City Council Speaker Corey Johnson Eyeing 2021 NYC Mayoral Campaign

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced on Monday that he's considering running for mayor in 2021. At the moment, Johnson is both the speaker and Acting Public Advocate (he'll hold the latter position until next month's special election). He currently represents several neighborhoods in Manhattan, including Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, the West Village, and Times Square.

Johnson noted on Twitter that if he runs for mayor in two years, he won't be accepting individual donations over $250 from anyone, and will accept "zero" money from real estate developers, lobbyists, or PACs. “I think this is the future of the Democratic Party,” he told The New York Times. “I think a lot of anxiety in New York City about gentrification and over development and people don’t like any appearance of influence based off of contributions. This is a way to totally eliminate that.”

It's still fairly early for mayoral candidacy announcements, though Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. has opened a campaign account. Comptroller Scott Stringer and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams are thought to be considering runs as well, but have yet to formally announce their campaigns.

The announcement comes on the heels of Johnson's recent five-borough transit tour earlier this month, coupled with a survey in which he interviewed thousands of New Yorkers about pressing transportation concerns and priorities.

Johnson's team did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Last year, Johnson spoke with Gothamist about decriminalizing sex work, affordable housing, and more.