The ink on Tuesday night's election results is barely dry, but the jockeying is already under way for the next mayor's race — in 2021. NY1's Michael Scotto filed the following report.
As Bill de Blasio claimed victory Tuesday night, it appeared at least some of the politicians who might eventually replace him were already thinking about the next citywide election in four years.
"Some have said it's a Tale of Two Cities, but sometimes I think we're in a Tale of Two Blocks," Democrat Scott Stringer said to supporters Tuesday night after he was re-elected city comptroller. "You can have a public housing development that is slowly crumbling right across the street from a luxury development."
Yes, it's not too soon to start talking about 2021, when de Blasio won't be on the ballot, and all citywide offices will once again be up for grabs.
The potential lineup for mayor so far:
- City Comptroller Scott Stringer
- Public Advocate Letitia James
- Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams
- Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
- Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.
This year, Jeffries declined to run against de Blasio. Now, he's staying quiet about the future.
"It's premature to think about the 2021 election," Jeffries said.
That will eventually change, and potential candidates will have to start thinking about how to position themselves.
Over the last four years, Stringer has been a frequent critic of de Blasio, often criticizing the mayor's ability to govern.
"I don't think people truly understood what he was talking about," Stringer said in February.
But as they look to 2021, a former de Blasio advisor said it would make sense for any potential candidate to campaign on the issues that de Blasio champions.
"This is a message that resonates," Democratic Consultant Rebecca Katz said. "I also think what voters want is, they don't want someone who is doing poll-tested soundbites and issues."
Of course, a lot can change over the next four years, circumstances that will make some candidates and their messages suddenly viable.
Just think about 2013, when then-candidate de Blasio had been an afterthought until his Tale of Two Cities platform took off.