NYC Public Advocate, Democrat Jumaane Williams, to Run for New York Governor

By Alyse Messmer On 11/16/21 at 11:56 AM EST

U.S. New york New York Governor American politics US elections

Democrat Jumaane Williams, a former City Council member and New York City's elected public advocate, on Tuesday announced his plan to run for governor, the Associated Press reported.

"I'm usually pushing and tugging at someone who has the levers to get it done," Williams said. "At some point, you have to stop looking to other folks and say, 'I'm going to do the best I can for the people of the state.' And for me, that's running for governor now."

Williams is the son of Grenadian immigrants and has served as a public advocate in New York since 2019 investigating citizen complaints and using the bully pulpit of his office to push for change. But Williams lacked the power to set city policy.

Williams, who has often been seen wearing a "Stay Woke" button on his lapel, has been arrested several times for civil disobedience at demonstrations against police misconduct and immigration enforcement.

According to a statement from Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, one of his competitors, Williams continues to be an important leader and advocate for issues.

"Throughout his career, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has been an important leader on issues from police reform to housing and we welcome him to the race," the statement said.

For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.

He faces Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who took office after former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, and James, whose investigation of the allegations prompted Cuomo's resignation.

Williams, 45, said what he offers Democratic primary voters—and Hochul and James don't—is a record of challenging Cuomo, even when it was politically inconvenient. He said even before the harassment allegations emerged, Hochul should have spoken out about what he described as a generally toxic culture in Albany.

"We have a vision that runs against just incumbency protection, against status quo and for taking political risks on behalf of the people and presenting a vision, unabashedly about that. And that vision is what we're going to run on and we think we'll be successful," he said.

In 2018, Williams ran for lieutenant governor against Hochul and lost. While Hochul was Cuomo's loyal running mate, Williams said during that campaign that he would use the largely ceremonial job to challenge Cuomo rather than serve as a rubber stamp.

That same year, Cuomo was also one of James' strongest allies as she sought the attorney general's office. He endorsed her and headlined a fundraiser on her behalf.

After the harassment allegations emerged, Hochul and James said they believed his accusers.

When asked if he was implying that Hochul was part of a generally toxic environment at the state Capitol, Williams said, "Clearly, there was a different vision that the lieutenant governor had, but I do again think that we would have been better off if there was a lieutenant governor that was expressly saying what was wrong and speaking out."

Hochul, 63, became the first woman to serve as New York governor after succeeding Cuomo in August. The Buffalo native quickly began running for the office in her own right, making frequent visits to New York City, rich with voters and deep-pocketed donors.

Hochul says she was unaware of Cuomo's alleged behavior, and was never part of his inner circle. When she was sworn in, she promised a different tone in office, more transparency and ethics reforms.

James, 63, is the first woman elected as New York's attorney general and the first Black person to serve in the role. She, like Williams, hails from Brooklyn but has greater name recognition and has proven she can win a statewide campaign.