Latest news with #JimWalden
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Jim Walden, independent candidate for NYC mayor, backs pledge to drop out if not leading by September
Jim Walden is a former prosecutor and independent running for mayor of New York City. He's among the increasingly crowded independent field heading into the November general election. Walden sat down with CBS News New York's political reporter Marcia Kramer for this week's episode of "The Point." Since there are so many independents in the race, Walden put forward the idea that they should all agree to drop out unless they are leading in the polls come September. That way, only one independent would face off against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. "We need a clean choice between a socialist agenda and a free market agenda, and if you have four candidates in the race, it makes it much more likely that they will split the vote and you'll have a spoiler situation," Walden explained. "I advanced it not for my own personal gain, [but] because my political interests and everyone else's ambitions should take a backseat to giving New Yorkers a very clean choice between one candidate and Zohran Mamdani." Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is also running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, said in an interview last week that he was on board with the pledge, though he didn't give an exact deadline. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, also on the independent ticket, declined to join the pledge. "I can't predict the future. What I can do is try to control the things that I can control. Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa have said -- in my view, putting their own political interests above the city of New York -- that they're not going to participate in the pledge. OK, that's now. Let's give them some time," said Walden. "The idea just came out the week before last, it's a new idea, it's obviously a novel idea, I'm not surprised that so many people are behind it. [Former] Gov. David Paterson supported it, obviously Andrew Cuomo did, other people online are supporting it as well. "But this is the kind of person that I am and this is the kind of mayor that I'll be. Find a problem and solve it. And the pledge, if the other two candidates come on board, would solve a significant problem." Walden also criticized Mamdani's socialist agenda, saying it's not achievable. "I think it's a critically important moment for free market ideas to continue to be embraced in the capital of capitalism," he said. "I believe that I'll be the best mayor because I've got the most forward looking, ambitious plans for the city. They're achievable, they're achievable based on a free market economy." Kramer noted affordability appears to be a key issue in the race, and that Mamdani has been able to mobilize young voters. Walden said he plans to build 50,000 new housing units a year by streamlining red tape and regulations. "We need to speed development, we have to get shovels in the ground. If we're serious about a housing crisis -- we call this a housing crisis for a reason -- we have to take extraordinary measures. And the only way that we're really going to be able to solve the problem for the long term, so our kids can afford the city, is to build much more ambitiously." He also said he wants to create a "nest egg" portfolio for the 29,000 kids born into poverty each year in the city, and start a "Shark Tank" style competition for kids in schools. In their extended interview, Walden said he spent the past 30 years helping New Yorkers solve problems and talked about how that would continue if elected mayor. Watch their full conversation in the video player Kramer contributed to this report.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Mayoral Candidate Says New Yorkers Have 'Buyer's Remorse' Over Mamdani
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Independent New York City mayoral candidate Jim Walden said Saturday during an interview appearance on Fox News that people have "buyer's remorse" after voting for Zohran Mamdani in last month's Democratic primary. Socialist democrat Mamdani, who represents New York's 36th Assembly District, scored a decisive victory in the primary, winning 56.4 percent of the vote to give him a 12-percentage point over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. However, a HarrisX poll that was published this week suggests that some of that support may be slipping. Why It Matters New York's mayoral race is being closely watched as a potential litmus test for the direction of the Democratic Party, which is still struggling to recover after its defeat in last year's election. Mamdani's surprising primary win reflects a growing appetite for left-leaning economic populism and signals a major shift within the party. While some believe his success could act as a potential blueprint for Democrats seeking to reconnect with urban and working-class voters, it has also exposed deep internal divisions, with establishment leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refusing to unify behind the candidate, wary of alienating moderates. Jim Walden, a partner at Walden Macht & Haran, attends a Helsinki Commission hearing on the impact of doping in international sport, on July 25, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jim Walden, a partner at Walden Macht & Haran, attends a Helsinki Commission hearing on the impact of doping in international sport, on July 25, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP What To Know During a Saturday morning appearance on Fox News, Walden who is currently polling in last place in the New York City general mayoral race with 1 percent, blamed the Democratic Party for Mamdani's success in the primary. "My understanding is that a lot of people have buyer's remorse because the Democrats did a terrible job on opposition research during the primary," he said. The HarrisX poll, released Tuesday, shows Mamdani barely leading the pack of candidates in the race. The poll shows Mamdani, with 26 percent of the vote, in a tie with Cuomo who has 23 percent. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa has 22 percent and current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent and who has faced multiple scandals since being in office, sat at 13 percent. In HarrisX's poll, a three-way race without Adams, Cuomo (31 percent) is statistically tied with Mamdani (29 percent) and Sliwa (28 percent). However, in a three-way race without Cuomo, Mamdani leads by 10 points, winning 35 percent to Sliwa's 25 percent and Adams' 19 percent. In head-to-head matchups, Mamdani topples Adams 43 to 36 percent, but trails Cuomo 35 to 50 percent. The poll surveyed 585 registered New York City voters online between July 7–8. The margin of error is ±4.1 percentage points. HarrisX said it conducted the survey before Cuomo announced that he's running as an independent in the general election. Walden addressed the fears that multiple independent candidates could split the vote, allowing Mamdani a clear path to victory. The lawyer said that, when the general election comes, all the independents, aside from the frontrunner, should drop out to allow them to run directly against Mamdani. "We have to put our political ambitions in the backseat for the interests of New Yorkers," he said, adding that Cuomo has signaled support for the plan, while Adams and Sliwa have not. The poll comes as the majority of New York's Democratic leadership has refused to endorse Mamdani, who has run on promises to make buses free and make rent cheaper. His progressive policies have led Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to label him a "communist." However, other recent polls show Mamdani maintaining a decisive lead over Cuomo, Adams and Sliwa. A Data for Progress (DfP) survey, also released this week, showed 40 percent of likely voters would vote for Mamdani if the mayoral election was held on July 15. The poll also showed that 25 percent would vote for Cuomo, 15 percent would vote for Adams, 14 percent would back Sliwa, and 1 percent would vote for Walden. The poll surveyed 756 likely voters between July 1 and 6, with a margin of error of ± 4 percentage points. Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gets endorsed by the United Teachers Federation in downtown Manhattan on July 9. Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gets endorsed by the United Teachers Federation in downtown Manhattan on July 9. Kaite Godowski/AP What People Are Saying Jim Walden said during an appearance on Fox News on Saturday, "At the end of the day, I say to New don't have to choose these broken politicians who are either extremists or craven or incompetent. There is a competent change agent in the race and that's what I'm going to be." Curtis Sliwa in an emailed statement sent to Newsweek reacting to the HarrisX poll: "For the first time since 2009, a Republican for NYC mayor is within the margin of error to win. That Republican is me. The momentum is real. I'm running to be the People's Mayor and I'm going to win on November 4th!" Zohran Mamdani posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday: "While Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams trip over each other to win the approval of billionaires in backrooms, our campaign remains focused on working New Yorkers and their clear desire for a different kind of politics." Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX, said about the poll: "These numbers show a volatile race still taking shape. While the progressive base is fueling Mamdani's rise, Cuomo's broad name recognition and moderate appeal make him a formidable general election challenger." Political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek via text message on Wednesday: "Establishment Democrats' reluctance to endorse Mamdani in the NYC mayoral race stems largely from ideological divides within the party. As a self-identified democratic socialist backed by progressive groups like the DSA and figures such as AOC, Mamdani's positions on issues like defunding the police, strong support for Palestinian rights, and aggressive economic reforms put him at odds with the more centrist, pragmatic wing represented by leaders like Jeffries, Schumer, & Hochul." What Happens Next? The general mayoral election will be held on November 4.
Bloomberg
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Meet the NYC Mayoral Hopeful Who Says He's Scandal-Free
Jim Walden, a long-shot independent candidate in New York City's mayoral race, said he's the best hope to defeat democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani because he's untainted by scandal. A litigator and former federal prosecutor, Walden is polling at just 1%, according to a recent Slingshot Strategies survey. But he insists he'll break through by positioning himself as the best alternative to Mamdani rivals weighed down by investigations, indictments and controversies. He's pledged to create a Department of Public Integrity empowered to investigate any city office, including the mayor's.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Andrew Cuomo to remain in NYC mayoral race, but with a catch: sources
Andrew Cuomo has decided to stay in this year's New York City mayoral race — but there's a caveat. According to sources familiar with his thinking, Cuomo will announce this week he's going to mount a genuine independent bid in November's general election. Cuomo, who lost last month's Democratic mayoral primary by a 12% margin to upstart socialist Zohran Mamdani, will still leave the door open to bowing out of the November contest, though, said the sources, who spoke with the Daily News on condition of anonymity. That's because Cuomo favors a proposal, first floated by independent mayoral hopeful Jim Walden, to commission a poll in mid-September testing the strengths of each of the remaining mayoral candidates in head-to-head matchups with Mamdani. Under that proposal, whichever candidate performs best in such a scenario would stay in the race, while the rest would drop out, a strategy designed to maximize chances of defeating Mamdani. Cuomo himself would in such a scenario drop out if he didn't perform strongest in the potential poll, the sources noted. It wasn't immediately clear which day Cuomo plans to formally make his announcement. His spokesman Rich Azzopardi didn't immediately return a request for comment Monday. Cuomo's decision to stay in the race was first reported by NewsNation, where his brother, Chris Cuomo, is an anchor. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual and professional misconduct accusations he denies, has continued to poll as the strongest potential candidate to take on Mamdani since the June 24 primary. However, Walden appears to be the only candidate willing to play along with Cuomo's proposal. Mayor Adams, who dropped out of the Democratic primary amid fallout from his corruption indictment, has made clear he will stay in November's race no matter what, running on an independent line. On Monday, Frank Carone, Adams' reelection campaign chairman and longtime political confidant, slammed Cuomo's latest proposal and reaffirmed the mayor is staying in the race. 'To even suggest that Mayor Adams, with his record of delivering for working class New Yorkers and bringing the city to where we are today post-COVID, should somehow agree to a fakakta poll suggests either a delusion or arrogance. Maybe both,' Carone told The News. 'Either way, it will not happen!' Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, meantime, has said only death would prevent him from running in November's election.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuomo expected to announce run in NYC mayoral race as an independent
The Brief Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to remain in the New York City mayoral race, the New York Post reports. Cuomo will run as an independent, alongside incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Jim Walden. He will ask three of the other four candidates to vow to end their mayoral campaigns if they are not in the lead by mid-September. NEW YORK - Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is not giving up his hopes of becoming New York City's current mayor, according to the New York Post. What we know Cuomo is planning to announce that he is staying in the New York City mayoral race as an independent candidate – there is, however, a catch to this campaign. MORE:Current NYC mayoral candidates The New York Post reports that Cuomo will ask three of the other four candidates – Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and former federal prosecutor Jim Walden – to vow to end their mayoral campaigns if they are not in the lead by mid-September. By the numbers A new poll released by political consulting firm Slingshot Strategies shows that Cuomo is trailing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani by ten percent; Mamdani currently leads with 35 percent of the vote, Cuomo following with 25 percent. MORE:Endorsements for NYC mayoral candidates Cuomo conceded the Democratic mayoral nomination to Mamdani last month. The Source This article includes reporting from the New York Post.
