NYC’s ‘Cheerleader in Chief’
ANDREW YANG’S 2020 PRESIDENTIAL campaign garnered zero delegates, but it propelled him and his signature idea of Universal Basic Income into the national consciousness. Now he’s running for mayor of New York City—and recent polls suggest he’s already a frontrunner.
Yang and his fan base—dubbed the Yang Gang—campaigned hard for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as well as for other Democratic candidates across the country. The entrepreneur-turned-politician is bringing that same energy to New York. Other frontrunners include Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Raymond McGuire, a top Wall Street executive, has shown a strong ability to fundraise. Maya Wiley, an academic and former lawyer in current Mayor Bill De Blasio’s administration, has been endorsed by one of the city’s most powerful labor unions, the SEIU 1199. Overall, the field is wide and diverse, with some 40 New Yorkers seeking to lead the city. If Yang were to win, he’d be the first Asian-American to lead the nation’s largest metropolis.
Prior to entering politics, Yang led test preparation company Manhattan Prep, which was later sold to Kaplan Inc., from 2006 to 2012. He also founded and led the non-profit Venture for America in 2011, which recruited and trained graduates to work in startups in cities around the country.
Yang has put addressing the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, racial and income inequality and a speedy economic recovery at the forefront of his campaign. Among his policy ideas, Yang is pushing for a scaled-back version of his presidential campaign’s national UBI plan and the launch of a new People’s Bank of New York to serve the unbanked and underbanked, which he believes will go a long way toward addressing poverty in the city.
He also sees his personal ties with Biden, Harris and others in Washington as a key benefit for New Yorkers. As Yang
