Who’s going to be the next mayor of New York City?

Mayor? Again? Already? We just caught our breath after a crazy and exhausting election year that drew global attention. But talking about who will be the next mayor is a way of talking about the future of the city: what New Yorkers will want in four or eight years, and what they will reject. It’s also a chance to observe how each political mind approaches the question.

Matt Rey of Red Horse Strategies said it’ll depend on who is president, and how “toxic and threatening the climate of Washington is.” The former president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City Kathryn Wylde said the economy will be a major factor. “I think there may emerge someone from the tech sector who represents forward-looking business and is not from the world of politics,” she said.

Most assume Mayor Zohran Mamdani will be reelected in 2029 and go straight to thinking about who will be term-limited from a prominent elected position at the end of his second term in 2033. This most closely describes city Comptroller Mark Levine, a polyglot Manhattanite who has represented multicultural communities before and who is “on cycle.” Levine, like many comptrollers before him, is considered a sure thing for a mayoral campaign in eight years. But every comptroller runs for mayor, and only one has succeeded since 1973. (Levine said his “focus is exclusively on being the best comptroller possible.”)

Many talk about how the next mayor will be a reaction to the current one, just as Mamdani, the young, squeaky-clean democratic socialist, could be read as a reaction to Eric Adams, the macho former cop, who himself was a reaction to the flimsily progressive Bill de Blasio, who was a reaction to the power-hoarder billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who was a reaction to … 9/11. “There always does seem to be a shift in the kind of mayor that we want following the previous,” said Democratic strategist Lupe Todd-Medina. “This last election everybody was tired of the doom and gloom. We were tired of the messiness of the Adams administration.” 

There’s a tendency to talk about the entire electorate as if it’s a therapy client. People make observations about how the latest trauma (9/11, the AIDS epidemic, the fiscal crisis) influences voters’ choices. Some posit that the electorate craved safety after being traumatized during the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, so it chose a cop: Eric Adams.

It’s not yet clear what the next mayor will be reacting to because we don’t know what Mamdani’s legacy will be. But we do know he’s highly political, very progressive, very young and quite theatrical. Maybe that means we choose someone next who is not from the world of politics, someone who is more moderate, older and more staid. Or could it finally be time for a woman mayor? Another name that frequently comes up is NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, a billionaire Manhattan heiress with police bona fides and a technocratic reputation. 

But Democratic strategist Trip Yang said if you’re predicting someone will be mayor, that’s a good indicator that they won’t. “Statistically it’s going to be someone we don’t expect,” he said.

If, in a year or two, Mamdani is in a strong position and seems to be cruising toward reelection (à la Bill de Blasio in 2017) that complicates things for two other people whose names come up often to succeed him: City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. They’re both term-limited in 2029, so they’re looking at either challenging the incumbent mayor or figuring out what to do from 2030 to 2033. Both are moderates who represent somewhat Mamdani-averse constituencies, but a challenge would seem ill-advised unless the incumbent mayor is knocked by a significant scandal. So far, nothing in Mamdani’s short political career has indicated he’s inclined toward that type of messiness. Richards didn’t respond to a request for comment. Menin said in a text: “I am not running for Mayor.” But even that’s unlikely to stop speculation as she engages in political combat with Mamdani.

Mayoral hopefuls have options if they’re shopping for a new perch in three years. The role of public advocate will be open in 2029 after Jumaane Williams is term-limited out, so expect a lively race of mayoral wannabes there. Names floated for public advocate include Council Members Chi Ossé and Shekar Krishnan, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Menin and Richards. Would-be mayors would also likely flock to succeed Richards and Gibson as Queens and Bronx borough presidents. Likewise, many Brooklynites are eyeing the borough president post if Antonio Reynoso manages to eke out a victory this year to represent the 7th Congressional District. That could open a path to Gracie Mansion for numerous officials, from Council Member Lincoln Restler to Assembly Member Brian Cunningham.

Outside the Democratic primary, Curtis Sliwa has already confirmed he’s running in 2029, and former NYPD chief of department and cyberbully John Chell has already launched a run. Radio host and pottymouth Sid Rosenberg has also said he’s considering a run. Given the city’s partisan split, they collectively have a better chance of winning a Pulitzer than the mayoralty.

We asked two dozen political consultants, functionaries and elected officials for names of a possible next mayor. In addition to the people already mentioned, other names included Julie Samuels, Kenny Burgos, David Greenfield, Grace Lee, Crystal Hudson, Dan Goldman, Kathryn Garcia, Steve Fulop and Reynoso.

The next mayor, whoever he or she is, will be trying to woo a whole segment of voters who are currently in middle school. The demographic makeup of the people who elect the mayor changed dramatically between 2021 and 2025 when the city saw an outmigration of Black voters. The demographics of the voting population will continue to shift meaningfully over the next eight years. And the new electorate may prefer someone so young we’re not even talking about them yet. “Someone who is 16 may be running for mayor in eight years,” said Aneiry Batista, a former chief of staff to Rep. Adriano Espaillat.