The "Yang Gang" descended on the city Board of Election office on Tuesday, cheering on their hero as he dropped off signatures to get on the mayoral primary ballot.
"We did it through volunteer energy and passion and dedication," Andrew Yang told supporters as he showed off about 9,400 petition signatures outside the BOE office in lower Manhattan. "I am so proud of the fact that we got it done through all of you, through the passion of volunteers on this campaign!"
Coming off a series of polls that place him as the frontrunner, Yang also took a shot at rivals in the packed Democratic primary, set for June 22.
"As far as we can tell, the other campaigns did not have this kind of energy. So you know what they did? They paid someone," he said, though he did not name names.
Evan Thies, spokesman for New York City mayoral candidate Eric Adams, was quick to point out that their campaign turned in more than double the number of signatures that Yang filed and credited the Brooklyn Borough President's diverse supporters.
"We are proud of the fact that our campaign's canvas operation to get Eric on the ballot was 100 percent volunteer-and that so many supporters outside the campaign also collected signatures to make Eric our next mayor," said Thies. "No other campaign has the breadth and depth of Eric's."
© Luiz C. RibeiroNew York City mayoral candidate, Andrew Yang
New York City mayoral candidate, Andrew Yang (Luiz C. Ribeiro/)
Comptroller Scott Stringer claimed to have more than 25,000 petition signatures, stating, "New Yorkers deserve a mayor who doesn't need training wheels, who will be ready to do this job on Day One." Former Citigroup executive Ray McGuire had gathered 18,000 signatures, his campaign said.
A spokeswoman for former nonprofit CEO Dianne Morales said she had over 13,000 signatures. Shaun Donovan, a former top official in the Bloomberg and Obama administrations, has gathered about 8,000 signatures, according to his campaign. Former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said she'd gathered "a little shy of" 8,000 signatures. Maya Wiley's campaign didn't immediately provide numbers.
Garcia didn't intend to drop her petitions off in person, telling the Daily News, "I've got other things I want to take care of and I want to be out talking to voters."
With petition-gathering requirements reduced this year due to COVID, it takes just 2,250 signatures to get on the mayoral ballot, according to the city Board of Elections. The board is charged with enforcing stringent eligibility requirements for the petitions. Candidates have until midnight Thursday to submit their signatures.