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Brian Lehrer: It's The Brian Lehrer Show WNYC. Good morning, everyone. We're going to start today with the first-ever informal unofficial thoroughly unscientific, Brian Lehrer Show rank choice voting democratic mayoral primary call-in poll and I realize that's a mouthful. I'm going to say it again and explain it. It's the first-ever informal unofficial thoroughly unscientific Brian Lehrer Show rank choice voting democratic mayoral primary call-in poll.

Really that's very simple. The race for mayor of New York is in full swing with primary day coming up on June 2nd and New York being New York, the winner of the Democratic primary is almost certain to win the general election. For all practical purposes, New York seems on track to pick its next mayor in June, not November, which means it's time to start thinking about who you'll vote for. New this year is rank choice voting as you've no doubt heard, which is also very simple instead of voting for just one candidate as you've done in the past, you have the option of ranking up to five candidates in your order of preference.

Think of it like ice cream. Let's say you want a scoop of chocolate ice cream, but if they don't have chocolate, your second choice would be vanilla and if you can't have either of those, your third choice would be butter pecan. You place your order as number one chocolate, number two vanilla, number three butter pecan, pistachio is also running, but really has no chance so forget about pistachio, but you get the idea.

We thought we would do a little rank choice voting call-in poll today. The first we've ever done using rank choice voting and see where Brian Lehrer Show listeners are at for your first choice for mayor, and maybe even more interesting, your second choice for mayor at this point in the race. We'll do it again a few times as the actual voting comes closer, you reserve the right to change your mind, of course.

Of course, these kinds of calling polls are informal and unofficial, and thoroughly unscientific. It's whoever is motivated enough to call into a radio show on no notice. It's the first-ever informal unofficial thoroughly unscientific Brian Lehrer Show rank choice voting democratic mayoral primary call-in poll and here we go. We're opening the lines for any New York City voter to call in and say who your first and second choices for mayor would be among the candidates if the election were held today.

Just want your first and second choice. You don't have to do five, first choice and second choice for mayor among the actual candidates if the election were held today. 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280. Who wants to come out and play? The actual election once again, will allow up to five rank votes, but to make this manageable for radio, we're just asking you to select two, your first choice and second choice for mayor of New York among the actual candidates as we know them. 646-435-7280, who's thought it through that far? We'll use today's call-in as a baseline to see how you all change in the future. You can think of it as rank choice voting practice. Rank choice voting spring training, if you want.

You are now invited to call in and shout out your first and second choices as of today. Now, to refresh your memories, the main candidates in alphabetical order to make a show of our neutrality, Eric Adams, Sean Donovan, Katherine Garcia, Ray McGuire, Carlos Menchaca, Diane Morales, Scott Stringer, Laurie Sutton, Maya Wiley, and Andrew Yang. There are others trying to get on the ballot, but these are the top 10 who seemed to have at least a snowball's chance in hell's kitchen.

There they are, Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President, Sean Donovan, former Obama, HUD secretary, and Bloomberg Housing Commissioner, Katherine Garcia and Mayor de Blasio's sanitation commissioner and pandemic foods Czar. Ray McGuire, former Citi group, vice president, Carlos Menchaca, Sunset Park City Council Member, Dianne Morales, CEO of the social services nonprofit Phipps Neighborhood, Scott Stringer, the city Comptroller, Laurie Sutton, de Blasio's former Veterans' Affairs Commissioner, Maya Wiley de Blasio's former General Counsel and head of the Civilian Complaint Review Board and Andrew Yang, entrepreneur, and former Democratic presidential primary candidate.

Who would you want as your first choice if you were voting today among that list and maybe even more interesting, who would you vote for or list as your second choice? 646-435-7280. As your calls are coming in and to help add a little knowledge along the way, WNYC and Gothamist political reporter Elizabeth Kim who's covering the mayoral race, her reporting includes a series on each candidate's main big idea, and New York Times correspondent Jeffrey Mays, who's covering the mayoral race for the paper of record. Good morning, Liz. Good morning, Jeff.

