It’s a New York City mayoral race unlike any in recent memory, with personalities as vibrant as the city itself and political ideologies spanning the spectrum from socialist to staunch capitalist. As the November 2025 election approaches, the contest is not just unfolding in campaign rallies and debates—it’s playing out in real time on social media, drawing the eyes of the nation to America’s largest metropolis once again.
At the heart of the race is Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and self-identified socialist, who currently leads the crowded field with 44% of the vote according to a Siena poll conducted in mid-August. Mamdani’s platform, which leans heavily on left-wing ideas, has energized a significant portion of the city’s electorate. But not everyone is on board with his vision for New York.
Enter Joseph Hernandez, a 52-year-old biotech entrepreneur with a story that could only happen in New York. Born in Cuba and raised under Fidel Castro’s communist regime, Hernandez immigrated to the United States at age seven, seeking freedom and opportunity. Now a resident of the Lower East Side, he’s launched an independent bid for mayor—motivated, he says, by his deep-seated opposition to socialism and a desire to offer a different path for the city.
“I was raised in a socialist communist society, so I am the antithesis of Zohran Mamdani’s ideology,” Hernandez told The New York Post. “In fact, he’s a motivator for me to fight in this race. I despise socialism. I am a believer in the American dream. I’m a believer in capitalism. It’s not perfect, but it’s lifted more people out of poverty than any other ideology.”
Hernandez is no stranger to business or innovation. As head of Blue Water Venture Partners, a Manhattan-based healthcare and technology investment firm, he touts his experience as a logical, technology-savvy businessman who knows how to structure budgets. He’s promised, if elected, to hire 10,000 new police officers, convert unused office space into affordable housing, and harness artificial intelligence to improve city services. “I’m doing this because I love the city and want to make it better,” Hernandez said. “I don’t have baggage like [many of the other candidates]. I’m a businessman; I’m logical; I know technology; and know how to structure budgets.”
Despite being a registered Republican, Hernandez is running as an independent, having gathered enough signatures to secure a spot on the November ballot just over a month ago. He’s joined by a cast of high-profile contenders: Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, defense lawyer Jim Walden, and two prominent independents—Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, both registered Democrats who are now forging their own paths apart from the party’s official nominee.
The dynamics of the race are complex, with some observers questioning whether Hernandez’s presence might split the anti-Mamdani vote and inadvertently boost the socialist’s chances. Hernandez, for his part, is unconcerned. “I’m doing this because I live in the city and I think it’s so spinning out of control—and I think I’m the most qualified candidate,” he asserted. “I’m a businessman, I’m logical, I know technology. And I know how to structure budgets.”
Social media has become a powerful battleground for the candidates, as highlighted in a recent New York Times video report. Campaigns are leveraging platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok to reach voters directly, bypassing traditional media gatekeepers and shaping narratives in real time. The digital campaign has amplified both policy debates and personality clashes, making the race more accessible—but also more contentious—than ever before.
While Mamdani’s progressive vision has captured the imagination of many, the political center is hardly silent. Mayor Eric Adams, seeking reelection as an independent after a turbulent first term, is touting what he calls a historic economic recovery. At campaign events and in stump speeches, Adams has repeatedly claimed credit for creating 500,000 new jobs since taking office in 2022. “What did we do for our economy?” Adams asked at his campaign kickoff in late June. “500,000 new jobs in this administration, more jobs than in the city’s history.”
But a closer look at the numbers paints a more nuanced picture. According to POLITICO, much of the city’s job growth has been concentrated in government-subsidized healthcare sectors—areas now threatened by looming Medicaid cuts and shifting state policies. Hiring has slowed dramatically in 2025, with fewer than 1,000 new employees added by city-based companies in the first half of the year. Economic experts argue that Adams is overstating his role in driving these trends, noting that national and international economic forces play a far larger part.
James Parrott, a senior fellow at the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School, summed up the skepticism: “It’s a very mixed picture overall, and the mayor is overreaching in wanting to take credit for all of that. If he wants to take credit for the record level of job growth, then he has to also take responsibility for the slowdown in employment growth over the last year and a half.”
Adams and his team push back against these critiques, arguing that his leadership through the pandemic and the challenges of managing an influx of 230,000 asylum seekers at a cost of $7.5 billion have been vital to the city’s recovery. “When Mayor Adams took office, New York City was still grappling with the social and economic aftermath of the pandemic, violent crime was on the rise, and he was tasked with turning the city’s lights back on,” said spokesperson William Fowler. “Today, New York City isn’t coming back—it is back.” Crime statistics, too, offer a mixed bag: while shootings and murders have dropped to historic lows, felony assaults remain above pre-pandemic levels.
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, another independent in the race, has offered his own economic prescription: a $1.5 billion municipal capital fund to spur job growth, conversion of city-owned property into tech hubs, and a $100 million investment in open spaces. “With this slowdown, we need an affirmative plan to combat the economic forces at work,” Cuomo said recently. “If we do nothing, you’re going to see those numbers continue to decrease.”
As the race enters its final stretch, the field remains wide open. The Siena poll shows Mamdani with a commanding lead, but 12% of voters are still undecided or leaning toward other candidates. With social media shaping perceptions and economic anxieties looming large, New York’s next mayor will inherit a city at a crossroads—one grappling with its identity, its future, and the very nature of the American dream.
In this pivotal moment, New Yorkers are being asked to choose not just a leader, but a vision for the city’s next chapter—one that reflects the hopes, fears, and ambitions of a city that never sleeps.
