By Robert Press

Thursday night was the 2025 Bronx Democratic Party Mayoral Forum hosted by Gary Axelbank who said it was his 96th candidate debate, and 1,479 shows on Bronxnet. On stage at the start of the forum were candidates for Mayor of New York City, current City Comptroller Brad Lander, Former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and State Senators Zelnor Myrie, and Jessicia Ramos.

During the forum candidates Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and former Assemblyman Michael Blake joined.

The candidates were given three minutes for their introductions. Candidate Lander said that the mayor had not done enough for the city, and that he had done an audit of NYCHA. Candidate Stringer said that he has two children ages 11 and 13, and that he did not only do one audit of NYCHA, but he did nineteen audits of NYCHA. Candidate Myrie said he grew up in the Bronx attending PS 112 the Bronxwood School in Edenwald. He said that affordability and public safety are his two priorities. Candidate Ramos spoke about her positions in the Bloomberg and de Blasio mayoral administrations, She wants to tackle affordability by looking for the Mitchell-Lama Program for home ownership. When they came in, candidate Mamdani had three items he wanted: 1 – freeze rents for rent stabilized residents, 2 – bring back the free bus program, and 3 – universal child-care. Candidate Blake said he went to PS 79 in the Bronx, represented the 79th Assembly District, wants every child to graduate, and more mental health programs.

Question one was dealing with President Trump. Lander said, it was frightening times of freezing funding from the federal government. Stringer said he was Comptroller during Trump 1, and seven million dollars were saved, he will work for new solutions. Myrie said, New Yorkers expect their mayor to work with the feds, but must stand up to any cuts to vital services. Ramos said, we can’t get whiplash in the face when Donald Trump cuts needed programs.

To a question about sanctuary cities Myrie said he will step up to protect New York as a sanctuary city. Stringer said that the problem started with a mayor who over projected the migrant costs that were false. Ramos said there were ICE raids in her district, and they can go into churches and hospitals, and that Mayor Adams said immigrants will destroy the city. Lander said that he would stand up for sanctuary cities.

To a question on Fair Share such as the proposed 2,200 shelter in the South Bronx, Ramos said that more permanent or supportive housing is needed. Lander said that 2,200 shelters don’t make sense anymore. Myrie said that the Bronx deserves better and the city was not investing in the Bronx.

Stringer said he sent investigators into shelters, and then went to them himself, and to District Service Cabinet meetings to discuss shelters. Mamdani who had sat down said he wants the empty stores in subway stations to reopen. Lander said that homelessness can be ended with tweeks at the state level and his housing plan.

Other questions were about syringes in the streets to which all agreed it was wrong with similar solutions, including the need to end homelessness while training city workers other than the NYPD to respond. Crime and public safety, Myrie wants every shooting case solved by restoring officers to the pre pandemic headcount. Stringer questioned the use of the military (national guard) in the subways, and wants to hire 3,000 new officers.

Ramos spoke of a police officer who shot a turnstile jumper and a civilian calling for more training. To a question of Mayoral control of the public school all were in favor of keeping it, with candidate Blake sitting down saying that he went to PS 79 and represented the 79th Assembly District in Albany. The last question was on the one percent of city funding to parks where again all were in favor of it.

The forum ended with one minute statements from the candidates who repeated much of what they said either during the introduction or answers to the questions.