Elizabeth Kim: Good morning, Brian.

Jeffrey Mays: Good morning, Brian.

Brian: Jeff, I see your latest Times article is called, "Why These Two New York City Mayoral Candidates Are on a Collision Course," which two are those and why are they on a collision course?

Jeff: I wrote a little bit about Eric Adams, who's the Brooklyn Borough President, and Ray McGuire. Who's a former executive at Citibank. They're both two black men and both moderate Democrats and both of their paths to victory really involves courting the black vote in the city, which makes up about 26% of the electorate right now. They have very similar policies and so they're trying to make arguments to that base about why they would be the best candidate for the city.

Brian: Liz, you also did a piece contrasting Ray McGuire and another candidate, but McGuire and Sean Donovan, it was called, " What The Donovan And McGuire Campaign Ads Say About The State Of The Mayoral Race." I polled a short excerpt of each one to set them up and obviously listeners, this is not to help or hurt any candidate, just an interesting take from Liz on how these ads reflect the larger race. Liz, how do they?

Liz: If you think about it, these are both candidates who really need more name recognition. There was an early poll that indicated that they were really behind, that most New Yorkers haven't heard of them compared to someone like Andrew Yang, which led in that poll, Scott Stringer or Eric Adams. These two men, it's really in their interest to start basically putting out some ads. Sean Donovan was the first to do it, then Ray McGuire followed, but he chose to roll out digital ads first, but most recently, last week he did roll out a TV ad. Both of these men have TV ads currently circulating.

Brian: Here's that Ray Maguire digital ad that you referred to for some context on a lesser known candidate.

Ray McGuire: I'm Ray McGuire in a few seconds, I'm going to tell you why I want to be your mayor. First here's my story. I was raised on the other side of the tracks by single mom and my grandparents with faith, love, and not much else. I worked as a day laborer and a hospital attendant. I rose through education on financial aid. Streets to the suite, often the first, but I made sure I was never the last. I'm ready to lead New York City's come back because every family deserves the chance I had. I'm Ray McGuire, and that's why I'm running for mayor.

Brian: Here's the Sean Donovan ad.

President Barack Obama: When I took office, few had a tougher job than Sean Donovan. Sean is just one of those people where he sees a problem and he will work to solve it.

Sean Donovan: I represent real change, but the change candidate usually has the least experience. I actually have the most. I've been on the front lines in moments of crisis in this city like nobody else has. We need a mayor who can roll up their sleeves and get to work to rebuild better and stronger and safer.

Brian: Liz, one more thought on the contrast there now that people have heard them?

Liz: Sean Donovan has consistently tried to align himself as this candidate who has the most experience at the federal level. He's worked with Obama, he's worked with President Biden. That ad is very consistent with how he's trying to present himself to voters. We're entering a time where we're going to need a lot of federal aid, we're going to want to lobby on federal policies. He is the candidate who has those connections and can get it done.

Then, on the other hand, you have Ray McGuire who has consistently been presenting himself as this candidate who's come up through poverty. He is very much the American success story. He has basically achieved the American dream, he knows how to manage multi-billion dollar company.

This is basically his story, but at the same time, he wants you to know that he knows what it's like to struggle. Going into this recovery he's going to be very empathetic to those people who don't have jobs, who aren't able to pay the rent.

Brian: Jeff, just before we go to the phones and a lot of people are calling in already. I guess there's at least some kind of critical mass of New Yorkers who've already thought enough about who they vote for his first choice and who has second choice with rank choice voting to call in today. Before we start putting the calls on the air, I see your reporting on how mayoral candidates are beginning to stake out positions on the Cuomo scandals. Can you give us a quick rank choice overview from the most adamant "resign now" to the most "let him off the hook"?

Jeff: Yes, actually my colleague Emma Fitzsimmons had a really good story about that today. I think what you're seeing from the candidates on the most extreme end Carlos Menchaca, who's a Councilman in Brooklyn has called for the governor to resign immediately. Other candidates like Scott Stringer, who is the city comptroller, and McGuire have said that if the investigations underway now by Attorney General Tish James further substantiate what appear to be very credible charges, that the governor must resign and he can't continue.

