Bill de Blasio is the mayor-elect and is set to be the 109th mayor of New York City. He will be the first Democratic mayor since 1993 and is an NYU alumnus.
Party: Democrat
Position: Public Advocate
Total Raised in Campaign Money: $9.45 million
Campaign focus:
Bill de Blasio’s campaign was focused on economic inequality and his goal as mayor is to offer opportunities to all New Yorkers which, he said, will save the middle class from disappearing.
“That’s not simply a plan for tackling the inequality crisis. It’s my solemn commitment to every resident of the city we all love so much,” he said in a statement on his website.
Any controversies:
The de Blasio campaign has been criticized for his proposal to tax the wealthy, a plan that may be outside of his control. High-income New Yorkers who do not reside in the city will not be affected by de Blasio’s plan, and tax laws of New York City are controlled by the state, so de Blasio cannot control taxes, but he can try and persuade state officials.
Key endorsements:
President Barack Obama, Former President Bill Clinton, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, among others.
Key Policies:
De Blasio’s platform focused on economic inequality, education, affordable housing, reforming stop-and-frisk policies, hospitals and health care. For economic inequality, de Blasio plans to support small businesses and immigrant businesses, while also passing legislation that will provide benefits for the working class.
A key part of his education platform involves pushing for universal pre-kindergarten classes, improving traditional public schools, slowing the growth of charter schools, and emphasizing art and physical education instead of focusing on test results.
Meanwhile, de Blasio’s plan for affordable housing includes up to 50,000 new affordable housing developments.
De Blasio’s position on stop-and-frisk includes changing the New York Police Department leadership, implementing a racial-profiling bill and hiring an inspector general to investigate claims of racial profiling.
His health care platform involves opening health clinics for city officials and creating a Health Authority in Brooklyn to prevent hospitals from closing.
Ann Schmidt is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].
