NYC Landlord Urges Republicans Switch Party for Mayoral Primary

One of New York City’s biggest landlords is pushing New Yorkers to register as Democrats in time to vote in the party’s upcoming mayoral primary. “We have gone out on a campaign to register as many Democrats, not because of ideology -- you can register back the next day -- but because we want everyone to have a say in the election, to vote and have their vote count,” Jeff Blau, chief executive officer of Hudson Yards developer Related Cos., said at a Bloomberg-sponsored event Thursday.

The majority of New Yorkers are Democrats, so the winner of the party’s June primary is likely to be the city’s next mayor, Blau said. Unaffiliated voters, or those now declared as independent or Republicans, have until Feb. 14 to change their registration.

New York real estate and finance leaders have touted the importance of local leadership in reviving a city that’s been reeling from the pandemic. Since March, many New Yorkers have fled for cheaper cities with lower taxes and have blamed recent crime spikes on inaction by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“There’s never been a more important race on a local level,” Blau said. “If you look at New York and San Francisco politics, it’s been a difficult leadership environment in both of these cities, and both cities have suffered because of that.”

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