Gotham Gazette

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Ray McGuire

Ray McGuire

  • Top Democratic Mayoral Campaigns Spent $69 Million on the Primary, Outside Groups Another $31 Million

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    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Spending on this year’s mayoral election has already surpassed the $100 million mark, according to the latest campaign finance reports that were filed on Friday. Those filings show fundraising and expenditures by the Democratic and Republican candidates for mayor, including the top eight Democratic mayoral candidates who made the televised debates, as well as independent expenditure groups, also known as political action committees (PACs), which spent for or against candidates.

    The top eight

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  • In Mayoral Primary, Spending in Support of Adams More Than Combined Total for Garcia and Wiley

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    (l-r) Eric Adams, Kathryn Garcia, Maya Wiley


    Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams claimed victory in the Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday, with 50.5% of ranked-choice votes after almost all absentee votes were counted, beating former sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia by one percentage point. He credited “an historic, diverse, five-borough coalition led by working-class New Yorkers” for propelling him to victory.

    But both because of and in order to assemble that coalition, Adams was the beneficiary of the the second-most

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  • Ray McGuire's Strengths and Weaknesses as He Runs for Mayor

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    Ray McGuire (photo: McGuire compaign)


    [This article is part of a series on the leading Democratic mayoral candidates' strengths and weaknesses.]

    Ray McGuire has a good story to pitch to New Yorkers. His rags-to-riches journey of growing up poor in Ohio, working hard and getting a few breaks to eventually become one the few top Black executives on Wall Street made for a compelling narrative for a candidate for mayor. He could lend his business acumen and global banking

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  • Can the Next Mayor Save NYCHA? Democratic Candidates Offer Varied Plans for City's Crumbling Public Housing

    Few Mayoral Candidates Offer Plans for Rescuing City's Crumbling Public Housing

    NYCHA (photo: governor's office)


    The New York City Housing Authority, home to more than 400,000 New Yorkers, is falling apart. Long plagued by mold, lead paint, structural cracks, and failing elevators, boilers, and locks, the authority of over 177,000 units in 335 developments across the five boroughs is in need of a staggering $40 billion in physical repairs over the next ten years and faces an immediate operating budget deficit of about $300 million.

    Long the victim of official

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  • Four Democratic Candidates Get Major Matching Funds Boost for Stretch Run

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    (l-r) Dianne Morales, Maya Wiley, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang


    With under four weeks to go till the June 22 primary, the top Democratic mayoral candidates are receiving another round of public matching funds from the Campaign Finance Board, giving several of them the boost they need in the crucial period ahead. Particularly, the payout will help four candidates better compete with several of their competitors who had already banked larger sums, some of whom have been running for mayor for much longer.

    Campaigns have little time left to

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  • Where They Stand: Compare NYC Mayoral Candidates On The Issues

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     (l-r) Top: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang, Ray McGuire; Bottom: Eric Adams, Dianne Morales, Maya Wiley, Scott Stringer


    The Democratic primary in the race to become the next Mayor of New York City is fast-approaching, with early voting June 12-20 and primary day June 22. With ranked-choice voting at play for the first time and voters able to rank their top five choices in order of preference, there's even more reason to carefully compare where the candidates stand on the issues and what they are promising to do if elected.

    Use the

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  • Poll Shows Adams Ahead, Garcia Jump, and 'Undecided' Leading the Field in Mayoral Primary

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    Eric Adams, Andrew Yang, Kathryn Garcia


    A new poll released late on Tuesday shows Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in the lead in the Democratic mayoral primary, with entrepreneur Andrew Yang and former sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia tied in second place, though half of all likely primary voters continue to remain undecided. 

