Jessica Ramos, a progressive New York state senator from Queens, announced Friday that she will enter the race to challenge New York City Mayor Eric Adams in next year's primary elections.
Ramos, the daughter of Colombian immigrants, is the fourth prominent Democrat to announce her intention to challenge the incumbent, as his administration faces numerous federal investigations, including one that led to the resignation on Thursday of New York City's police commissioner.
"You'll never have to wonder who I'm working for or who is paying me," Ramos said in a video kicking off her campaign, as news footage of Adams' campaign investigation displayed. "We need to bring that trust back to City Hall."
Ramos also said in an interview with amNewYork Metro that the city had become "divisive and polarized" under Adams and that she would usher "a new era for New Yorkers" that bridges differences between residents in different boroughs and focuses on making the city more affordable.
The state Senator grew up in Astoria, Queens, and says she has a deep love for the five boroughs. Before her current position, she worked in labor unions and the Bill de Blasio administration, getting her start in politics as a staffer for Hiram Monserrate, a former city council member and state senator who was convicted on domestic assault and corruption charges.
She was first elected to office in 2018 as part of a progressive wave that ousted moderate incumbents. Now, she says she seeks to be mayor for her love for New York.
"I'm running for mayor of the City of New York because I love my city, because I'm raising two boys in the city that raised me, and I want working families to have a fighting chance to reach their dreams in our city," she said. "That just doesn't seem like the case right now, under the current administration."
In her bid, Ramos joins City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie of Brooklyn and former Comptroller Scott Stringer as they seek to unseat Adams.
Ramos' personal story and track record could help her gain support from a key portion of the mayor's base who has grown disillusioned from his administration— Latinos. According to a Quinnipiac poll, Adams' ratings among Latinos has fallen to 20%.
The Queens native has criticized the mayor's response to an influx of migrants coming from the southern border and his budget cuts to libraries. She said she was open to working with other left-leaning candidates on a ranked-choice voting strategy to make the most of the city's relatively new system that allows voters to rank several candidates. Some candidates could cross-endorse each other or run on an "Anybody but Adams" slate.
Ahead of next year's primary, Ramos' greatest challenge will be raising enough money to qualify for public matching funds, The New York Times reported. Another one will be to convince prominent labor leaders to leave Adams' side.
But nevertheless, she seems confident in her chances.
"I announced today because I, of course, want to make the October filing. I am hoping to do so in a way that proves that many New Yorkers feel invested in my vision for City Hall," she said. "I'm gonna hit the streets. You're going to see me out there at train stations, at farmers markets, you name it."
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