Jessica Ramos Enters Mayoral Race As Feisty Labor Champion
Queens State Senator Describes Her Campaign as “my love letter to New York City”
“More work. Less swagger!” State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) demanded when The Indypendent when asked her what she would like to see in a new mayor.
In that May 2023 interview, Ramos denounced Mayor Eric Adams for his handling of the migrant crisis, for his cuts to school spending (her two children attend NYC public schools) and more. She was clearly testing out her attack lines and very carefully left the door open when she was asked about challenging Adams in the 2025 Democratic primary.
On Saturday, she walked through that door, announcing she was entering an increasingly crowded mayoral field that includes Adams, City Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer and fellow third-term State Senator Zellnor Myrie. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist from Astoria, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo are also both reported to be weighing entering the race. The Democratic primary will be held in June 2025 and will almost certainly determine the next mayor. .
Ramos, 39, is a feisty progressive who can land a punch with a smile. She is currently the only woman in the race and, if elected, would be New York City’s first female mayor.
In her campaign launch, she described her candidacy as “my love letter to New York City” and vowed that “over the next nine months, I’m going to hit every corner of the city, talking to New Yorkers about my vision.”
A daughter of undocumented Colombian immigrants, Ramos got her start in the labor movement as a communications staffer for social service employees union SSEU 371 Local and building service workers 32BJ SEIU. She later served as the De Blasio administration’s chief Latina media spokesperson before riding the blue wave of 2018 to an upset victory over a conservative Democrat who had fallen out of step with his constituents. Ramos chairs the Senate Labor Committee and has been a staunch union ally and a workhorse legislator who has steered numerous worker protection measures through the legislature.
Never shy in front of a microphone, Ramos has been a frequent guest on The Indypendent News Hour. We hope to bring her back soon.
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May 2023: Ramos Slams Mayor, Leaves Door Open for 2025 Primary Challenge
April 2022: New York State Budget Breakdown with State Senator Jessica Ramos
July 2020: Jessica Ramos Interviewed by John Tarleton
Indy Archive
In the spring of 2023, when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams was looking like a heavy favorite to be re-elected even as he pursued another round of mean-spirited budget cuts, we thought the former NYPD police captain could be defeated from the left – if a strong candidate stepped up to challenge him. Of the seven potential candidates we wrote about, see which two are now in the race.
May 2023: Fortune Favors the Bold: Which One of These Pols Might Challenge Eric Adams in 2025?
Today’s Indypendent News Hour
With the Adams administration imploding in front of our eyes, we’ll speak on today’s radio show with political analyst and strategist Michael Lange and Eli Valentin of the Instituto Latino about the state of the mayor’s race and the prospects for Jessica Ramos and the other candidates running against Adams in next year’s Democratic primary. The Indypendent News Hour airs Tuesdays from 5-6 pm on WBAI-99.5 FM or streaming at wbai.org.
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