Then you have a bunch of candidates who have a bit in the middle, they're calling for investigations. Dianne Morales has called for impeachment proceedings to begin based not only on these sex harassment charges but also on the governor's handling of nursing homes during the pandemic. Also, the charges of bullying that have come out from people such as Assemblyman Ron Kim in recent weeks. They're all sticking out positions. Of course, we know that our current mayor has a very difficult relationship with the governor. They have clashed throughout this pandemic on everything from reopening schools to how to distribute the vaccinations.

These candidates are really thinking ahead about how they would handle or have to handle governor Cuomo if they were elected. I'm sure there are more than a few of them who would not mind not having to deal with him.

Brian: All right, here we go. Jeff and Liz, thank you for hanging around and giving some context to what we hear from our callers as we start the first-ever informal unofficial thoroughly unscientific Brian Lehrer Show rank choice voting democratic mayoral primary call-in poll. Flora in Inwood, Upper Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Flora.

Flora: Hey, Brian. My picks are Andrew Yang and Scott Stringer.

Brian: Tell us why real briefly. Why Yang first and why Stringer second?

Flora: For me, these have the most name recognition and I've been a supporter of Andrew Yang since he was running for president. I attended his rallies, I've followed him. Scott Stringer is somebody I've known from the Inwood area for years, including when I was a member of the Rotary Club he came and spoke to us. It's not necessarily political. I think Stringer keeps his head down. I think Yang has some very unusual ideas and I would like to give him an opportunity to try them.

Brian: Flora, thank you very much. You're right about Stringer and a relationship with Inwood, he launched his mayoral campaign. I saw on television at Inwood Hill Park. Karen in Rose Hill Manhattan, you're on WNYC. Hi, Karen.

Karen: Hi. I would like to say that I believe in experience and I believe in competence. We have a lot of competent people running, which is wonderful to have such riches of competence, but they're not necessarily competent in the political sphere. I would like somebody who knows how to work with our state legislature, our city council, our borough presidents, all the people who are involved in the city bureaucracy. Therefore, I am really unsure between Eric Adams and Scott Stringer. One would be first and one would be second.

Brian: But you like their experience?

Karen: I like their experience and their competence. Yes. I'm tired of people wanting to start off at the top of the political sphere. Why not run for a city council seat as opposed to mayor right off the bat.

Brian: Do you think that for you the pandemic has changed the equation between competence and experience, as you were laying it out, and the ideas you most agree with?

Karen: Yes, I do. I think it has changed. It's nice to run on ideas, but unless you can get things done, the city suffers.

Brian: Karen, thank you so much for your call. Let's go right on to Paula in Brooklyn. Hi, Paula. Thanks for calling in. Tell us your first choice and your second choice for mayor as of now.

Paula: Hi, good morning. My first choice is Maya Wiley, and my second choice is Eric Adams.

Brian: Want to say why in each case?

Paula: Yes. Well, both of them, because I think they have experience in the city. They know the city, they know the city politics, they know the politicians, they know the positions. I first became aware of really of Maya Wiley during the proceedings against the previous president. I've seen her on MSNBC and other outlets. She had positions that I had and I respected, around the politics of what the former president was doing. Then I looked into her positions in New York and she's in the areas that I'm interested in.

She's a person of the people she knows the New York City politics. She understands what's happening around Black Lives Matter situations, and she's taking the position and I respect her that. She's been as such. She knows what the bodies are buried and seeing those with us whose live bodies are living. I think that she's the candidate that I want to [crosstalk]

Brian: Why Eric Adams as the first backup to her for you?

