Lexington Dem Club Endorses Stringer for Mayor; Four Freedoms Club Opts for No One
Club endorsements give candidates various club volunteers to help gather the necessary number of signatures to appear on the ballot.
| 15 Feb 2025 | 04:16
It was a pakced house at the mayoral forum on the Upper East Side, which drew all the declared candidates for mayor in June 24 Democratic primary except for Mayor Eric Adams. Candidates attended either in person or via Zoom. (
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Lex Club’s for Stringer—After a cliffhanger of an endorsement vote, and late into the night and the next day, Manhattan Dems were on tenterhooks waiting to hear if the Lexington Democratic Club would follow their Executive Committee recommendation and endorse Scott Stringer for Mayor. They did. After two days it was official: Stringer’s the one for the Lex Dems.
Four Freedoms voted for a No Endorsement. A no endorsement means that no mayoral candidate’s name will appear on Four Freedoms petitions.
The number of petition signatures submitted to the Board of Elections after the petitioning period determine whether a candidate will appear on the ballot.
The endorsements came after a candidates forum held by Four Freedoms, Lexington Democratic Club, Eleanor Roosevelt Independent Democratic Club, Tilden Democratic Club, and El Nuevo Caribe. It was moderated by the respective clubs’ President or District Leaders and was held at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute on East 82nd Street.
NYC’s current embattled Mayor Eric Adams, and maybe-candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, did not attend. (Cuomo hasn’t entered the race, therefore wasn’t invited.) The candidates who attended, either in person or by Zoom were Michael Blake, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senator Zellnor Myrie, State Senator Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Whitney Tilson. During the petitioning period, during February and March, Cuomo and any other candidate can gather enough petition signatures to qualify to get on the ballot.
The forum was sponsored by Democratic clubs and moderated by their District Leader or President. Questions for the candidates were submitted in advance. The auditorium was SRO. All candidates had progressive platforms on affordable housing, crime, transportation, immigration, hate crimes, transportation, anti-Semitism, and more. Each candidate emphasized their experience and background. When it came to homelessness, only Tilson was decidedly non-progressive, advocating that no one should be allowed to live on the streets. What to do about it? He had no plan or policy. Guess if he’s mayor he’ll know and we’ll find out.
While Dems endorsed, MAGAs danced—Manhattan Republicans aren’t worried about endorsing candidates these days. They were busy having a good time thanks to the Metropolitan Republican Club’s sponsored celebration at—where else—the Trump Grill in Trump Tower. For the price of admission—I paid $38.11—there was a happy crowd dancing to “YMCA” and fist-bumping and enjoying elegant passed noshes (it’s NYC, not Mar-a-Largo). Balloons filled the air. The cash bar was busy. Only one or two MAGA hats and shirts. I didn’t stay for the raffles but was assured that it couldn’t possibly be a trip to the Washington, or Florida, White House. I did stop by the Trump Tower Gift Shop next door to the Grill. It was filled with campaign memorabilia, and, I hoped, newspapers (which they usually have). There was mostly Trump stuff. And one New York Post. Hmm, Cindy Adams’ column doesn’t appear on Thursday. I bought it anyway. Needed something to read before gaining entry to the event. I was early as usual.