With early voting now open (October 25 – November 2) and Election Day right around the corner (November 4), A Better Contract strongly encourages all UFT Members to get out the vote. Below are the dates and times for early voting and Election Day. Visit the NYC Board of Elections website for all the details, including polling locations.
Among many important ballot items this election, of greatest consequence to UFT members will be the selection of a new Mayor of New York City. Education has not been a major focus of any mayoral candidate’s campaign, but here is where each of the top three candidates claims to stand, along with a link to each candidate’s platform. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, by last name.
Andrew Cuomo
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is running as an Independent in the election. His platform proposes reducing class sizes; offering suitable 3K and PreK classroom placements to all New Yorkers; increasing mental health supports for NYCPS students; doubling the number of specialized high schools and gifted and talented programs; and raising the charter school cap to open additional charter schools in NYC. Cuomo supports the continuation of mayoral control of schools. He has stated he supports traditional Medicare and the elimination of copays for all retired NYC municipal workers who are 65 and up. As Governor of New York, Cuomo presided over the creation of Tier 6, faced a scandal over the undercounting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, and resigned from office following accusations of sexual harassment from 13 women.
CLICK HERE TO READ ANDREW CUOMO’S EDUCATION PLATFORM
Zohran Mamdani
The Democratic nominee, with the endorsement of UFT and the NYC labor movement, is New York State District 36 Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. His platform calls for free childcare for all New Yorkers aged 6 weeks to 5 years. Mamdani supports full funding of NYC public schools; equal distribution of school resources; an increase in social workers, mental health counselors and nurses working in NYC public schools; reduced class sizes; and an end to mayoral control of schools. Mamdani supports a “Communities to Classroom” program offering tuition, training and certification assistance to new teachers willing to work in NYC public schools for at least 3 years. Mamdani’s platform states that he rejects Medicare Advantage, but he has so far declined to support intro-1096, a proposed bill that would enshrine traditional Medicare into the New York City Administrative Code.
CLICK HERE TO READ ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S EDUCATION PLATFORM
Curtis Sliwa
Guardian Angels founder, radio host and activist Curtis Sliwa is running as the Republican nominee for mayor. His platform seeks to create a transparent governance model for all NYC public schools, including charter schools; audit the DOE and streamline its bureaucracy; ensure equal access to related services and mental health services for all NYC students; remove the charter school cap and increase the number of charter schools in NYC; and reinstate academic screening for middle and high schools. Sliwa supports the continuation of mayoral control of schools. He has stated he supports traditional Medicare and the elimination of copays for all retired NYC municipal workers who are 65 and up. Sliwa seeks to cut $10 billion from the DOE’s $41 billion budget.
CLICK HERE TO READ CURTIS SLIWA’S EDUCATION PLATFORM
A Better Contract’s Position on the Mayoral Election
A Better Contract (ABC) is comprised of UFT members, both in-service and retirees, from all walks of life and all political persuasions. We are open to all UFT members regardless of political party or caucus affiliation. While the UFT’s current leadership made a mayoral endorsement without conducting a full member survey on the general election candidates, ABC believes our union is strongest when all UFT members are included in making major decisions. Our purpose as ABC is not to endorse candidates ourselves, but to ensure UFT members have the information and the voice they deserve.
ABC’s proposal is that our UFT should determine mayoral endorsements through non-partisan, unbiased education of all UFT members on all mayoral candidates; as well as established non-negotiables to which any mayoral candidate seeking UFT’s endorsement would have to commit. This would be followed by an open forum in which all UFT members have equal access to hear directly from the candidates, equal time to share our questions and concerns with each candidate, and an opportunity for every UFT member to cast their vote for whom our union should endorse for the Mayor of New York City. Through this process, a supermajority of three-fifths (60%) or two-thirds (66%) of votes for one candidate would result in UFT endorsement.
ABC continues to advocate for greater transparency and collective decision-making within our UFT, and we will continue to invite any and all individuals and groups within our union to stand and actively work shoulder-to-shoulder with us in this endeavor.
We strongly urge each UFT member to learn more about the candidates and make an informed choice. Articles with more info on the candidates are linked below.
Please exercise your rights. PLEASE VOTE!
Related article links:
City and State NY: Here’s Who’s Running for New York City Mayor in 2025
Chalkbeat NY: Voter Guide: Where the NYC Mayoral Candidates Stand on the Future of Education
NY Daily News: NYC’s Mayoral Campaign Must Focus on Education
Cuomo does not support reducing class size unless the state sends more funding and even then wants to exclude all “popular” schools. For a better analysis/comparison see the nyc parent blog here . https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2025/09/cuomo-vs-sliwa-vs-mamdani-on-education.html
Cuomo vowed to "bust" public education in 2014 in order to bring in more hedge-fund backed, for-profit charter schools, diverting public funds.
Cuomo created Tier 6, to decrease Educator (and other public sector workers) pensions, knowing quite well there was already a crisis in teacher retention and recruitment. He coupled this with a more taxing teacher evaluation system.
It is quite clear who the only pro-labor, pro-education candidate is, and it would behoove any responsible teacher advocacy group to name him.