Endorsed Candidates & Ballot Measures for the 2025 General Election
ENDORSED CANDIDATES
New York City Mayor: Zohran Mamdani – WINNER
New York City Comptroller: Mark Levine – WINNER
New York City Public Advocate: Jumaane Williams – WINNER
Manhattan Borough President: Brad Hoylman-Sigal – WINNER
Manhattan District Attorney: Alvin Bragg – WINNER
New York City Council District 7: Shaun AbreuWINNER
New York City Council District 8: Elise Encarnacion – WINNER
New York City Council District 9: Dr. Yusef Salaam – WINNER
New York City Council District 10: Carmen De La Rosa – WINNER
BALLOT MEASURES
Q1. Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land – APPROVED
Recommendation: Vote YES – We endorsed voting YES because it would retroactively authorize the existing outdoor recreation space at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, which is part of the Olympic Sports Complex that was built for the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. It would also allow targeted expansion of the existing complex in exchange for adding 2,500 acres of new land – more than double of what will be used for the complex – to the State Forest Preserve.
Q2. Fast Tracking Affordable Housing to Build More Affordable Housing Across the City – APPROVED
Recommendation: Vote YES – We endorsed voting YES because it would fast-track affordable Housing. This measure would speed up the approval process for affordable housing. It gives the Board of Standards & Appeals the power to approve publicly funded affordable housing after a Community Board review. It also creates a faster path for rezonings that add permanent affordable housing in the 12 community districts that have built the least. The City Planning Commission must still check that projects fit with infrastructure and fair housing rules.
Q3. Simplify Review of Modest Housing & Infrastructure Projects – APPROVED
Recommendation: Vote YES – We endorsed voting YES because it would offer a Simplified Review for Small Housing & Infrastructure. This measure would create a faster review process for smaller projects, like modest housing increases, resiliency upgrades, solar on public land, and certain affordable housing deals. The Community Board still reviews these projects, but the final decision goes to the City Planning Commission, not the City Council. Only projects with no significant environmental impact can use this process, and bigger projects still go through the full review.
Q4. Establish an Affordable Housing Appeals Board with Council, Borough, and Citywide Representation – APPROVED
Recommendation: Vote YES – We endorsed voting YES because it would create a three-member Affordable Housing Appeals Board (the Speaker, Borough President, and Mayor) that can reverse City Council disapprovals/changes of land-use applications that directly create affordable housing (replaces the Mayor’s current veto/override setup). Requires at least two of the three members to vote to reverse the City Council.
Q5. Create a Digital City Map to Modernize City Operations – APPROVED
Recommendation: Vote YES – We endorsed voting YES because it would create a single, digital City Map, modernizing and centralizing mapping to improve City Planning). This would replace 8,000-plus paper maps across five borough offices with one official digital City Map and consolidate address assignment functions.
Q6. Move Local Elections to Presidential Election Years to Increase Voter Participation – NOT APPROVED
Recommendation: Vote YES – We endorsed voting YES because it would shift city primaries and general elections to presidential election years when allowed by state law, aiming to boost turnout and save money ($42 million annually).