Brad Lander’s Bid for Mayor: A Progressive Vision for NYC

MOHAMED FARGHALY

Mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Brad Lander, the current city comptroller and former City Council member, is setting his sights on New York City’s highest office. With a track record of progressive legislation and a deep commitment to affordable housing, education, and public safety, Lander believes it is time for a new kind of leadership in the big city. He is running as a Democrat, hoping to capitalize on his years of public service and his passion for improving the city he loves.

Lander visited the Queens Ledger office for a sit-down roundtable interview, where he shared insights into his vision for the city and his plans as a mayoral candidate.

Lander’s story begins far from New York City, in his hometown of St. Louis. He moved to the city at the age of 23, enchanted by the borough’s vibrancy, energy, and promise. From that moment, he immersed himself in the fabric of the city — in its neighborhoods, people, and, eventually, its politics. Now, at 50, he is ready to take the next step in his journey and offer his vision for the future of New York.

“I love this city. I’ve lived here for 27 years now, and every day I’m inspired by the people, the culture, and the energy here,” said Lander, who resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with his two children.

Since 2021, he’s served as comptroller, a role he describes as being the “city’s watchdog,” managing pension funds and auditing government contracts. There’s only one rung higher in city government, and that’s mayor — a post for which Lander will be on the ballot, come November.

But roughly eight months out, the race is already crowded. Lander is one of nine candidates who have announced mayoral bids, and that’s not counting former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who leads the polls but has yet to officially enter the fray. To win, he would have to overcome the embattled incumbent, Eric Adams — Politico has called Lander the current mayor’s ‘archrival’ — and distinguish himself from a pack of progressives with similar policies, including state Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. In the process, he’ll have to navigate two hot-button issues which many view as weak points for New York Democrats: affordability and public safety.

A poll by the Manhattan Institute gives Lander the best odds of challenging the controversial heavyweights, Cuomo and Adams. Courtesy of the Manhattan Institute.

“People are pissed off with government that’s not working for them,” Lander told the Queens Ledger during the roundtable. “People feel like the cost of living is going through the roof: the rent’s up, home prices are up, child care costs so much that I can’t afford to live here. It doesn’t feel safe and secure, and I don’t see government fighting for me.”

Lander’s path to public service began at the age of 23, when he was hired by the Fifth Avenue Committee to help turn around a neighborhood facing an affordable housing crisis. His work was pivotal in securing properties for hundreds of residents, ensuring that they could remain in their homes despite growing pressures to gentrify the area.

This early success ignited Lander’s passion for policy that directly impacts the lives of working-class New Yorkers. As a City Council member, Lander championed a range of progressive initiatives, including raising the minimum wage for city workers, creating affordable housing, and advocating for better public education. He also co-founded the New York City Progressive Caucus, helping shape the city’s legislative agenda in a way that prioritized the needs of marginalized communities.

During his tenure, Lander was instrumental in pushing through major development programs in Brooklyn, including the creation of affordable housing units in areas like Gowanus. The once-polluted area has seen the development of over 8,000 new housing units, 3,000 of which are set aside as affordable.

As current Comptroller of New York City over the last four years, Lander has played a pivotal role in improving the city’s fiscal management and advocating for its residents. One of his key accomplishments has been his focus on enhancing the city’s contracting process. His office has worked tirelessly to streamline operations, ensuring that contracts are registered on time and reducing delays that have historically plagued nonprofits and small businesses. Lander has also prioritized better oversight of city spending, aiming to eliminate waste and improve efficiency in how taxpayer dollars are utilized, all while making sure that public services reach the communities that need them the most.

Another significant achievement in Lander’s tenure has been his advocacy for improved transparency in the city’s financial operations. He has worked to make the city’s budget more accessible and understandable to the public, ensuring that New Yorkers are informed about where their tax dollars are going. Additionally, Lander has championed initiatives that promote stronger worker protections, such as his efforts to push for higher wages for city employees and greater support for workers facing difficult economic conditions.

Under his leadership, the office has saved taxpayers over $2 billion and registered more affordable housing projects than any previous comptroller. He’s proud of the work, but he believes more needs to be done.

Affordable housing remains at the heart of Lander’s mayoral campaign. His “Housing First” plan is the cornerstone of his 75-page policy proposal to combat the city’s growing housing crisis. The plan focuses on prioritizing housing for New Yorkers, especially those coming out of institutions like Rikers Island, where individuals often have no housing plan upon release.

