Yang announces run for New York City mayor

Andrew Yang, a former 2020 Democratic White House hopeful, announced late Wednesday that he is running for New York City mayor this year.

“I am running for mayor because I see a crisis — and I believe I can help,” he said on his campaign website.

“I moved to New York City 25 years ago. I came of age, fell in love, and became a father here. Seeing our City the way it is now breaks my heart,” he added. “What we do in the coming months will determine our city’s trajectory for decades.”

Yang proposed “the largest basic income program in history,” and called for an investment in a “human-centered economy.” He also listed “fact-based governance” and an accessible health care system as priorities for his campaign.

“We need to do all this while enacting accountable and smart policing, building affordable housing, closing our city’s digital divide, modernizing transportation and city services, and more,” he added.

“Let’s fight for a future New York City that we can be proud of — together,” he said in a Twitter post announcing his campaign.

I moved to New York City 25 years ago. I came of age, fell in love, and became a father here. Seeing our City in so much pain breaks my heart.

Let’s fight for a future New York City that we can be proud of – together. Join us at https://t.co/TGnxwuBiHB pic.twitter.com/n9zxPybgbh

— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) January 14, 2021

The tech entrepreneur was born in upstate New York and spent most of his adult life in Manhattan.

Yang ended his presidential campaign almost one year ago after outlasting several other higher-profile Democrats. During the campaign, he frequently promoted his universal basic income platform, which he called the Freedom Dividend.

He endorsed President-elect Joe Biden last March.

In November, he announced that he would move to Georgia to help two Democratic Senate candidates with their ultimately successful runoff campaigns. 

–Updated at 7:42 a.m.