    The poll was the final of three “Pulse of the Primary” polls released ahead of the June primary election by Fontas Advisors and Core Decision Analytics, which had previously surveyed likely primary voters in January and

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Offer Plans for Jobs and Economic Growth

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    A city resource fair (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office)


    According to the Mayor’s Office, the city experienced a growth of 100,000 jobs from December 2020 to March 2021, and expects to gain 400,000 more to reach a total of 4.5 million jobs by the end of 2021. Even as economic indicators have been headed in the right direction in recent months -- including significant job growth -- amid public vaccination, some easing of

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  • 5 Key Takeaways from the First Official 2021 Mayoral Debate

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    The first Democratic mayoral debate


    Eight Democratic mayoral candidates took the virtual stage on Thursday for the first of three official televised debates leading up to the June primary. Over the course of two hours, the candidates offered thoughts and plans on public safety, reviving the city’s economy, school desegregation, housing, homelessness, and more. The debate was mostly civil, likely in part because of the virtual format, but candidates did occasionally lob pointed critiques at each other, previewing the direction the race may take over the

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  • The Money Race in the Democratic Mayoral Primary: March Filing Key for Matching Funds

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    (l-r) Maya Wiley, Andrew Yang, Kathryn Garcia, Shaun Donovan, & Dianne Morales all appear on track for matching funds


    The top tier of candidates in this year’s Democratic primary for New York City mayor continues coming into focus through a variety of metrics, including the latest campaign finance filings, which help indicate which candidates have gained traction with voters and will have the financial means to compete ahead of the June vote. In the heavily Democratic city, the party’s primary winner is the odds-on-favorite to become the city’s next

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  • At Televised Debate, Democratic Mayoral Candidates Outline Housing, Homelessness Plans

    Gotham Gazette:

    (top: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang, Ray McGuire; bottom: Eric Adams, Dianne Morales, Maya Wiley, Scott Stringer)


    Eight leading Democratic candidates in the race for mayor appeared in the first televised mayoral forum of the 2021 race to share their policy proposals for tackling housing and homelessness in New York City. The discussion had a particular focus on the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, which has added a new layer of concern regarding homelessness, evictions, rent and mortgage debt, housing segregation, affordable and

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Stake Out Education Policy Positions

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    Pandemic education (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Leading Democratic candidates for mayor have appeared at several recent forums to outline their priorities on education and the possibility of running the country’s largest school system, as well as their strategies for achieving those aims. Discussion at the various forums, hosted by a number of diverse groups, was often focused on how the mayoral hopefuls would shape equitable and inclusive educational policy for New York City students, especially amid the fallout of the coronavirus

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Talk Tenants and Housing

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    Housing (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Nine leading candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to be New York City’s next mayor appeared at a recent virtual forum to offer their stances on issues critical to tenants. Two-thirds of New Yorkers are renters, which means the forum provided candidates a crucial opportunity to impress a large and important group of voters with their policy ideas to solve the city’s housing problems, especially amid a pandemic that has exacerbated existing inequities.

    At the February 27 forum

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Discuss Poverty, Education and Economic Mobility

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    (l-r) Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Ray McGuire, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley


    Robin Hood, a philanthropic organization dedicated to fighting poverty in New York, held a virtual forum on Thursday afternoon with five leading Democratic candidates for mayor. The discussion was centered on poverty and economic mobility and featured a combination of standard campaign talking points, ideas attuned to the themes at hand, and some sharper exchanges between candidates than often occur at the countless forums, in part due to the

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  • What's The [Data] Point? $5.3 Billion, Mayoral Candidates Discuss the City Fiscal Crisis

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    What's The [Data] Point? Episode 102 -- $5.3 Billion, Mayoral Candidates Discuss the City Fiscal Crisis [You can download What's The [Data] Point? wherever you get your podcasts, including on iTunes]

    cbc mayoral forum$5.3 billion is the current estimate of the budget gap the next Mayor will have to close in her/his first year. Ben Max and CBC President Andrew Rein introduce listeners to

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Offer Ideas for Solving City's Budget Crisis

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    Mayor de Blasio at a budget presentation (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayor's Office)


    New York City is facing its worst fiscal crisis in decades, brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, with billions in lost tax revenue and large projected budget gaps in the years ahead. It’s a crisis that the next mayor, likely the winner of the Democratic primary this June, will inherit. At a mayoral forum on Wednesday, eight of the top contenders vying for the Democratic nomination offered their solutions to the city’s budget woes, pitching ideas to fix city

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  • For True Public Safety, We Must Fight Crime and Its Root Causes

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    NYPD (photo: Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office)


    As a business leader, a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, and a Black man, I know what it means to have multiple identities. While I may be Mr. McGuire in the boardroom, every time I change into a sweatsuit to run or play basketball, I know that I’m first and foremost a six-foot-four, two-hundred-something-pound Black man. 