Lander recognizes that New York’s affordable housing crisis is compounded by the mental health challenges many of its residents face. He is committed to addressing both issues simultaneously, working to remove the mentally ill from the streets and subways and into housing that includes necessary services.

“The root issue with affordable housing is that our housing stock has not kept pace with demand,” said Lander. “Meanwhile, more than 2,500 vacant units remain in the city, and people are still struggling to find homes they can afford.”

Lander is also a vocal advocate for tenants’ rights. He co-sponsored the landmark “Right to Counsel” law, ensuring that every tenant in New York City will have access to legal representation, thus preventing illegal evictions and preserving affordable housing options.

Subway crime in particular has become the flashpoint for conversations around safety, and left-leaning candidates like Lander have taken note. In an interview with the New York Editorial Board last December, he acknowledged that “progressives, including myself, were slow to respond to the growing sense of disorder coming out of the pandemic,” and at the roundtable he reaffirmed his support for more proactive security measures, albeit with a caveat.

“Look, sometimes you do still need involuntary hospitalization,” Lander said, adding that as mayor he would expand law enforcement’s ability to mandate people perceived as ‘dangerous’ to undergo medical examination, a proposal that was seen as fraught in 2022 when it was rejected by state Democrats, yet which — in another sign of a Clinton-esque sea change within local politics — now has broad approval. “And I support more officers in the subway, especially at night, which is what the governor is doing. But the real answer is getting people connected to housing with the services they need.”

That response might seem predictable, since it dovetails nicely with Lander’s background as a housing advocate, an experience that continues to inform his approach to the city’s problems writ large.

Lander’s vision for New York includes a balanced approach to crime and public safety, one that strengthens both law enforcement accountability and the support systems for those at risk. While he is a staunch advocate for police reform, he recognizes the importance of keeping the city safe.

A key part of his plan is to create a deputy mayor for public safety, who would work with the NYPD to ensure effective crime prevention strategies are in place. Lander supports current police commissioner Jessica Tisch and wants to invest more in police training, as well as reducing recruitment requirements to address the city’s current shortage of officers.

“I believe that public safety is best achieved when there is accountability and trust,” said Lander. “We need a system where officers who misuse force are held accountable, while also ensuring our officers are well-trained and supported in their work.”

Lander is deeply committed to supporting the diverse cultural fabric of New York City, regularly participating in cultural events such as Diwali and Ramadan Iftar celebrations. He sees the city’s diversity as its greatest strength, but acknowledges that it also presents challenges.

“Queens is the most amazingly diverse borough in New York City, and it’s a place where people from all over the world come together and share their cultures,” Lander remarked during an interview. “I want to make sure that no matter where you’re from, no matter what your background, you feel welcome and supported in this city.”

In a city with a growing immigrant population, Lander has taken action to support policies that protect immigrants, such as opposing the turn-over of undocumented immigrants to federal authorities. His progressive stance on immigration is reflected in his response to the Trump administration’s policies, and he believes New York should lead by example in ensuring the safety and well-being of all its residents.

At the core of Lander’s mayoral platform is a desire to make New York more affordable and accessible to all. His ultimate vision is a city where families can live without fear of displacement, where crime is kept in check, and where education and housing are accessible to everyone.

Lander is also a strong proponent of a more efficient government, using his experience as comptroller to propose reforms aimed at saving money for taxpayers. He believes that by shifting responsibility for claims against the city to the agencies responsible for the problems—such as traffic crashes and police misconduct—the city can save billions of dollars each year.

“People want to stay in New York City because it’s the most remarkable city on the planet,” said Lander. “But it has to be more affordable. People should be able to raise their kids here, have a job they can live on, and live in a place where they feel safe. That’s the city I want to create.”

Lander’s campaign is built on the belief that a better, more responsive government can be the answer to the challenges New Yorkers face. His elevator pitch to residents is that he’s less corrupt than the big name candidates, and more proven than the small ones. In that sense, he’s positioning himself as a foil both to Cuomo and Adams — who have a track record of getting things done, but also skeletons in their closets — and to his fellow progressives, whom he portrays as honest yet less battle-tested.

Jack Delaney contributed reporting.

Photos Courtesy Mohamed Farghaly