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With fewer than 100 days before voting begins in the New York City primary, NY1 is sitting down with Democratic candidates challenging Mayor Eric Adams.
On Thursday, City Comptroller Brad Lander joined "Mornings On 1" to make his case to voters as he prepares to leave his current role.
"This is an urgent time for new leadership. The cost of housing and child care [is] crushing working families, people don’t feel safe on the streets and subways, and now Donald Trump is wrecking the Department of Education and even the VA," Lander said in an interview on "Mornings On 1" Thursday. "New Yorkers want honest, effective leadership… and that’s what I know how to do."
Lander pointed to his willingness to stand up to President Trump, highlighting his response when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency withdrew funds from the city.
"When Elon Musk stole $80 million from New York City’s bank account and Eric Adams didn’t have a word to say about it, I was the one saying, ‘Let’s get into court. That’s our money. We have a contract,’" he said.
A federal judge earlier this month ruled that the federal government did not need to immediately return the more than $80 million used to shelter migrants.
The Democratic primary field includes 10 candidates, and Lander said he is focused on building the broadest coalition of support.
"What I think people want is just honest, effective leadership at City Hall, somebody that could run the place well and fight for working families," he said. "That’s why I’m leading in fundraising. I have the broadest coalition of support, and that’s why I’m going to win this ranked-choice race."
Lander also weighed in on mayoral candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been polling well in the race, saying he believes New Yorkers will see him as "someone who’s just in it for himself."
"New Yorkers do not want to replace one corrupt chaos agent with another," he said. "Five years ago, we were experiencing those first COVID deaths. What was he doing? Getting his $5 million book deal."
Lander went on the defend his record on key policies, including congestion pricing, which has faced opposition in parts of the outerboroughs.
"I keep hearing from people who were against it but now see how well it’s working," he said. "Traffic is down, more people are riding the subway, and money’s coming in for turnstile gates, platform barriers and subway improvements."
He also addressed his plan to convert four public golf courses into housing.
"The housing crisis in New York City is overwhelming," he said. "We’ll still have eight municipal golf courses, but we’ll have 50,000 new affordable homes for working families to own and rent."
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa is running unopposed as a Republican. Early voting in the June 24 primary begins on June 14.