    I am also the father of an 8-year-old son who I fear one day could be the next Tamir or Trayvon. My wife Crystal and

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Appear at 'Follow Black Women' Forum

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    Activists (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    Seven Democratic candidates running to become the next mayor of New York City appeared Tuesday evening at a virtual town hall event to share their agendas for tackling the systemic obstacles facing Black women, who are doubly affected by racism and sexism and are often referred to as the backbone of the Democratic Party.

    At the “Follow Black Women Mayoral Candidate Town Hall,” billed as the first-ever mayoral forum created by and for Black women and hosted by Community Voices Heard Power, the candidates discussed

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Discuss the Future of the Bronx

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    5 of the 7 mayoral candidates who appeared at the BronxTalk forum with host Gary Axelbank


    Seven candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to become New York City’s next mayor appeared at a virtual TV forum to discuss their visions for revitalizing the Bronx, the borough hardest hit by COVID-19 and its economic impact and which already faced many deep challenges before the pandemic.

    The forum was co-hosted by the Bronx Democratic County Committee and BronxTalk, a public affairs TV program on BronxNet, and moderated by BronxTalk host Gary

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Offer Ideas for Addressing Food Insecurity

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    Free food giveaways (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Nine candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to become the next mayor of New York City gathered Tuesday morning in a virtual forum to discuss their visions for the city's food policy and serving the roughly 2 million New Yorkers who are food insecure.

    At the "Town Hall on the Future of Food in New York City" -- hosted by Hunter College in partnership with City Harvest, CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, Food Bank for NYC, Hunger Free America, and other organizations, and moderated by

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  • Decision NYC: Ray McGuire Discusses His Campaign for Mayor

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    Ray McGuire


    Ray McGuire, a Democrat running for Mayor in the 2021 election, joined MNN's "Decision NYC with Ben Max" for an in-depth discussion of his candidacy for the city's top job. This interview is part of a series produced by Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Watch:

  • Several Points of Conflict and Differentiation at Brooklyn Democrats' Mayoral Candidate Debate

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    Top: Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang, Ray McGuire; Bottom: Eric Adams, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley, Scott Stringer


    Eight leading Democratic candidates for New York City mayor participated in what was billed as the first debate of the primary, hosted Sunday evening by the Kings County Democratic Committee and moderated by NY1 anchor Errol Louis.

    The hour-long debate moved quickly and covered a lot of ground, while also featuring rare bouts of direct interaction between candidates, some of it quite pointed, as a

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  • Democratic Mayoral Candidates Discuss Addressing City’s Health Care Gaps After Covid

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    Top (l-r): Carlos Menchaca, Dianne Morales, Scott Stringer, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley,
    Bottom (l-r): Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Ray McGuire, Andrew Yang


    Eleven Democratic candidates for mayor appeared at a virtual forum on Tuesday focused on how they would shape health policy to be more equitable in New York City, especially amidst and in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought the city’s health care infrastructure under considerable strain and has had a starkly unequal racial impact. The pandemic has thrust the issues of

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  • Mayoral Hopefuls Appeared at a Candidate Forum; Then the Conversation Got Interesting

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    Ray McGuire on a different Zoom (photo: @RayForMayor)


    A mayoral race forum on Friday night started with a traditional format, questions asked by journalists and answered by eight candidates seeking to win the crowded Democratic primary set for June, but eventually turned into a late-night, open discussion that became contentious and frank, offering insights into the thinking of some of those seeking to become the next mayor and that of some of the city’s Black civic leaders.

    Some candidates -- particularly among the five who stayed on the zoom for the

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  • The Money Race in the Mayoral Primary: January Filing Sets the Stage for 2021

    Gotham Gazette:

    l-r: (top) Eric Adams, Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Carlos Menchaca, Zach Iscol (bottom) Dianne Morales, Scott Stringer, Loree Sutton, Maya Wiley, Ray McGuire


    With under six months until the 2021 primary elections, candidates running for mayor filed their January campaign finance disclosures. The disclosures were due on Friday, covering the last six months of fundraising and spending activity. For a number of candidates, it was their first filing.

    There are well over a dozen candidates running in the Democratic primary, the winner of which will likely be the next mayor because of the

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