Glenbard West students are no strangers to the intensity of political races, where competition, challenges, and unexpected developments often shape outcomes. Just like the high-energy school elections we’ve seen at Glenbard West, next year’s New York City Mayoral Election is stirring up intrigue.
With the highest number of major independent candidates in New York City’s history, scandals resurfacing, and a suspected tight race, everyone is asking: “Why are there so many independents running in next year’s election?” Several factors contribute to this unprecedented surge of independent candidates.
Among those running outside the major parties is Eric Adams, the incumbent mayor, who dropped out of the Democratic primary due to low polling and federal indictments. Adams is running on delivering a “safer, more affordable city,”—which relates to one of his ballot lines “Safe & Affordable”—closing illegal smoke shops, and the “City of Yes” zoning reform which addressed the housing crisis in New York.
Another ballot line Adams wishes to include in the general election is “EndAntiSemitism.” Although each candidate is only allowed one ballot line, Adams threatens to sue if both are not kept in.
Adams confronted many obstacles when running for a second term. In September of 2024, Adams was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and soliciting and accepting a bribe. This led voters to believe he would not seek a second term—until the Trump Administration ordered the Department of Justice to drop the charges. With a tarnished reputation, voters are unsure if they will be voting for Adams, who remains a long shot.
Another contender running independently is the former governor Andrew Cuomo. He is running with the ballot line “Fight and Deliver,” claiming that New York City is in a crisis and that he can remedy things based on his experience and leadership.
Just like Adams, after losing the Democratic primary, he decided to run as an independent. However, unlike Adams, most voters did not believe he would lose the primary election. Cuomo had major endorsements such as the powerful unions, countless elected officials and Democratic leaders—such as Representative Greorgy W. Meeks and Representative Tom Suozzi—backing him, and several key allies.
Yet, in an unprecedented turn of events, 33-year-old democratic socialist Assembly member Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary. He has major endorsements from the Working Families Party, labor unions, representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerry Nadler, and Senator Bernie Sanders. As a democratic socialist, his goals are to make buses and child care free, freeze the rent (legally prevent a landlord from increasing the rent for a tenant and keeping it at a fixed rate), build public supermarkets, and launch a Department of Community Safety. Completely different from his other candidacies, Mamdani easily appealed to the typical person and impressed them with his future plans if he were to become mayor.
On the other side of party lines, Curtis Sliwa, a conservative radio host, is the contender for the Republican Party. He is the founder of the vigilante anti-crime group the Guardian Angels—a somewhat controversial nonprofit organization whose mission is to deter crime through increased patrol of the streets and subways.
Sliwa is running on the hopes of combating crime, opposing migrant shelters and e-bikes, and protecting animals, which seems to be a pattern among all candidates. Although Curtis Silas is a likely candidate for support from the Trump Administration due to his Republican affiliation, they are instead backing his opponent Eric Adams because they see him as a moderate alternative to progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani and a strategic choice to influence the election outcome.
However, like Adams, this isn’t his first time running for mayor. He was the Republican candidate in the last mayoral election, but he lost handily to Eric Adams. Nonetheless, he refuses to drop out of the race and continues campaign efforts despite not leading in the pools.
The last major candidate in the upcoming election is Jim Walden, an independent candidate and partner at Walden Macht Haran & Williams. The law firm focuses on white collar defense and infestations, complex commercial disputes, and corporate compliance–focused on rooting out corruption, creating jobs, and tackling problems such as mass housing shortage with public-private partnerships. Additionally, he wants to expand the NYPD and build bike lanes throughout the city. Compared to the other candidates, Jim Walden is less likely to win and is considered an outsider.
The year’s election, scheduled for November 5, 2025, promises to be a tight race that is already garnering national attention and unprecedented amounts of campaign donations.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/nyregion/nyc-mayor-candidates-2025.html
https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/09/heres-whos-running-new-york-city-mayor-2025/401994/