Paula: I've known Eric for years, watched him through Brooklyn. I live not far from the precinct that he worked out of. As a police officer, I respected the fact that he organized black policemen within the city and city police officers. I'm not so thrilled about his position on housing. That's the one area I'm not that thrilled with him. I think on your show he came on and you asked him about that and he said something about being a landlord, which was interesting. Overall, I think he's done well for Brooklyn. He's strong, he's a strong leader, so I like his [crosstalk]

Brian: Thank you so much for your thoughtful call. We appreciate it. Let's do one more in this set and then we'll get our guests take on what we're hearing so far and some of the pairings that we're hearing so far. Manny on the lower Eastside, you're on WNYC. Hi, Manny.

Manny: Hi. Good morning, everyone. I'm calling to say that I would support Dianne Morales, number one, and Mr. Maguire, number two. I think that after eight years of a clubhouse politician like de Blasio, people who are connected to that clubhouse, someone like Scott Stringer, who has deep connections, people are hamstrung about political marriages more than they are about concerns for people. I think Ms. Morales and Mr. McGuire, coming in from the outside with a lot of experience and knowledge about the city, about the people that very few speak about, which are the poor and disenfranchised which the Bronx has many of, even though the political system up there ignores them including Mr. Stringer.

I would vote with those two. I actually really loved that Mr. McGuire talks about that he achieved stuff with help from the outside. That he wasn't-- Not draw me some bootstrap story about how he got himself up on his own. I think that really speaks to me and Ms. Morales doing a lot of work with people.

Brian: At least in the context of the way the reporting has gone so far from the journalism sector and I'll get our reporter's take on this when we're done with your call. Morales and McGuire are seen as running in different lanes, so to speak. Where she's running to be the most progressive candidate in the race, arguably. McGuire is running as a little bit more of a centrist, but you see what unifies them as that they're outsiders with significant experience in their fields and views from a little bit outside on the city. Does that left versus center thing either trouble you or make you think about them in any particular ways?

Manny: I think that being an outsider-- de Blasio ran as a super Left, I supported him the first time around. He was sucked into the middle. I think that having someone who could really understand what's going on there and really stands behind some ideas. Even though Mr. McGuire presents himself as a moderate, I think a lot of his ideas are really supportive of the Left, especially Black Lives Movement issues.

There needs to be a big overhauling of stuff and a lot of monies put into communities of color and poverty to help those groups come up, especially. Look at the Department of Education. It went back to 1968 in the Department of Education in terms of people like Stringer giving out a bunch of money to middle class and affluent schools and ignoring poor schools. How judges are made in this city is disgusting. The Black Lives Matter is directly tied to judiciary. Scott Stringer has been making clubhouse behind clubhouse appointments to judges for the last 25 years.

Brian: Stringer is your last choice? I'm just curious, based on everything you said if you have a take on Andrew Yang as another outsider, looking to come in?

Male Caller: Yes, I like Andrew Yang. He was my first choice early on. He filtered his way down to number four right now. That is because I think he's not really been involved in either community-based organizations, really beating the drum on some issues. I like him as an outsider, I liked him when he was running for president. I still like him. He's in my top four or five, but he's filtered down. Diana Morales and McGuire.

Brian: Thank you so much. I appreciate your call. Please do. All of you who called in this first set. We'll take more calls. If you're hanging on, keep hanging on. We're going to talk about what we've heard so far. Those of you who called in in this first set, if you're thinking, "Evolves" over the next few months, we'd be curious to hear back from you. With us are Jeff Mays, covering the mayoral race for the New York Times, and Elizabeth Kim covering the mayoral race for WNYC and Gothamist. Liz, we heard there a Yang-Stringer, one-two. We heard a Stringer-Adams, we heard a Wiley-Adams, and then a Morales-McGuire. Does the set add up?

Elizabeth: That was such an--

Brian: Go ahead. You want to talk about the last caller? Go ahead.

Elizabeth: I thought it was very-- The question you asked one of the callers was very interesting which is, "Has the pandemic changed the equation?" It seems like the answers from all of them suggest that it has because these answers, these pairings are really not taking into account politics. Look at the last caller, Diane Morales, Ray McGuire. Those two cannot be more on opposite spectrums of democratic values.

