As the final moments of the 2021 Democratic primary campaign for mayor draw near, three of those seeking to occupy Gracie Mansion for the next four years stumped for votes across Manhattan and Brooklyn on Monday.
Andrew Yang stood encircled by chanting, hyped-up supporters on Kimlau Square in Chinatown on June 21, telling members of the press and potential voters that today is akin the final moment of a basketball game.
“This is like the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. Think about it. So many New Yorkers have essentially given up. They don’t think that a better way of life is possible, they’ve gotten sick of politics. They’ve gotten accustomed to politicians who say they’ll do one thing and then nothing happens. We have to get their attention. We have to use every second, every minute of this next day and a half to get out the vote. If the people come out to vote, I guarantee you we will win. The more people who come to vote, the more certain change is on the way,” Yang said confidently.
The heat beamed down on Yang just before noon, but he stuck to his trademark suit and even danced and took selfies with prospective voters in the Asian community alongside City Council Member Margaret Chin.
Making one final pitch, Yang told the crowd that he would be a very different mayor in compassion to his politician counterparts — and took the incumbent Bill de Blasio to task for his criticism of his last-minute strategic alliance with Kathryn Garcia.
“I don’t see how candidates coming together and saying ‘look let’s make sure our voices are heard. Get out and support the candidates that you think will represent us best.’ I don’t see how that can be anything but a positive thing. People want to turn the page from a third term of Bill de Blasio. I think it is pretty clear where Bill de Blasio’s interests are. He wants to protect the same special interests that have been running our city into the ground. That’s not what our New Yorkers want. It’s pretty clear. Bill de Blasio has been making calls on the record for Eric Adams and his statement on this speaks for itself,” Yang said.
Just over an hour later, Adams stood outside of his Brooklyn campaign office with first responders who are lending their endorsement to the Brooklyn borough president. Adams went as far to say that he is shocked that Yang is even still in the race.
However, Adams did agree that he considers the AAPI community to be people of color and even boasted that he will garner much of this vote.
“People are going to be surprised by how many votes I get from the Asian community,” Adams said, adding, “I’m still scratching my head, what is Andrew Yang still doing in this race? We know Andrew Yang is a fraud and is a liar. We can care less about Andrew Yang. We are so focused on the race, that’s what we are doing.”
Adams then stressed that, if elected, he will make the city safer, a claim that each candidate has made, albeit via different methods.
Kathryn Garcia is no stranger to touting her time as Sanitation Commissioner as a precedent for the way in which she hopes to clean up the city. Earlier that morning, prior to Yang or Adams’s remarks, Garcia started her day by meeting with the public in Union Square.
But before shaking hands and passing out literature, she held an impromptu conference, emphasizing her plans for a New York under her care.
“We need a city that works for everyone. I have the track record of having gotten done impossible problems and I want to continue that for New York. I want to make sure we have world class schools, and that there is really true affordable housing and that everyone feels safe in the city, regardless of the color of their skin,” Garcia said.
Her closing pitch for voters was a simple one: Vote for your favorite candidate.
“It is an absolutely critical election, and we want every New Yorkers voice to be heard. I am out campaigning across the city today. It feels great to be out on the campaign trail,” Garcia said.
Other candidates also made the rounds today, with Scott Stringer greeting voters on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, while Maya Wiley was set to greet voters outside the Brooklyn Museum in the evening.
