New Yorkers pick a new mayor after chaotic, historic primary - POLITICO

By SALLY GOLDENBERG and TINA NGUYEN06/22/2021 08:21 PM EDTUpdated: 06/22/2021 11:29 PM EDTLink CopiedNEW YORK — Andrew Yang conceded the Democratic primary for mayor of New York on Tuesday evening, admitting defeat after falling far behind frontrunner Eric Adams and two other opponents whose fates now rest with the city’s new “instant runoff” voting system.The stunning reversal for the former presidential candidate, who dominated early polls in the race, came less than two hours after voting ended and as the final outcome of the election was expected to take at least a week to resolve.“You all know I am a numbers guy, I'm someone who traffics in what's happening by the numbers," Yang told supporters in Manhattan. “New Yorkers are feeling this energy,” Adams told reporters in Manhattan Tuesday morning, repeating his campaign pledge to drive down shootings.Yang, the former presidential candidate, Garcia, the former sanitation commissioner, and Wiley, former counsel to Mayor Bill de Blasio, formed the top-tier of the crowded race in recent weeks. He filmed an ad riding the famous Cyclone roller coaster to tout the city’s comeback, made a show of buying movie tickets with his wife when theaters reopened and took on the powerful teacher’s union over school closures.But the city’s steady reopening throughout the spring took some of the wind out of Yang’s sails, and his campaign faltered amid a series of public mistakes that critics said demonstrated what they had feared all along: A candidate who never voted in a mayoral election during his 25 years in the city lacked the municipal know-how for the job.Sensing the public’s growing concern over crime, Yang adopted a strong anti-crime posture, but it was difficult to wrest the issue from Adams, who boasted 22 years on the police force and spoke openly about being assaulted by cops as a Black teenager in Queens.The two developed a bitter rivalry, which was on full display during televised debates.