The polls open citywide Tuesday for primary election voting. The mayorship, Brooklyn District Attorney’s spot, Public Advocate’s position and all 51 seats on the City Council are up for grabs.
Here’s your guide to everything primary day:
You can vote by going to your polling place any time from 6 a.m – 9 p.m. Only voters registered to specific parties can vote during the Tuesday primaries. The deadline for that has passed, but any New Yorker registered to vote can do so on the Nov. 7 general election.
The Candidates:
Mayoral Race:
Democrats:
Mayor Bill de Blasio: The mayor, as an incumbent, is seen as the favorite candidate. De Blasio is also the Working Families party candidate.
Sal Albanese: Albanese, 68, is running as a Democrat and is also the Reform party candidate. He is a former city councilman and represented a district from 1983 to 1998. He ran against de Blasio in the 2013 Democratic mayoral primary.
Robert Gangi: Gangi, 73, is the former executive director of the New York Correctional Association and the founder of the Police Reform Organizing Project. He is calling for an overhaul of NYPD practices that he says target African-Americans and Latinos.
Richard Bashner: Bashner, 57, is a Brooklyn Community Board member and an attorney. He says he’s running because he’s lost faith in local leaders. Bashner’s top issues are having transparent, effective leadership; protecting neighborhoods and improving school and implementing progressive solutions.
Mike Tolkin: Tolkin, 32, is founder and CEO of a virtual reality technology company called Ultro Labs. Tolkin wants higher wages and lower rents. He plans to work to improve infrastructure and create job opportunities if elected.
Nicole Malliotakis
Republicans:
Nicole Malliotakis: Malliotakis, a state assemblywoman from Staten Island, is the lone Republican candidate running for mayor. Her status means their won’t be a Republican primary. She is also the is also the Conservative party candidate. She was first elected in 2010. Malliotakis wants to cap city spending, enforce quality of life laws and support veterans and seniors.
Bo Dietl
Independents:
Bo Dietl: Dietl is a former NYPD detective. He now runs a private investigation firm. He is a supporter of quality of life laws and encouraged New Yorkers to urinate in front of Gracie Mansion to protest the city’s decision to decriminalize public urination. He is a friend of President Donald Trump’s. Dietl initially planned to run as a Democrat. He frequently refers to Mayor de Blasio as ‘big bird.’
Public Advocate:
Letitia James: James has served as the people’s advocate in city government for the last several years. The Democrat wants to promote economic equality for women, reform child and family welfare and preserve and expand affordable housing. She served as a city councilmember before taking on the position of public advocate. Notably, she’s worked to ban questions about salary history in job interviews. James is the first woman of color to hold citywide elected office in New York City.
David Eisenbach: Eisenbach is currently a history professor at Columbia University. He wants to protect small businesses and stop the upzoning of neighborhoods around New York to preserve history. Eisenbach also wants to get rid of the Common Core for schools and contain college costs.
Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office:
Democrats:
Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez: Eric Gonzalez has been acting as the local DA since Ken Thompson’s death. A coalition of public defenders, civil rights attorneys and academics put together report cards to grade each potential candidate for the DA’s office based on that individual’s commitment to ending mass incarceration. Gonzalez received a C+ from the 5 Boro Defenders.
Marc Fliedner: Fliedner is the first openly gay DA candidate in the country. He successfully prosecuted NYPD officer Peter Liang in the shooting death of Akai Gurley. He’s also suing Acting DA Eric Gonzalez for defamation. The 5 Boro Defenders awarded Fliedner an A-.
Anne Swern: Swern is a former assistant DA. She’s also a managing counsel for the Brooklyn Defenders. The 5 Boro Defenders awarded Swern a B+.
Patricia Gatling: Gatling is a former assistant DA. She’s currently head of the Commission on Human Rights. The 5 Boro Defenders awarded Gatling a C-.
Ama Dwimoh: Dwimoh used to work for Borough President Eric Adams and spent time working in the Brooklyn DA’s office. The 5 Boro Defenders awarded Dwimoh a C+.
Vincent Gentile: Gentile has spent time working on the New York City Council. He was elected in 2003. The 5 Boro Defenders awarded Gentile a D+.
Republicans:
No Republicans are running for this position.