Think about things, like Diane Morales is in favor of raising taxes on the rich, Ray McGuire is not. Diane Morales would be in favor of canceling rent, Ray McGuire would not. It goes on and on like school segregation issues. The gentleman said what was important for him is he wants someone who's outside of politics because he feels that people who are too inside the game have disappointed him in the past.

You're seeing a lot of-- The other pairings suggest that people are valuing different things as well. I think the first caller said that she'd like the personalities of Andrew Yang and Scott Stringer. I think if this is a sign of how voters are going to choose their one and two, then it's going to be a very interesting and difficult to predict race.

Brian: Yes. Jeff, your impressions generally. One of the things that Liz was pointing out is that that last caller was interested in outsiders. The caller who cited the pandemic was interested in insiders. People with the most inside, relevant experience who could start managing from day one. She's the one who said Stringer or Eric Adams.

Jeff: Right. I think those are the arguments that Adams and Stringer have put together. Stringer has said, "I'm the comptroller. I understand intimately the workings of the city's finance system, how to pull the levers." Eric Adams has several years of government experience also as a member of the state legislature. I think the experience thing is a big issue, given the financial issues the city is facing, potential $5 billion deficit, a big amount of federal aid coming. How do you utilize that money best to give the city the best opportunity to recover as well?

I found it interesting that Yang showed up on some people's lists because he has that name recognition. At the same time, you have people who are interested in someone like Maya Wiley because of her background on criminal justice issues. At the same time, the fact that Morales and McGuire can be someone's one and two is super fascinating. Morales is arguably the most progressive candidate in the race.

She's called for cutting the police budget in half and using that money to fund other important social services issues. She's talked about desegregating schools, eliminating the specialized high school exam, so really has focused her campaign on poor working-class New Yorkers and the things that need to be done to improve life for them. I think it shows how early we still are in this process. People are still hearing and figuring out what is important to them, what candidate meets those particular requirements.

Brian: We're going to take a break, come back, and go to another set of calls. Your first choice and second choice in our year of rank choice voting for Mayor of New York as of now. Stay with us.

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Brian: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. If you're just joining us, we're taking some phone calls in what we're calling the first-ever informal, unofficial, thoroughly unscientific Brian Lehrer Show rank choice voting, democratic mayoral primary call-in poll because we have rank choice voting in New York City for the first time this year with the democratic and republican mayoral primaries coming up in June. The democratic nominee overwhelmingly likely to be the next mayor. We're doing this early in the game. It's not early for them, but it's early for most voters. Early in the game, primary season call-in poll, inviting you to call in with your first choice and your second choice. Who would you list first and who would you list second?

The pairings so far have really been interesting. We're getting some commentary on them from Jeff Mays from the New York Times, covering the race, and Elizabeth Kim from WNYC. Gothamist covering the race. Let's go next to Mickey in Forest Hills. You're on WNYC, Mickey. Hey, there.

Mickey: Hi there. I'm supporting Catherine Garcia, number one, and Scott Stringer, number two.

Brian: Want to tell us why and why Catherine Garcia for people who aren't familiar with her yet?

Mickey: Well, Catherine Garcia was sanitation commissioner and she was the mayor's troubleshooter. Whenever any agency or policy got into trouble, he reached to her to help him out. She really has practical experience and she's a very, very competent manager. I think that is exactly what we are going to need going forward in the city because our economy is going to have a problem rebounding. I think competence is really what we are looking for.

Brian: Another competence lane voter. Stringer as a backup to Garcia because?

Mickey: He has a lot of experience in the city. He was Manhattan borough president, he was comptroller, he really does know the city. I think he is very smart too.

Brian: Mickey, thank you so much. Let's stay in Queens and go next to Jack in Elmhurst. Hi, Jack. You're on WNYC.

Jack: Hey, Brian Lehrer. For number one, I have Diane Morales. For number two, I have Scott Stringer.

Brian: Because?

