Jim Walden, then Special Counsel to the Task Force, speaks during a public hearing on tax incentives on 05/02/19. © Mitsu Yasukawa/Northjersey.com
(New York, NY) – Jim Walden, who had been running for New York City mayor as an independent — has dropped out of the race. The former prosecutor had failed to solidify a significant amount of support from voters — and had been consistently polling near 1%. His campaign more or less highlighted the difficulty of gaining traction with four top candidates jockeying for position.
With Walden out, it leaves incumbent Mayor Eric Adams — running as an independent — as well as Independent (former Democrat) Andrew Cuomo, Republican-Independent Curtis Sliwa, and Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani.
Walden announced his exit from the race while urging his former rivals to unite — in a bid to defeat Queens Assemblyman Mamdani. The Democratic Socialist is leading in polls and has angered many New Yorkers by supporting the “defund the police” movement. He’s also rabidly anti-Israel and has been accused of being anti-Semitic.
Mamdani campaigned on Tuesday and said he’s committed to freezing the rent in rent stabilized apartments. He’s also proposing a 2% tax on New York City’s millionaires, legalizing prostitution, and decriminalizing misdemeanors — as he says they are simply “crimes of poverty.” This includes fare-jumping — which has devasted the MTA’s finances, along with mismanagement. Mamdani also wants to legalize sleeping on the subways.
The 33-year-old Muslim has notably refused to condemn phrases like “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifadah,” arguing they express a desire for Palestinian rights.
