Meet Your Mayor
Answer the questions below to see which candidates for NYC mayor agree with you most
Welcome to Meet Your Mayor, which shows you how the candidates’ stands fit with your take on the issues that matter most to New Yorkers.
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Answer the following four questions on leadership to see which candidates for mayor most closely match the future you want to see for New York City.
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NYC’s current mayor routinely appointed campaign donors to advisory boards and decision-making bodies, including those doing business deals with city government.
Question 1 of 4
Chang said some of his contributors are of "extraordinary talent" and that he "would not want to foreclose the opportunity of being able to hire some of those folks."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
“I want to be very clear that every appointee in the Donovan administration would have to meet strict qualifications for the role. And so, I want to be very clear that making a contribution should have absolutely nothing to do with the appointment, but I don't think it should disqualify someone from that.”
from THE CITY interview, May 16, 2021
Paperboy Prince said people worked on their campaign would "still go through a process where they're vetted under the same scrutiny" as other candidates.
from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021
"We need to look at the dollar values of the donation."
from THE CITY Interview, May 20, 2021
“In New York City, which has a lot of Democrats, a lot of liberals, a lot of progressive, I am probably going to have to appoint quite a few [campaign contributors] because they are skilled, they are knowledgeable, they are doers…but they cannot be in the leadership position. Advisory, you know, part of a board where there are other members, yes, but they cannot be the head of any of these agencies.”
from THE CITY interview, May 21, 2021
Ray McGuire, Eric Adams, Scott Stringer, Isaac Wright Jr.
Mayors are allowed to raise private dollars for their city-linked nonprofits, with a requirement to disclose contributors. NYC’s current mayor was investigated (and cleared) by federal prosecutors after accepting funds from donors who sought City Hall help.
Question 2 of 4
“I did not go from being a person that enforced the law to become one that breaks the law,” Adams said when questioned about fundraising for his Brooklyn borough president's office nonprofit One Brooklyn.
from The New York Times, May 16, 2021
"As mayor I will eliminate all forms of quid pro quo and pay to play, including elected officials benefiting from the use of non-profits."
from Twitter , May 18, 2021
"I wouldn't want to stop a good thing as far as someone who's actually trying to help the community. But I think there should be a cap on the amount of funds raised."
from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021
"I point right to the Eric Adams situation with One Brooklyn.... It's an end run around the intent of contribution limits in New York City politics."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"This is a type of problem Mayor de Blasio and Eric Adams have run into," Foldenauer said — "an opportunity for people with interests before the city to seek improper influence."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
“When you are an elected official, and everybody knows, the reason people are giving to your nonprofit is they want something in return. Everyone understands that. It is the most corrupt practice that exists in New York City and must be stopped.”
from THE CITY interview, May 21, 2021
"We can't even allow the perception that government decisions could be driven by private donations. And that's why, as mayor. I'll ensure that no one would business before the city will be able to donate to an elected official, period."
from Twitter, May 18, 2021
Taylor said allowing non-profit organizations to donate to political campaigns creates "an unequal playing field, favoring current officials and does not allow grassroots candidates the opportunity to compete."
from THE CITY Interview, May 20, 2021
Isaac Wright Jr.
We asked the candidates to identify their preferred approach in running an organization.
Question 3 of 4
"I believe I have the Bloomberg style with an asterisk — put the right people in place and then use his favorite quote: Don’t f+++ it up. But I also believe, and I live by this, you have to inspect what you expect or it’s all suspect. When I see a pilot in the cockpit of a plane, he has in front of him a bunch of instruments and dials to let him know about wind speed, takeoff, view, everything. If he flies that plane without those instruments, I don’t care how competent he is, he is liable to crash."
from Bloomberg Opinion, Feb. 22, 2021
"When COVID first hit, have we acted promptly, we could have prevented innumerable deaths and sicknesses that resulted. So one has to be able to make quick decisions and that's what I'm prepared to do."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"My management style is one where I’ve managed large businesses that are similar to NYCHA.... I managed them from the depths of crisis. We’re going to find the best talent. You’ve got to attract. You’ve got to recruit and retain the best. Empower them and give them metrics."
from The New York Times, May 10, 2021
"At a moment where there are so many things to fix in New York City, where we need to get so many things done at once at once, it's the only way we're really going to improve that repair and rebuild the city quickly. And is very different from the way we see Mayor de Blasio lead these last eight years, when he's been unwilling to listen to his commissioners and to allow them to go get big things done.”
from THE CITY interview, May 16, 2021
“The mayor [de Blasio] is not a manager. The mayor has been a public advocate, and that is where he got his training. I fundamentally manage differently. It is about bringing the smartest people together, listening to them, developing the plan and holding people accountable for delivery.”
from The New York Times, May 10, 2021
"You have to be a delegator because our leaders are always acting pretentious, omnipotent, like they know everything.... I'm not an expert. So if I appoint an expert to be in charge of an agency, why wouldn't I allow the expert, he or she, to do the job?"
from THE CITY interview, May 17, 2021
"Part of my ability to do a good job has not that much to do with me but with my ability to attract the best and the brightest into government and to give them a mission and direction."
from Bloomberg, March 30, 2021
"This is how I managed inside City Hall and got things done — like getting every single apartment in Queensbridge Houses free broadband…by recognizing it's a team effort and that you have to have the smartest and most qualified folks in all our important positions. You have to listen to them."
from Bloomberg Opinion, April 5, 2021
“I’m someone who wants to identify people who are passionate and dedicated and mission-driven, and then wants to give them room to run.... You need to empower leaders and managers and in different environments and different agencies so that they feel like, as long as their values are sound and their process is good, that they can make decisions on their own.”
from The New York Times, May 10, 2021
Chang cited his time at NYC Votes, an election education campaign, as an example of partnering private firms with the city Campaign Finance Board.
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
"My management style is that I’m really good at surrounding myself with people who I think are smarter than me, people who I know sort of offset the different things that I may or may not bring to the table. Very collaborative in terms of trying to solicit people’s ideas and thoughts and also being able to co-create those solutions and strategies."
from The New York Times, May 10, 2021
"We need to have love leaders," who focus on "bringing people together," and "collobaration and not competition."
from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021
"You have to partner with City Council to get the legislation done. But you also have to have the right people to be able to implement it so that you can get the right result."
from THE CITY Interview, May 20, 2021
Isaac Wright Jr.
NYC’s current mayor has never vetoed a single bill from the City Council, preferring to negotiate behind the scenes to advance, hold back or reshape proposed legislation. Past mayors have used their veto often.
Question 4 of 4
No candidates selected this answer
"The mayor would be would have to be deeply collaborative with City Council, but I could envision a time when the City Council is for whaterever reason is intent on pushing through a bill that I disagree with."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
Foldenauer said vetoing a bill "sends a message to the City Council that the council members need to work with the mayor before finalizing language in a bill in the first place."
from THE CITY Interview, May 19, 2021
“Well, especially if the DSA ends up controlling the City Council, I am going to have to veto a lot a lot of their legislation, because they want to defund the police even more. They don't want tenants — whether commercial or residential — to pay rent. They don't want gas pipelines in certain areas.... So I'll be at war with the DSA candidates and my only chance to balance is with the veto power.”
from THE CITY interview, May 21, 2021
Eric Adams, Isaac Wright Jr.
Reporting by Ann Choi and Mónica Cordero, development by Will Welch, editing by Alyssa Katz. Candidate images from Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY, Alejandro Durán/THE CITY, Shutterstock and campaign websites.