As students in New York City, the mayoral race directly affects our lives, not just as students, but as residents of a city in constant transformation. Anyone casually following the election has likely heard of Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander, or Scott Stringer. However, far fewer New Yorkers appear to be aware of the women running for mayor. That raises a key question: Is this simply a matter of voter awareness, or something deeper?
It’s not the voters to blame — it’s the media, and the persistent sexism woven into the fabric of American politics. While male candidates dominate headlines, the women in this race are being overlooked, despite offering thoughtful and impactful solutions to some of the city’s most pressing issues that affect New Yorkers daily.
Almost all articles under the tab “NYC mayoral election” are focused on the male candidates in the race. From the New York Post reporting on accusations that Zohran Mamdani used AI to fake Spanish proficiency, to NBC News covering Eric Adams’ announcement to run as an independent, and the New York Times framing Mamdani’s criticisms of Andrew Cuomo as the beginning of an ad war. The media cycle is saturated with men. Out of 12 candidates in the race, it’s overwhelmingly the men who are considered worthy of the headlines. Figures like Adams, Cuomo, and Tilson dominate press coverage, podcasts, and online debates. Meanwhile, women like Adrienne Adams and Jessica Ramos are barely mentioned. Why are their voices being sidelined?
New York City mayoral candidate and Speaker of the New York City Council, Adrienne Adams, proposed a guaranteed basic income program that would be the largest in the United States. The initiative aims to serve as aid to more than 21,000 homeless children and young adults. Adams said in a statement, “Ideology doesn’t solve problems: proven solutions do,” highlighting how income programs like the one she is proposing have shown success in the past. Meanwhile, State Senator Jessica Ramos has a platform focused on affordable housing, immigration, public safety, education, environment, and healthcare. One of her most urgent priorities is addressing the city’s growing mental health crisis; she has pledged to “call for a mental health emergency on day one of [her] mayoralty.”
These are not niche issues. Housing security, mental health, education, and basic income affect the daily lives of all New Yorkers. Yet when these women put forward real, tangible solutions to the city’s most pressing problems, they are overlooked in favor of sensational stories or political infighting among the male candidates.
The overwhelming airtime and publicity given to male candidates are not just accidents; they are instrumentally reinforcing the internalized misogyny in American politics. Even at the local level, leadership positions are still gatekept from women. If the media and voters only listen to the loudest or most familiar voices, they miss out on the candidates who are actually doing the work. By ignoring these voices, we lose out on smarter, more humanity-centered policymaking. New York City can’t afford to keep recycling the same leadership and expect different results.
The Zeitgeist aims to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.
