The endorsements for New York City’s next mayor are starting to rack up as the June 22 Democratic primary closes in. On Tuesday night, three of the most high-profile New Yorkers to weigh in so far made their case for Ray McGuire: In a rollout on NY1, Jay-Z, Diddy, and Nas all announced that they would back the former Citigroup executive.
While McGuire has little name recognition among New Yorkers compared to some of the other candidates already involved in city politics — and one who has never voted in a local election — the approval of this hip-hop triumvirate could help change that. “People come from all over the world, like ‘I got a chance to make it here, if I can make it here I can make it anywhere,’” Jay-Z said in a video endorsement. “And that’s what we’re trying to protect.”
The moguls weren’t the only major endorsements to be made public on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams got the nod from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. And the Working Families Party — the influential progressive group within the Democrats — announced a ranked-choice endorsement for the city’s first ranked-choice mayoral election. City comptroller Scott Stringer was the first choice for the WFP, followed by education advocate Dianne Morales, and civil-rights attorney and former Civilian Complaint Review Board chair Maya Wiley.
“We urge every New Yorker to rank Scott as first choice, Dianne as second, and Maya as third to avoid a corporate-backed candidate from seizing power in City Hall,” Working Families Party State Director Sochie Nnaemrka said. “We are confident Scott Stringer has both a path to victory and can lead New York out of this public-health and economic crisis, centering the needs of Black, brown, and immigrant New Yorkers, and ensuring our communities do not just survive, but thrive in the years to come.” The endorsement is a crucial one for Stringer amid a crowded field of candidates on the left, and adds to his list of endorsements from progressives in the city, including Jamaal Bowman, Jessica Ramos, and Julia Salazar.
