7 Questions With Mayoral Candidate Zellnor Myrie

NEW YORK CITY — State senator Zellnor Myrie is a Democratic candidate running for New York City mayor on Tuesday, June 24.

Myrie currently lives in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. Before entering politics, the 38-year-old candidate was a lawyer at Davis Polk.

Patch recently asked Myrie seven questions about his campaign. See his replies below.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article contains information about one of several candidates who have announced their campaigns in the 2025 primary election. Patch has contacted the other candidates with the same questions and will post replies as they are received.

PATCH: Why are you running for Mayor?

MYRIE: I am a proud son of Central Brooklyn -- born and raised. My story wouldn’t be possible without our city. My parents came here from Costa Rica nearly 50 years ago to build a better life. I was raised in a rent stabilized apartment, where my mother still lives today. Because of my incredible teachers at P.S. 161 in Crown Heights and mentors at the Crown Heights Youth Collective after-school program, I was able to go Brooklyn Tech, Fordham and Cornell Law School.

But even though I am a State Senator, I cannot afford to buy a home in the neighborhood I grew up in. I got in this race because the opportunities I had growing up are slipping away for far too many New Yorkers. As Mayor, I’ll deliver 1 million homes, build free, universal after-school for All and full day Pre-K and 3-K until 6:00 PM, and solve every shooting to make our city a safe and affordable place for working and middle class families like mine to build a life.

PATCH: What sets you apart from the other candidates?

MYRIE: I am the proud son of two Costa-Rican immigrants, who came to New York City to work in factories. I was raised in a rent-stabilized apartment, and there were times when my mom did not have enough money to pay the electricity bill and our lights were off. I ride the train every day, still have student loans, and cannot afford to buy a home in my neighborhood despite having a good job.

I am not only speaking to working and middle-class families as an elected official; I am also speaking with them as someone who is facing the same struggles they are. I decided to run for Mayor to ensure that City Hall is delivering for families like mine who have been overlooked for far too long. That’s why as Mayor, I’ll deliver 1 million homes as well as free universal, after-school for All and full day 3-K and Pre-K until 6:00 PM to lower the cost of living and make our city an affordable place for working and middle-class families to raise a family.

PATCH: List two ways you plan to make New York more affordable.

MYRIE:

1. New York is facing an affordability crisis, and I’m running for mayor to change that. First and foremost, we need to lower the cost of housing, and the only way to do that is by increasing the supply. As Mayor, I will deliver one million homes over the next decade, through new neighborhood rezoning, repurposing underused office space, building on public land, and more. After decades of the city taking a piecemeal approach to development, this is the scale of action New Yorkers need to end the crisis we face.

2. Housing and the cost of childcare are driving families out of our city and state all together. That’s why as Mayor, I also plan to provide free, universal after-school for All and full day 3-K and Pre-K until 6:00 PM. This will not only put money back in families pockets, but also provide our students with a safe place to learn, play and thrive. I attended after-school at the Crown Heights Youth Collective, where I got help with my homework and also learned how to step and do karate. Every kid deserves these opportunities, and their parents deserve the peace of mind knowing that their kids are being well taken care of while they finish the work day.

PATCH: List two ways you plan to make New York safer.

MYRIE:

1. As a native New Yorker, I know firsthand that our public spaces feel unsafe and chaotic in a way we haven’t seen for a decade. Our city was the safest it has ever been before the pandemic, so as Mayor I will restore the NYPD to its 2018 headcount and promote 2,000 detectives to rebuild the detective bureau to its new strength. This will not only help reduce overtime costs, but also give our officers the resources and staffing necessary to solve and deter crimes. One of my signature initiatives will be Clear 100, which will leverage the fully staffed detective bureau and new technology to solve every shooting and improve our clearance rates.

2. We must also invest in proven crime prevention measures and give our kids the opportunities and spaces they need to be safe and thrive. That’s why as Mayor, I’ll provide free, universal Afterschool for All to keep kids off the street, as well as add 50,000 new Summer Youth Employment seats so that every kid who wants to work can find a job. I’ll also triple the scope of the Every Block Counts Program to provide more wraparound services for the neighborhoods that see the most violence.

PATCH: What’s your plan to improve the subway system?

MYRIE:

I ride the trains every day, and know firsthand that our subway system is not as safe as it needs to be. When you feel unsafe underground, it is different from feeling that same away on the street because there is nowhere else to go once the train doors close. As Mayor, I’ll hire 150 police-clinician trios to patrol the entire transit subway 24/7 and help people in crisis get the care they need instead of cycling through the ER or Rikers.

I’ll also fight to secure the funding our transit system needs. That means defending congestion pricing. As Mayor, I will take swift legal action against any attempt, particularly from Trump, to revoke federal approval. The federal government has no right to block a program that’s already proven to benefit New Yorkers.

I’ll expand red light, speed, and bus lane enforcement cameras to make streets safer and generate revenue for the MTA. New Yorkers rely on our subways every day, and as Mayor, I’ll fight for the funding and safety we deserve.

PATCH: ICE is cracking down on college campuses and immigrants in NYC. How will your administration respond?

MYRIE:

New York must always be a city that protects and uplifts immigrants, not one that collaborates with ICE to tear families apart. As Mayor, I will make it unequivocally clear: New York City will not cooperate with ICE unless they present a valid judicial warrant. ICE will not be allowed into our schools, hospitals, or houses of worship.

I will create a specialized unit within the City Law Department, a Frontline Protection Force, staffed with elite attorneys ready to fight back against every unlawful attempt by the federal government to target New Yorkers. From immigration to civil rights to public benefits, we’ll challenge any overreach in court and win.

We’ll also fully fund the NYC Commission on Human Rights to defend New Yorkers from discrimination and ensure city services remain accessible regardless of documentation status. In a Myrie administration, immigrants will be protected, empowered, and celebrated as the backbone of our city.

MYRIE:

My barber shop on Flatbush and Fenimore.