Jack: Diane Morales, I'm generally a progressive. I agree with a lot of her messaging whether it's around defund, keeping ICE out of our courts, canceling rent, and things along those lines. For Scott Stringer, I don't think he's nearly anywhere near as progressive as Diane Morales. The people who have backed his campaign whether it's senator Jessica Ramos, Julie Salazar, or some [unintelligible 00:29:29] Al Taylor, I really trust these folks. I think they have been a good influence on him and can push him to champion some of these progressive causes even when he's in office.

Brian: Jack, thank you so much. Let's go next to Marilyn on the Upper East Side. You're on WNYC. Hi, Marilyn.

Marilyn: Hi. I would vote for Eric Adams, number one. I don't really have a number two because I don't know too much about the other candidates except that I know for sure someone that doesn't even make my list is Yang.

Brian: Tell us why Adams and why not Yang?

Marilyn: Eric Adams, I've known about his work for years. I used to live in Brooklyn when he took over after Marty Markowitz for Brooklyn Borough President. I like that he is an African-American previous officer, I think that his work for Black Lives Matters can really make a difference coming from his type of perspective. I really like how he went out during the pandemic. I saw images of him going into the projects. I read about how he went into parts of Flushing, Queens and actually had literature being passed out in Korean or in Chinese or in the actual languages that mattered to the people there.

I saw images of him going into parts of Williamsburg and really educating the Hispanic community there about the power of wearing a mask. I see all this stuff about him getting out into the community and actually boots on the ground and doing the work. He cares about the people. For Yang, he absolutely does not make my list. My husband is a fan of him, but for me, I thought it spoke a lot how he left the city during the pandemic. I really couldn't believe that and now he wants to represent the city that he had abandoned.

Brian: Marilyn, thank you very much. Yes, that's an issue for Yang. He has been waiting out or at least for a while had been waiting out the pandemic in a place, I guess he owns upstate a little bit. Next to Kevin in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Kevin.

Kevin: Hi, Brian. Thanks for taking a call. Yes, I am supporting Katherine Garcia and I'm struggling with my second choice. I want to ask you a question. Katherine Garcia, I just think her experience is incredible. The fact that she has been tapped to run sanitation NYCHA, the emergency food program. The sanitation unions are endorsing her. When's the last time we've seen unions endorse the commissioner? It says to me that she was tough but very fair to the unions that worked under her. Second choice I'm struggling. Now, if I want to vote for her for my second choice too, that wouldn't help. How does that work?

Brian: Well, I'll get a report is to describe that in a minute, but who are you thinking of as number two? There's another name, I guess you're grappling with.

Kevin: Maybe Andrew Yang, but it's very fluid.

Brian: Kevin, thank you very much. All right. Jeff Mays from the New York Times covering the race on that second set of callers that we just heard from. A few interesting things. First of all, can you answer Kevin's question about what that second choice vote actually means for rank choice voting?

Jeff: Well, the way it works is so if no candidate gets a 50% a majority of the vote. Well, if a candidate does get the majority of the vote that candidate wins outright. We saw that happen in a recent special election where a council candidate just ran away with the vote so there was no need to do any ranking. If no candidate gets a majority of the votes what they do is they eliminate the last place person and then they count the second choice vote of that individual and so that process goes on until one candidate has a majority. I'm not sure if voting twice for the same person-- I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I don't think it does. That's my thought on the rank choice voting.

Brian: Can you even do that? You can't vote twice for the same person. Can you?

Jeff: Yes, I don't know you can vote twice. I think you can vote for one person each and I think what it does is it gets people--

Liz: No, you can't do it.

Jeff: I'm just saying it gives people a chance who want to vote for someone who they are concerned about winning, they can add their name to the ballot and give their candidate a chance, and they can vote with their conscience in terms of who they really support.

Brian: I guess if people want to try to just really emphasize one, they can do that. They have the option of just voting for one, you don't have to vote for more than one.

Jeff: You can just vote for one person.

Brian: Right. Liz, the caller's other question was interesting about Garcia being the Sanitation Commissioner and getting the endorsement of the Sanitation Workers Union. Do you have any idea if it is unusual in the way that he suggested that the people who were the employees of somebody who would tend to vote for that person rather than against them?

