Return of Yang Gang? Andrew Yang Files Paperwork to Run for Mayor of New York City

New York City’s Campaign Finance Board confirmed Wednesday that Andrew Yang has filed the paperwork to run for mayor, according to NBC New York.

Rumors about a possible mayoral candidacy have circulated for some time. Politico reported in early December that Yang was calling elected officials to gauge his support. And with paperwork now being filed, it appears he’s satisfied with what he heard.

Polling also shows that many New Yorkers consider him a viable candidate. A Public Policy Polling survey published Monday revealed that Yang leads Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams by one point and everyone else by several.

Yang is best known for his short-lived but memorable Democratic presidential candidacy throughout 2019 and early 2020. He outpolled and outlasted multiple Democratic candidates despite having no formal political experience. He made a name for himself by centering his campaign around a universal basic income policy of $1,000 per month. Unfortunately for Yang he was not able to turn his niche online support into actual votes, for he dropped out of the race after the New Hampshire primaries. He now works as a CNN political commentator.

New York City’s mayoral primary will take place on June 22, 2021. Current mayor Bill de Blasio is term limited and thus cannot run again.

A likely run for mayor isn’t the only reason Andrew Yang has been in the headlines lately. On December 18 he tweeted that there ought to be a way to have a “bar code” on people’s smartphones in order to prove that they received the COVID-19 vaccine: