Ten mayoral candidates participated in a public Q&A forum at the Greater Allen AME Cathedral in Jamaica on Sunday, Feb. 23. The event brought together community members to engage with candidates representing Democratic, Republican, and Independent platforms.
Dozens of attendees gathered at the renowned church, located at 10-31 Merrick Blvd, to hear candidates outline their campaign priorities and respond to questions on key issues, including education, public safety, and immigration.
The candidates in attendance included State Senators Zellnor Myrie (D) and Jessica Ramos (D), former City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D), Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani (D), former Assembly Member Michael Blake (D), current New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (D), James Manning(R), Javon Terell Ross(I*), Von Del Valle(*), and Scott Joyner(I).
The forum was organized by the church’s GAC Votes Social Justice Ministry, a non-partisan group dedicated to voter education and civic engagement. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Donald Garner, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Greater Allen AME Cathedral, and Treasure Brooks, a multidisciplinary artist and co-founder of Sol Street Strategies.
Candidate Promises
The first half of the event included personal statements from the candidates as well as campaign promises.
Myrie’s opening statement touched on the legacy of Black leadership within the city. For the past 7 years, he has represented central Brooklyn in the NYS Senate.
He added that he has passed legislation to combat deed theft, a prevalent issue for Southeast Queens homeowners. “Many of you bought homes in Southeast Queens as your only source of wealth, and for years, we had bad actors defrauding us out of our homes, stealing our deeds. And it was not a crime, he said. “I wrote a bill, and I changed that, which made it a crime that went into effect this year,” Myrie added.
For the past six years, Sen. Ramos has represented northeast Queens neighborhoods, including Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, and Corona. She emphasized that she was “walking in her purpose” while reflecting on growing up in Jackson Heights and her current commitment to labor unions and local government.
Additionally, Ramos directly criticized incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, saying she is watching as he has “disappointed us all.” “We want to prove to everyone that New York City is a city for everyone so that people young and old and everyone in between can have a brighter future in New York City and tackle together the issues before us, of affordable housing, crime, real public safety, and better health outcomes,” Ramos said.
Stringer, the former New York City Comptroller for an eight-year term-limited tenure, touched on his lifelong roots in the city. He said that New York City is no longer “moving forward,” and there is a need for an experienced mayor.
“I believe we need a mayor who has real experience, who has a feel for the city and that’s why I decided to get back in the ring,” Stringer said. “ I’m going to say to you we need somebody who understands how to build a new administration, free of corruption, somebody who’s going to get things done on the time that we have on this plant, and I’m back in the ring because I really believe in this city and I believe in all of you,” he said.
As for Mamdani, an Assembly member representing western Queens, he said his family legacy includes advocating for the freedoms of others, and his current focus is on affordability for all.
“What good is the right to live in this city if you cannot afford it, if you cannot afford your rent, your mortgage, your Con-Edison bill, your child care, your groceries? I’m running to make this a city we can afford, and I’m going to do that by freezing the rent,” he said.
Blake is a reverend, former assembly member of the Bronx’s 79th district, and former aide to President Obama. His remarks highlighted his previous state, local, and federal government work. Blake had a six-year tenure in the NYS Assembly, where he created the My Brother’s Keeper program and chaired the Mitchell-Lama Committee.
Some of Blake’s running points include fighting for Medicaid and Medicare and lowering the cost of living. “I’m running so we can focus on the true cost of living, where we can have a guaranteed income and ensure that we have universal childcare,” Blake said. “When we think about what is going on in D.C., as the only person who has White House, state house, and local experience, we cannot worry just about what’s happening in D.C. unless we work here on the ground.”
Lander said he’s running to deliver a safer, more affordable, and better-managed city for all New Yorkers. Lander added that he wants to clean up crime in the streets and subways and address corruption in City Hall. He then described some of his financial wins during his term as comptroller. “My audits and public finance and pension fund management have saved New York City taxpayers over two-and-a-half billion dollars, Lander said. “I’ve also brought the focus of the office to the racial wealth gap, putting the first study out on the racial wealth gap in New York,” he said.
Following Lander, Manning gave his remarks to the crowd. The Republican candidate has been the head pastor of the Bethelite Community Baptist Church since 1981.
Manning took a different approach in addressing the crowd, as he candidly spoke about his previous experience with incarceration and the justice system in the 70s before he found God. “ In 1976, however, I met the Lord Jesus Christ in the Brooklyn House of Detention. He came forcefully into my life. I repented for all of the wrong things I’ve done, all of the people I robbed, all of the homes I had burglarized, and all of the family and friends I had embarrassed. I dutifully repented in that jail cell to the awful things I had done,” Manning said. “I will be the next mayor of New York City.”
Ross, who declared that he is running as an Independent, said his platform focuses on “respect in love, reform in love, and restore in love.” “That’s what this is all about: ending corruption. We all deal with so many different things, different problems, but the same issue,” Ross said.
Del Valle’s opening statement took a tone of “stepping up” and “innovation ” for citygoers. “We have to be together, New York; we got to stop separating each other,” Del Valle said. “We need to change the way we’re doing things.”
Joyner, who is also running as an Independent, emphasized needing to address the transit system, more accountability for elected officials, and speedier repairs for NYCHA residents.“We need better infrastructure, we need 150 more bike lanes, and I want to create a public accountability office that audits everybody, including the mayor’s office, comptroller’s office, and city council to make sure that everybody is accountable for their actions,” Joyner said.