Liz: Well, I think in this case it's not unusual. It's not like she's negotiating their contracts, which you would have to do as mayor, but she's come out very publicly when the city was cutting sanitation workers, she came out publicly and said, "That's a very bad idea. The city really needs to have sanitation workers during this time." She's made quality of life one of her major platforms. I just also wanted to say to that caller's question, the ballot will explicitly say, "Do not rank a candidate more than once," but what should happen is if you do do that, the scanner is supposed to tell you that you can't do that and then should reject your ballot and you can't do that.

You can choose one person if that's all you want, or you can rank as many, up to five so that's how it should work. Hopefully, that's how things will work and we've already had one special election. I think by the time we get to the primary hopefully everything will run smoothly.

Brian: Just to wrap this up and this'll do it for today and I think this has been really interesting with the two groups of callers that we heard from as a starting point. Listeners, one of the reasons that we're doing this at all is just to get everybody else's mind a little bit more engaged if you're likely to be a New York City voter in June. If you haven't started thinking about these candidates yet, because it is time to start thinking about them, if you can, it's such a big decision for the future of the city. It's such a crucial moment, and there are so many people in the race.

Hopefully, this whole conversation just helps everybody get your minds a little more around what's going on. As a last thought, I think one of the things that we heard from the callers as a group, Liz, that's consistent with what I feel like I've been hearing out there, in general, just even more informally is Andrew Yang generates, to use Twitter language, strong likes and strong dislikes. Yes?

Liz: Yes.

Jeff: Absolutely.

Brian: Liz, go ahead.

Liz: What the person-- I think it was the third caller who said that Eric-- No, it was a she. She said that Eric Adams would be her first choice. What they were certain about was that they would not vote for Andrew Yang. For that person, it seemed like it was a question of authenticity and commitment to New York City. That's been something that Andrew Yang's rivals have tried to pound. "Is this guy truly a New Yorker? How much does he know about the city? How much does he know about all of these policies that mayors have to work on and develop?" If that's the question for voters, that certain voters value, then certainly Yang will be on the losing equation of that.

Brian: Jeff same question

Jeff: I think with Yang, you see him getting the benefit of having run for president. You saw he has this tremendous name recognition. He's been able to jump into the race and raise money very quickly, but then that still leaves voters questions on where he stands on some of these issues of commitment. The fact that he hadn't voted in some municipal elections. Just looking at what I heard from the callers, you see Garcia-Stringer, so people are talking about experience with those two voters.

Then, Morales and Stringer. Diane Morales, as I said, is probably one of the most progressive candidates in the race, but Scott Stringer has also garnered a bunch of endorsements from leading progressive candidates and has shifted left over the years. Then, Adams, the thing that that caller said was that they've known him for years. He comes into the race with a distinct advantage of people knowing him, knowing what he's about, seeing him out, seeing him about, and most of the polls that have come out so far, he's been right there behind Yang in terms of name recognition and support.

Brian: Would it be fair or unfair in your opinion, Jeff, to say, Yang is more conservative on a number of issues than many New York democratic party primary voters may realize if they only know him from his very progressive universal basic income proposal?

Jeff: I think he is cautious on a number of issues. He's received some flack recently for his position on Yeshivas and education in the Orthodox community, but, you're right [crosstalk]

Brian: Government [unintelligible 00:40:23] Yeshivas basically on that one and maybe some pro-business stuff.

Jeff: Pro-business, but he's really known. The universal basic income is what he's really known for. It's infiltrated the race and actually, several candidates now are proposing some version of that. Again, he comes in with this tremendous attention-getting. The question is how will that play out as the race goes on and candidates and voters get to know a little bit more about his positions on some of these other issues?

Brian: Ends the first-ever informal unofficial theory on scientific Brian Lehrer Show rank choice voting democratic mayoral primary call-in poll. Listeners, thank you very much. Jeff Mays covering the race for the New York times, Elizabeth Kim covering the race for Gothamist and WNYC. Thank you both very much.

Jeff: Thanks, Brian.

Liz: Thanks, Brian.

 

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