Candidates in the New York City mayoral race are seemingly aiming to portray themselves as tough and strong ahead of the June 24 Democratic primary.
Some of the candidates in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor have been promoting messaging with themes of toughness in recent weeks. The mayoral candidates’ attempts to brand themselves as tough comes as the Democratic Party has been looking to revamp its brand in an effort to reconnect with male voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and 2028 presidential election.
Former Democratic New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s long shot mayoral campaign released a June 4 TV ad titled “Toughest,” where Stringer defined being “tough” as “putting New Yorkers first.” The campaign ad also claimed that “tough” in the spot as “taking on party bosses to save rent stabilization laws, fighting corruption as comptroller and saying no to Cuomo’s vicious budget cuts.” (RELATED: How NYC’s Little-Understood Voting System Could Lead To A Socialist Mayor)
Similarly, Democratic New York City Comptroller Brad Lander in April released a video of himself throwing punches in a boxing gym, saying that he is “fighting” to be the next mayor of the city.
“As you mayor, I’ll fight for you,” Lander, another one of the lower-polling candidates in the race, said in the video.
Democratic mayoral candidates (L/R) City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, city Comptroller Brad Lander, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson participate in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater on June 12, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by VINCENT ALBAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who is widely viewed as the frontrunner in the mayoral election — has been seeking to portray himself as a fighter throughout his mayoral campaign, including announcing in May that he intends to run on an independent ballot line, “Fight and Deliver,” in November regardless of whether he wins the June Democratic primary. Cuomo has also repeatedly touted the phrase “New York tough” in recent years.
“Cuomo is all about being a tough guy from a distance,” Democratic New York State Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who endorsed Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, told Politico in an interview published on Monday. “It’s an ’80s mentality — you can’t be a softy. You have to be tough to get things done.”
Though, Monica Klein, a communications consultant working for mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie, told Politico she thinks that Cuomo is “more interested in imagery than impact.”
“Cuomo’s concept of toughness is muscle cars and self-mythologizing posters — because he’s always been more interested in imagery than impact,” Klein told Politico.
“It’s tough to face New Yorkers, stand up for your record and present your vision to voters,” Klein added. “Ducking press and accountability while refusing to defend your record except when legally mandated to do so is not.”
The Democratic Party, which some party members have labeled as “weak and woke,” has been attempting to rebrand ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrats have also been grappling with mounting intraparty tensions in recent months.
“Strength doesn’t have to be loud, but you have to be concrete, you have to be thoughtful,” Yvette Buckner, a Democratic strategist, told Politico. “You can be powerful without flexing.”
Stringer’s campaign, Cuomo’s campaign, Lander’s campaign and Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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