Former NYC comptroller, Manhattan borough president makes second bid for mayor

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Scott Stringer once occupied one of the city’s highest offices, and ran an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2021.

The former city comptroller started that race as a top contender, but allegations of sexual misconduct largely derailed his campaign and political future. Stringer finished fifth in that year’s Democratic primary.

He officially launched another mayoral bid earlier this year with the hope of replacing Mayor Eric Adams who’s had his own series of scandals. Polling has shown Stringer running fourth in the race. Early voting in this year’s race will run from June 14 to June 22 and the primary will be held June 24.

During his time as comptroller, Stringer was no stranger to Staten Island making repeated stops on the Island to announce relevant initiatives.

Publicly, his 2025 campaign hasn’t been particularly present on the Island, and representatives listed on his campaign website did not respond to a 17-part questionnaire emailed Friday.

Using platform information listed on his website, this is some of the most important parts of Stringer’s platform:

Public Safety

The first peg listed on Stringer’s online platform focuses on public safety and quality of life. It includes a plan to hire 3,000 new police officers and to civilianize NYPD administrative roles to free up officers for front-line work.

As noted in a series of campaign ads, Stringer’s public safety plan also includes a commitment to have an officer stationed on every subway car to address commuters’ concerns.

The plan also calls for a QualitySTAT program, based on the NYPD’s CompStat system. It would be used to track stats on a variety of quality of life indicators, including crime rates, mental health crises, sanitation outcomes.

It would also lead to the creation of a new deputy mayor for quality of life, who would be responsible for those issues across city agencies.

Housing

The former comptroller has an expansive housing plan focused on building more units and making them more affordable for working New Yorkers.

The plan prioritizes using city-owned land to build more housing, the reclamation of neglected housing from irresponsible landlords, the securing of a $40 billion investment for the New York City Housing Authority with the help of the state and the federal government, and a $500 million loan fund to support MWBE and non-profit developers.

Stringer refers to the plan as a sort of Mitchell-Lama 2.0, named for the state program of the 1950s designed to encourage development and oversight of private affordable rental and cooperative housing.

Stringer’s online platform also includes a whole section on housing affordability the campaign refers to as “ROOF,” short for “Residential Options for Our Families.”

The program would include incentives for Department of Housing Preservation and Development projects to include more units for families; a strategy to acquire tax delinquent properties and turn them into housing for families, and a variety of initiatives to encourage affordable home ownership.

Health/Environment

Portions of Stringer’s platform also include focuses on the health and environmental safety of New Yorkers.

A “Green NYC” prong of his plan includes the establishment of a Department of Food and Climate Resilience; a new Health and Climate Justice Corps jobs program focused on things like mold removal and solar installation; and the launch of 10 neighborhood “Resilience Hubs” where residents can access things like cooling during heat waves, asthma support, and fresh food programs.

Stringer’s “PLAY NYC” portion of his platform, short for “Public Land and Activities for Youth,” also includes a variety of health-focused initiatives, mainly for youth. The plan would include universal day camp access in the summer, expanded pool hours and swim lessons, and the creation of temporary micro-parks in underserved parts of the city.

Education

Much of Stringer’s platform focuses on New York City’s kids. A new “Tri-share” program would provide city funding to help pay for childcare, one of the largest cost burdens for families in the five boroughs.

Stringer would also aim to lower the costs of childcare in New York City and extend school hours to 4:30 p.m. to bring after school programs in closer alignment with parents’ work schedules.