Elections

Forbes: Andrew Yang considering a run for NYC mayor

Published

1 year ago

November 30, 2020

Staff Writer

2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is reportedly weighing a campaign for mayor of New York City, a close ally told Forbes on Monday.

The unnamed ally, only referred to as a former aide of Yang’s, told Forbes that the business and tech entrepreneur is “definitely” thinking about a bid to replace the historically unpopular and term-limited Mayor Bill de Blasio. However, Yang has not made a decision yet.

Politico first reported the newest round of speculation on Monday when it reported that a poll is asking New Yorkers which of the candidates on a list of 11 that included Yang should succeed de Blasio as mayor.

If he ultimately decides to run, Yang would automatically become one of the most well-known candidates in the already-crowded race. Other big-names who might throw their hats in the ring are CNN President Jeff Zucker and Staten Island Congressman Max Rose (D-N.Y.), Forbes said. The Democratic Party’s mayoral primary is scheduled to take place on June 22, 2021.

He rose to notoriety during his unexpectedly popular dark-horse bid to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president. In particular, he made a name for himself in promoting the idea of universal basic income (UBI). The general idea of UBI is sending every American adult a check every month, something that has grown in popularity throughout the coronavirus pandemic, especially after a round of stimulus check sent to millions of Americans back in the springtime as part of the CARES Act.

Since dropping out of the Democratic primaries in February, Yang launched a nonprofit called Humanity Forward to continue promoting UBI. He also joined CNN as a political commentator and started his own weekly podcast called “Yang Speaks.”

Recently, Yang and his family moved down to Georgia to campaign for the pair of Democrats running in the state’s two side-by-side runoff elections for the U.S. Senate. These two runoffs will determine which political party will hold a majority, albeit a razor thin one, during the next Congress. The date of these twin runoff elections is set for January 5, 2021.

The Democrats, Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, are hoping to oust their respective GOP incumbents, Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. If the Democrats sweep both seats, they would hold 50 out of the 100 seats in the Senate and have Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote.

You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.

Related Topics:andrew yang bill de blasio georgia mayor New York City

Elections

Biden’s Poor Polling and Harris’ Low Electability Rating Could Have Democrats Considering ‘Nuclear Option’

Behind-the-scenes discussion of how Democrats could arrive at a third option for the next election is underway

Published

5 days ago

December 1, 2021

Staff Writer

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

With polls consistently showing a poor approval rating for President Joe Biden at below 40 percent, and a recent poll put Kamala Harris’ electability at only 28 percent, Democrats are in full panic mode.

“Behind-the-scenes discussion of how Democrats could arrive at a third option for the next election is underway. Operatives are preparing for the possibility of a contested presidential primary in which other would-be nominees take on Ms. Harris, but that could be damaging for the party” reports the Telegraph.

Therefore, Democrats are allegedly whispering about a potential “nuclear option” that would call for current Vice President Harris to be nominated to the Supreme Court. The Telegraph writes that “while the scenario is highly improbable, and perhaps a reflection of a Washington rumor mill in overdrive, the fact it has come up at all shows the depths of the predicament the Biden administration currently finds itself in, amid rising inflation, a stalled domestic agenda, and foreign policy disasters.”

The theory in question would call for President Biden to nominate Harris to the Supreme Court in the event a seat opens in the next three years during his administration. Biden could then use “Section 2 of the 25thAmendment to nominate a more popular vice president”, adds the Telegraph.

Under Section 1 of the 25th Amendment, that new vice president could assume the presidency if Biden were to step down while president. They would then become the Democratic nominee in the 2024 presidential election. That same individual could also be the presumptive Democratic nominee in 2024 if Biden chooses not to run for re-election.

One piece of information that is wetting Democrats’ whistle is that current Supreme Court Justice Breyer has said he does not “want to stay on the Supreme Court until I die.”

The Telegraph notes that “the discussion over potential successors to Mr. Biden is highly unusual less than a year into an administration.”