Businessman and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang has filed paperwork to run for mayor of New York City, the city’s Campaign Finance Board confirmed Wednesday.
Yang’s filing has the potential to immediately turn a race that was emerging as a competition between long-entrenched city politicians on its head. It comes just days after a new poll that gives him a slight edge among his fellow Democrats running for mayor.
The entrepreneur created a huge following in the Democratic primaries for president with his call for a universal basic income – $ 1,000 a month for every American over the age of 18, with no strings attached, funded by a tax on companies benefiting from automation. But his wide internet popularity didn’t translate into votes as he’d hoped.
He is widely reported to be considering a bid for mayor, and the Public Policy Polling poll released Monday was the second poll in recent weeks in which he was ahead of Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams.
Yang would receive 17 percent support in a Democratic primary, according to the PPP poll. That gives him a 1 point lead over Adams, with all other candidates at least 10 points back.
However, the field is far from being set. About 40 percent of voters said they were unsure who they would support, and the poll also omitted several declared or potential candidates, including Rep. Max Rose, who recently filed papers exploring a run.
The NYC primaries are on June 22 next year. As of Tuesday, at least 35 people had filed paperwork with the financial council to run for mayor.