By Joseph De Avila

It's crunch time for the Democratic candidates looking to unseat Eric Adams as New York City's next mayor.

Early voting is under way ahead of the June 24 primary. It is a ranked-choice election, where voters pick and rank multiple candidates. A candidate needs to receive 50% of the first-choice votes to win on the first count.

Here's who's running in New York City's Democratic primary for mayor.

Adrienne E. Adams

Who she is: Adams, from Queens, has served as speaker of the New York City Council since 2022. She frequently battled current Mayor Eric Adams, whom she is not related to, over budget cuts to schools and libraries and has advocated for affordable housing programs.

What her platform is: She has pushed for closing the Rikers Island jail and defended the city's sanctuary policies. Adams has pledged to invest in housing and education if elected and said she would improve public safety and reduce violent crime.

Andrew M. Cuomo

Who he is: The former governor, who grew up in Queens and now lives in Manhattan, is the favorite to win. He has led in most polls.

This is Cuomo's first election since he stepped down as state governor in 2021, after several women accused him of sexual harassment. Cuomo has denied the allegations and has said it was a mistake for him to resign. Federal lawmakers have also scrutinized his handling of nursing homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As governor, Cuomo passed a $15 minimum wage and paid-family leave and marshaled investments for New York airports.

What his platform is: Cuomo wants to hire more police, make subways safer and build more housing. He has secured endorsements from major labor unions and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He also plans to run on an independent party line in the general election.

Brad Lander

Who he is: As the city's comptroller, Lander oversees its pension funds. He has been polling third in the race in most recent surveys. He was recently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at an immigration courthouse after attempting to escort a person who had attended a hearing out of the building.

What his platform is: Lander wants to create 700,000 residential units and preserve an additional 300,000 to help ease the city's housing crunch. Lander has also said he would end street homelessness for seriously mentally ill people and make investments in public education if elected. He's said he would protect immigrants in the city and help provide them access to legal services, job training and other programs.

Zohran Mamdani

Who he is: The progressive darling Mamdani has shot up in the polls in recent weeks by appealing to young and left-leaning voters. Mamdani has become the leading challenger to Cuomo. The assemblyman was born in Uganda and raised in New York City.

What his platform is: Mamdani has campaigned on lowering the cost of living in the city and improving public transit. If elected mayor, Mamdani said he would freeze rent for all tenants in rent-stabilized units, eliminate bus fares and create a no-cost child care system. Mamdani was recently endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Brooklyn native.

Zellnor Myrie

Who he is: Myrie is a state senator from central Brooklyn. He led the passage of the Clean Slate Act, which seals certain criminal records to remove barriers to housing and employment. He also championed passage of the Fair Access to Victims Compensation Act, which makes it easier for crime victims to get compensation from the state.

What his platform is: Myrie is running on lowering housing costs, improving public safety and strengthening public schools.

Jessica Ramos

Who she is: Ramos, who is from Queens, is a state senator. Once a Cuomo critic, she endorsed the former governor earlier this month. The announcement caught many supporters off-guard and seemed to acknowledge the uphill challenges she faced in winning the primary. Cuomo didn't return the support.

What her platform is: Improving mental-health services in the city is a major plank of her campaign.

Scott M. Stringer

Who he is: The city's former comptroller has also served in the state Assembly and as Manhattan borough president. Stringer previously ran for mayor in 2021.

What his platform is: Stringer is campaigning on lowering housing costs, including making changes to public housing. Stringer wants to recruit more police officers, improve sanitation and bring ethics reform to City Hall.

Other mayoral contenders not in the primary

Eric Adams

The mayor is seeking a second term under his own political party, because he said a federal bribery case against him in the fall by federal prosecutors had made it impossible to mount a proper campaign for the primary. A federal judge dismissed the case in Apr i l.

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Jim Walden will also be on the general election ballot.

Time to try ranked-choice voting

We created a sample ranked-choice ballot to demonstrate how New York City's election will work. But instead of choosing between mayoral candidates, we are asking you to rank your favorite bagel orders. Once you vote, we will show you how the rounds are calculated using the first round of early voting results.

Write to Joseph De Avila at joseph.deavila@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 19, 2025 07:00 ET (11:00 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.