can throw in a monkey wrench, and even employ the best campaign strategies.
Cuomo hasn’t formally announced his campaign yet, but is expected to launch it in February with the help of longtime colleague and political consultant Charlie King. Cuomo has been such a looming shadow over the mayoral election that he is inexplicably leading in the polls without having officially entered the race. Like Adams, Cuomo has also explicitly denied any wrongdoing in the sexual harassment allegations that eventually led to his forced resignation in 2021.
Mamdani has positioned himself as a progressive Muslim who isn’t afraid to speak out on international affairs and wants to make the city more affordable. “City Hall is engulfed in corruption but the cost of living is the real crisis. New Yorkers are being crushed by rent and childcare, the slowest buses in the nation are robbing us of our time and sanity, and working people are being driven out of the city they built,” said Mamdani in a statement. “I am running for Mayor to put city government to work lowering costs and making our lives easier.” He has raised $641,816 in contributions.
Blake, who is founder and CEO of the KAIROS: Democracy Project, officially announced his mayoral bid in December 2024. As a White House aide to former President Barack Obama, Blake helped implement the Affordable Care Act and increase opportunities for small, minority, and women-owned businesses. His mayoral platform is focused on addressing the affordability crisis and making the city safer. He has raised $146,084 in private funds.
City Comptroller Race
This year’s comptroller race is also pretty heated. Main candidates include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brooklyn Councilmember Justin Brannan, governmental liaison Ismael Malave-Perez, and Brooklyn Senator Kevin Parker.
Levine’s campaign received $1,234,914 in matching funds this week. He was endorsed by BP Reynoso; Councilmembers Erik Bottcher, Shekar Krishnan, Shaun Abreu, and Julie Won; and Assemblymembers Brian Cunningham and Maritza Davila. “Whether it’s endorsements, fundraising, or grassroots enthusiasm, there is only one candidate with momentum in this race, and that’s Mark Levine,” said his campaign manager Matt Rubin in a statement.
Queens Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar was previously running but dropped out of the race on Jan. 27.
Borough President Races
Brooklyn
Current BP Reynoso has raised $242,879 in contributions for his reelection campaign. He’s facing two challengers, both of whom he defeated in 2021.
Khari Edwards is a head of corporate and social responsibility at AYR Wellness Inc, a multi-state cannabis dispensary company, and was the first vice president of color for external affairs at Brookdale Hospital in Brownsville. His campaign has raised $129,054, with $17,979 coming in during this filing period at an average contribution of $76.
“Since we began this journey, the support has been extraordinary. More than half of our contributions have come from new donors who believe in our message: that every community, every neighborhood deserves the attention of a Borough President,” said Edwards proudly. “The message from Brooklynites is clear: it’s time for a change in leadership, and together, we’re building a vision that ensures every voice is heard and every community thrives.”
Shanduke McPhatter, founder at Gangstas Making Astronomical Community Changes Inc. (G-M.A.C.C), is also listed as making another run at being an elected official.
The Bronx
Current BP Vanessa Gibson, after a lengthy career in politics, became the first woman and Black person to hold her position in 2020. Her main opponent is City Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, who ran briefly for Bronx BP as well in 2020 but ended up dropping out of the race to secure his reelection to his city council seat.
Gibson has received $287,201 in private funds and $365,898 in public funds. At present, Salamanca is outraising Gibson with $567,282 in private funds.
“As Bronx Borough President, Rafael Salamanca Jr. will transform the Bronx into a place where families can afford to live, work, and thrive,” said Salamanca’s campaign. “Through strategic land use advocacy, bold budget investments, and deep community partnerships, Rafael will fight to deliver affordable housing, safer streets, revitalized neighborhoods, and expanded opportunities. His leadership promises a cleaner, safer, more affordable Bronx for all.”
[updated Thurs, Jan 16]