Entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang announced Friday that he is running for mayor of New York City in the upcoming November election.
Yang, a political outsider, made headlines during his 2020 presidential bid for his progressive healthcare and income programs.
Yang’s new campaign website details his long history with the city and explains that “I want to serve my community in this time of need and bring bold, innovative solutions to the table. I want to lead us forward as we rise above our current politics. I want to see every last New Yorker thrive in our City.”
Yang plans to implement a system of universal basic income for citizens of New York City similar to the one he planned to nationally implement had he been elected president. He also plans to release details on plans addressing homelessness and affordable housing in the near future.
Yang will be running in the Democratic Primary and has initially polled very well against his opponents. Those opponents include Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
In the 2020 presidential election cycle, Yang ran against, and collected more votes than both former mayor Michael Bloomberg and outgoing mayor Bill de Blasio. If Yang is elected, he would be the first Asian-American mayor in New York City’s history.
