Andrew Yang announces candidacy for mayor of New York

Andrew Yang announces candidacy for mayor of New York

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“I moved to New York City 25 years ago. I came of age, fell in love and became a father here. Seeing my city in so much pain breaks my heart,” did he tweet Wednesday night along with a two minute long video.

“Let’s fight for a future New York City that we can be proud of – together. Join us on YangforNY.com,” he added.

Yang suspended his presidential campaign last February and spent time as a CNN contributor after leaving the campaign. By the time he ended the campaign, Yang said he did not intend to elect him mayor of New York, where he has lived for nearly 25 years.

He came under fire this week after defending his decision to spend time during the pandemic, when hundreds of New Yorkers died daily from Covid-19, outside the city he hopes to lead.
“Can you imagine wanting two children in a virtual school in a two-bedroom apartment, and then trying to do work yourself?” Yang told The New York Times in a story published Monday, and anger is raging from parents who did exactly that for much of 2020.

Yang joins a packed field of mayors hoping to succeed Mayor Bill de Blasio’s two terms – including former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Brooklyn Borough President and former Capt. New York Police Department Eric Adams, former Citigroup. CEO Ray McGuire, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Maya Wiley, former Blasio board member.

The candidates are fighting to take the lead in a city of pandemics where unemployment is soaring, poverty and hunger are rising, and a budget squeeze on the horizon could force the next mayor to cut jobs and services in the public sector deep.

Yang was largely unknown outside the technological circles before 2020, and won the love – if not always the votes – of Democrats who appreciated his happy warrior persona at the debate stage and campaigns. And he was backed by fans labeled the “Yang Gang” who helped him raise $ 40 million over the course of his run – including a staggering $ 16.5 million when the race in the last three months of 2019.

The former technical executive pushed the idea of ​​a universal basic income into the mainstream of political talks during his presidential election. After leaving the race, he founded Humanity Forward, a non-profit organization he used to test some ideas that animated his campaign. In March, he began giving hundreds of working families in New York $ 1,000 a month to determine the effectiveness of such a program. The organization also endorsed candidates across the country.

This story has been updated with background information.

CNN’s Sonia Moghe, Devan Cole, Gregory Krieg, Dan Merica and Poppy Harlow contributed to this report.

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