How I Voted in the 2025 NYC Primary and Why
A breakdown of my ranked choices and the strategy behind them, and what I want from the next mayor
Today, I voted early in the New York City Democratic primary. With a crowded mayoral field and ranked choice voting, this election gives voters real leverage — not just to support our favorites but also to prevent worst-case scenarios. I used my ballot to support bold housing ideas, competent leadership, and people who want to govern (not just posture). Here’s how I voted and why.
Mayor
Zellnor Myrie: Zellnor topped my ballot because his plan for a million homes is the most serious and ambitious housing proposal in the race. It’s a visionary, solution-focused approach to a housing crisis that demands big solutions.
Brad Lander: Lander has been a highly effective comptroller — data-driven, principled, and steady. He knows how government works, and he brings a level of seriousness that’s desperately needed in city leadership.
Adrienne Adams: As Speaker of the City Council, Adrienne was instrumental in passing the City of Yes zoning reforms. She knows how to move policy and deliver results — an underrated but essential qualification for the job.
Zohran Mamdani: More on him below.
Michael Blake: I rounded out my ballot with Blake — a safe, inoffensive choice who’s unlikely to advance, but who I’d be perfectly fine with in an unexpected ranked outcome over Andrew Cuomo.
Effectively, my strategy was to support three candidates I genuinely like but who probably won’t win, back Zohran in what’s shaping up to be a two-man race with Cuomo, and round out the ballot with a fifth choice who’s likely to be eliminated early — but who I’d still prefer over Cuomo if things take an unexpected turn.
Why not Cuomo? Because he doesn’t actually want to be mayor; he wants redemption. Cuomo has no differentiated or substantive vision for New York City. His campaign feels like a personal project, not a public one. It’s all grievance, no governance.
Why Zohran? I agree with some of Zohran’s policy ideas and disagree with others, but I believe he cares deeply about this city, brings real passion to public service, and is willing to try new approaches where others are timid. For example, his proposal for city-owned grocery stores is, in my view, probably a bad idea. As someone who worked in the grocery industry for more than seven years, I know how difficult it is to run a store well, even in the private sector. Doing it through city government would be even harder. But his proposal for fare-free buses (starting with his executed pilot programs and then expanding citywide) is the kind of big, equity-focused idea we should absolutely be testing. It’s imaginative, plausible, and could improve daily life for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. My main hesitation with Zohran had been his lack of executive/managerial experience. But I’m one of his constituents in Assembly district 36, and recent interactions with his district office have made me hopeful. When I contacted his office about persistent flooding and unsafe conditions at the Court Square subway entrance, his team responded quickly and thoroughly. They explained the issue’s complexity (involving both the MTA and a private building owner) and filed complaints while encouraging me to do the same. Over several weeks, they stayed in touch, provided agency updates, and followed up after repairs were made. It was a clear example of responsive, transparent, and well-managed constituent service (and that’s more an outlier than the norm). If he runs a mayoral administration anything like he runs his Assembly office, it’ll be well-run, people-first, and accountable — and that’s more than most candidates can promise.
Public Advocate
Jumaane Williams: This role doesn’t come with much power, but Jumaane has done a good job staying active and principled. I didn’t see any reason to vote for Jenifer Rajkumar, who is closely tied to Eric Adams and whose campaign is opportunistic.
Comptroller
Justin Brannan
Mark Levine
Both are smart and capable. I gave Brannan the edge for his strong focus on using the office to protect vulnerable populations, but either would make an excellent comptroller.
Judge of the Civil Court - County
Sheridan Chu: Approved by the New York City Bar Association. I also had the chance to work with Sheridan when we both served on Queens Community Board 6 in Forest Hills.
Judge of the Civil Court
Juliette-Noor Haji: Also approved by the New York City Bar Association.
In this election, I’m using ranked choice voting the way it’s intended: to support bold leadership, hedge against bad outcomes, and reward people who are serious about governing. I voted for vision, competence, and care. Let’s see what New York City chooses.