Stringer files petitions for mayoral primary

Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer dropped off petition signatures at the local Board of Elections in lower Manhattan on Wednesday to ensure his place on the Democratic primary ballot and tout what he described as the largest haul of anyone in the race.

Stringer, the city comptroller, said his campaign’s more than 25,000 signatures showed “grass roots in action,” and questioned front-runner Andrew Yang, who suggested on Tuesday that rival campaigns had paid organizers to help with signature collection.

“My volunteers got almost triple the number of signatures as his campaign did,” Stringer said in the Financial District.

“So maybe he better rethink his strategy.”

Yang’s campaign said it had gathered about 9,400 petition signatures through its volunteer-led effort. Jake Sporn, a spokesman for Yang’s campaign, said in a statement that New Yorkers “identify Andrew with being a unifying figure around big ideas like cash relief. We’ll let others say what they identify Scott with.”

Polling has placed Yang, the one-time presidential candidate, at the front of the crowded Democratic field, but a phone survey released early on Wednesday found one in two voters said they remain undecided. That figure appears to be ticking higher as the primary approaches on June 22.

In the Fontas/Core poll, Yang led with 16% of the vote, Brooklyn

Borough President Eric Adams received 10%, former Mayor Bill de Blasio legal counsel Maya Wiley grabbed 6% and Stringer (inset) collected 5%.

“It’s what we have known all along: That this race is getting underway; my biggest opponent right now is ‘Undecided,’” Stringer said. “And I have every expectation we’ll win that fight.”

Stringer has sought to emphasize his experience as comptroller — employing a “ready on day one” slogan — but he may lack the profile of other top contenders.

“I think people want a progressive leader who’s ready on day one to meet the challenges of the postpandemic city,” Stringer said. “I don’t think this is the time for a mayoralty on training wheels.”

As of Tuesday, the campaign of former nonprofit CEO Dianne Morales said she had over 13,000 signatures, while the campaign of Shaun Donovan, who served as President Barack Obama’s budget director, said it had garnered some 8,000 signatures.

Kathryn Garcia, the former sanitation commissioner, said she had picked up almost 8,000 signatures.

Adams’ campaign said it filed more than 20,000 signatures on Tuesday.

Former Citigroup executive Ray McGuire had gathered 18,000 signatures, according to his campaign. Wiley hadn’t provided figures.