The former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang officially threw his name in the crowded race for New York City mayor on Thursday morning, promising to rebuild the city ravaged by the coronavirus.
The story: According to CNN, Yang announced his candidacy at a rally in Upper Manhattan.
- “The fears for our future that caused me to run for president have accelerated since this pandemic started,” Yang proclaimed to a small crowd of supporters, as reported by the Guardian. “We need to make New York City the Covid comeback city, but also the anti-poverty city.”
- The announcement came after Yang released a campaign ad video “Why I’m Running,” directed by film auteur Darren Aronofsky, on Wednesday night.
- The video shows Yang roaming around New York, chatting with its residents about his campaign’s aspirations and signature issues, like universal basic income.
- Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim has announced in a tweet that he will be joining Yang on the campaign trail around Queens to register new voters for the upcoming election.
An outsider in the race: According to the Washington Post, many critics and opponents question Yang’s electability in New York City as an outsider in the race.
- Yang joins a packed field of local seasoned politicians trying to succeed Mayor Bill de Blasio’s two terms in office.
- Yang has not worked in government or voted in the past four mayoral elections, as reported by the Post.
- Politico reported that he had left the city during the pandemic, drawing criticism from his opponents.
- Eric Adams, Brooklyn borough president and one of Yang’s opponents, tweeted that the city deserved “better than out-of-touch politicians.”
His campaign platform: On his campaign site, Yang outlines many of his unique policies for the city, including improving technology in classrooms and bringing in “TikTok Hype Houses,” the latter referring to collectives where young TikTok creators live together and collaborate.
- Some Twitter users made fun of the TikTok Hype Houses policy, asking Yang to shift his focus to New Yorkers who cannot afford rent.
Feature Image via Andrew Yang
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