Andrew Yang Files Paperwork to Run for NYC Mayor

Tech entrepreneur and failed Democrat presidential candidate Andrew Yang has filed paperwork to run for mayor of New York City, according to the Big Apple’s Campaign Finance Board.

NBC 4 reports:

[Yang] has been widely reported to be considering a bid for mayor, and the Public Policy Polling survey released Monday was the second poll in recent weeks to show him with a lead over Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

Yang would get 17 percent support in a Democratic primary, according to the PPP survey. That gives him a 1-point lead over Adams, with all other candidates at least 10 points back.

New York City’s primary election is slated for June 22, 2021. Thus far, over 35 people had filed paperwork for the mayoral race.

Yang, who built a grassroots following due to his vocal support for universal basic income, recently garnered headlines for proposing a “barcode” program for Americans to prove they have received a vaccination to protect against the coronavirus.

“Is there a way for someone to easily show that they have been vaccinated – like a barcode they can download on their phone? There ought to be,” Yang mused Friday on social media.

“Tough to have mass gatherings like concerts or ballgames without either mass adoption of the vaccine or a means of signaling,” he added.

If Yang’s mayoral bid does not work out, he has signaled he could run for president a second time.

“We all know if I ran again, it would be a lot more fun than the first time. Because the first time, you know, I was kind of climbing out of anonymity. The second time, you know, we’d have a blast from day one. I would 100% run for office again,” Yang previously told Yahoo Finance. “You know, not sure which office, but the problems again are getting bigger now, not smaller. And I’m happy to say I feel like my ability to help has also gotten bigger. I’m just going to keep on helping until some of these problems actually get better.”