There probably wouldn’t be enough room in a three-ring circus for all the candidates and all the drama in the race for mayor in New York City. In the wake of federal corruption charges that have been dropped against him, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is struggling in the polls. Rather than run in a crowded Democratic primary, Adams announced this month that he’s skipping that race in June and will run as an independent candidate in the general election in November.

Meanwhile, despite major controversies in his past, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the early frontrunner in the crowded primary race that also includes the City Council speaker, the city comptroller and several state lawmakers. One of the early surprises in the race has been the strong showing of little-known Queens state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. 

Joining NY1’s Errol Louis to size up the field is Jeff Coltin, a reporter at Politico, who is an expert in local politics. Their conversation delved into the complexities of ranked-choice voting and the strategies of various candidates, including former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, current City Comptroller Brad Lander, Queens state Sen. Jessica Ramos and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. They also touched on the unpredictability of the race and the calculations candidates are making leading up to the primary and the general election.

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