NEW YORK — The ink has barely dried on New York’s much-revised House map, but a radically transformed 10th Congressional District has set the stage for an unruly political scramble in lower Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn ahead of the August Democratic primary.
On Friday, former Mayor Bill de Blasio declared his candidacy for the district’s seat, reentering the political arena four months after leaving City Hall.
Insiders viewed de Blasio as the early favorite, even after his popularity plummeted in two terms running New York City.
He is a fierce fundraiser and a familiar face in his home neighborhood of Park Slope, which sits in the heart of the new district. He likewise has sturdy support in the Brooklyn Democratic Party, and allies in Mayor Eric Adams’ City Hall.
Still, the eclectic new district stretches from Manhattan’s West Village in the north to Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst in the south, covering neighborhoods as disparate as Chinatown, Wall Street and Borough Park.
The current district, which runs down the west side of Manhattan from Morningside Heights into Brooklyn, is held by Rep. Jerrold Nadler. The 74-year-old Democrat is headed for a campaign in the 12th Congressional District.
“Everyone is dealing with something absolutely unexpected here,” de Blasio said of the new map, which was drawn by an out-of-state expert and finalized Friday after New York courts rejected a chart drawn in the Legislature to favor Democrats.
The ex-mayor described almost instantly deciding to run, saying that it “combines so much of my personal life and my public service.” De Blasio, 61, studied at NYU, represented Park Slope in the City Council and wed in Prospect Park — all within the district.
“In terms of having a perfected campaign and message, I’m not even suggesting we’re at that stage yet,” he told the Daily News, but noted he would focus on inflation, safety and his practical experience. “I can get in there and make an impact on local issues immediately.”
De Blasio said he would run as a “strong progressive.” He will not be the only candidate in a still-growing field reaching for that mantle.
The progressive in the field with the most immediate Washington experience is Rep. Mondaire Jones, a first-term congressman from White Plains who was drawn out of his current district, New York’s 17th.
Jones, 35, announced his candidacy in a thread of tweets Saturday morning, infusing a wild early twist into the race.
He is viewed as a rising star in the party, but it was not immediately clear how he would handle a basic challenge of his campaign — some 30 miles of distance between his home and the district.
“This is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement,” Jones, who is gay, wrote on Twitter, referencing Greenwich Village. “Since long before the Stonewall Uprising, queer people of color have sought refuge within its borders.”
The most progressive contender in the race could be Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou of Manhattan’s Financial District, who entered the field in a sun-splashed Saturday morning rally in Chinatown.
Niou, 38, was born in Taiwan and has an active social media presence — with plenty of dog pictures and gifs — that could appeal to millennial voters.
Yet another 38-year-old, web-savvy progressive, City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera of Kips Bay in Manhattan, said in a Friday night tweet that she was “seriously considering” a run.
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, a civil rights lawyer from Boerum Hill, said Saturday that she was still weighing a campaign. She has suggested she would focus on the climate and transportation if she entered the race.
“Congress needs more women and more people who can work collaboratively across issues,” Simon, 69, said by phone Friday. “That’s been my history.”
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