Tech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang is expected to continue his bid for office. This week the New York City Campaign Finance Board confirmed Yang filed paperwork to run for the city’s mayor.
The move suggests Yang will pursue the progressive ideas he shared on the 2020 campaign trail. More progressive measures for the working class, that launched his name into households and had people wondering if he was a true contender for office.
The most notable of his ideas, to give every American over the age of 18 years of age $1000 every month, no strings attached. Yang said the legislation would be funded by taking money from large companies that are eating up jobs, like Amazon, Google and Netflix. The companies would give a small percentage of each of their sales to the bill, and go back to Americans.
Yang was also a supporter of “common-sense gun safety laws”, calling for more limitations on firearms and more resources for mental health safety, as a way to combat mass shootings and suicide in the U.S. He was also one of the few candidates on the democratic debate stage to support Medicare-for-all where there government would provide a more prominent universal health care coverage.
Yang’s ideals did not translate to votes during the 2020 election, ending up with zero delegates during the primary and conceding his race shortly after.
However, his name was floated around as a possible cabinet member, should a democrat win the White House. And he began to make appearances on news shows, commenting on the economy and political topics.
President-elect Joe Biden has made several announcements on possible cabinet selections, and it does not seem likely Yang will be among them. But, the entrepreneur maintains a loyal following: people who continue to promote his main talking points of providing more basic resources to working and middle-class families.
As mayor, Yang would be able to showcase that he can actually develop and propose policies. His leadership ability would be challenged, and people could see how he works under pressure, especially during the pandemic where economic stability will be a hot topic this summer.
The race for mayor, however, will not be an easy one. Already, at least 35 people have filed paperwork to run for mayor. Many of them are presumed to be more liberal-leaning, in the so-called blue city. And despite how early it is, Eric Adams the borough president of Brooklyn is expected to be a top contender for the position.
The financial paperwork Yang filled out does not guarantee he’ll run for office, but rather allows him to accept donations — which he has none of yet.
More information is sure to come as we move into 2021 with New York’s primaries set for June.