Here are the big dates to watch ahead of the NYC Democratic mayoral primary

In just six weeks, New Yorkers will determine which of the Democrats vying to replace New York City Mayor Eric Adams will go on to what could be an unusually exciting general election. 

Historically, a Democratic incumbent mayor seeking a second term would not face such a competitive field of challengers – nor would they be a mere afterthought in the primary election. This year is different. Between the mayor’s (now dismissed) criminal indictment, his controversial relationship with President Donald Trump, and the fact that he was disqualified from participating in the city’s lucrative public matching funds system, Adams is in a very vulnerable position. He’s not running as a Democrat anymore either. Last April he announced he’d be forgoing the primary altogether to run as an independent in November.

All that to say, this year’s Democratic primary is yielding no shortage of intrigue. Given Adams’ vulnerabilities and Democrats’ sizable voter enrollment advantage over Republicans in the city, whoever emerges victorious in June has a strong chance of becoming the next mayor. So far at least, that front-runner is Andrew Cuomo. He’d stayed on top since entering the race despite his high negatives, the growing list of snafus from his campaign, and the other candidates’ relentless efforts to cut into his lead. Pitted against the former governor’s near universal name recognition, the rest of the field have struggled to grow their support. Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani has so far been the lone exception, though he too still has a lot of ground to cover. 

Still, nothing has been decided yet. Early polling in the 2021 mayoral race ultimately varied from the results. Ranked-choice voting is still a new facet of New York City elections, adding a layer of unpredictability to the race. And we are now entering the most consequential, make or break, period of the primary. It’s when most New Yorkers start paying greater attention to who is running – and candidates flood the airwaves with ads in hopes of elevating their profiles. 

There’s a lot to come. To help get you ready, here’s a timeline of some of the big events, deadlines, and dates on the horizon. 

May 23: The next deadline for candidates to file fundraising disclosures with the New York City Campaign Finance Board. 

This is really the last chance for candidates who haven’t yet met the threshold – including City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Sen. Jessica Ramos – to qualify for public funds that will have any sort of impact in the primary. This disclosure will include campaign donations made between March 14 and May 19.

May 27: Last day to submit petitions to get on the general election ballot as an independent candidate. Cuomo is doing this as “an insurance policy.” We’ll see if any other Democratic primary contenders are doing the same to stay in play even if they lose the primary – and what they’re calling their ballot lines.

May 30: The Campaign Finance Board will make a public matching funds payment based on the May 23 disclosures.

We’ll be watching to see whether the board actually grants the public funds campaigns claim they qualify for – and which campaigns “max out,” or hit the $8 million primary fundraising limit. Mamdani is so far the only person to announce he’s hit this. Paperwork mishaps initially prevented city Comptroller Brad Lander and Cuomo from getting matching funds earlier in the primary cycle, and Cuomo’s practice of indicating on his website how he wants independent spenders to promote his campaign cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars in the most recent payment. 

June 4: The first official Democratic mayoral debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. by WNBC. All candidates that qualified for the ballot and have raised and spent at least $198,300 will be allowed to participate. 

Expect it to be a bit of a feeding frenzy. There are going to be a lot of candidates on stage. It’ll also likely be Cuomo’s first time going head to head with his fellow challengers. So far, he’s avoided appearing onstage with his opponents, opting instead to appear at a few select forums that allowed participants to go on one at a time. There'll be no such luxury this time.

June 10-23: Candidates are required to file daily fundraising disclosures with the Campaign Finance Board during this period.

June 12: The second – and final – official Democratic mayoral debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. by NY1. Only leading candidates who qualify under the CFB’s guidelines (which include recent polling and/or fundraising) will be allowed to participate. This will trim down the number of candidates on stage somewhat, but it’ll likely still be fairly crowded.

Also June 12-ish: The state legislative session ends. Three candidates: Mamdani, Ramos and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie are state lawmakers who have been campaigning while commuting back and forth to Albany. There has been talk of extending the legislative session though after the protracted state budget process.

June 13: The final Campaign Finance Board disclosure deadline for fundraising prior to the primary. This will cover donations made between May 20 and June 10.

June 14: Voter registration deadline for the primary.

June 14-22: Early voting period. 

June 20: The Campaign Finance Board will make a final matching funds payment to candidates ahead of the primary. With such a narrow window between this and Election Day, it’ll be challenging for candidates to put this to use in a consequential way to boost their campaigns.

June 24: Election Day.