Entrepreneur Andrew Yang conceded in the Democratic mayoral primary during a campaign event Tuesday night, ending his bid for City Hall, PIX11 reported.
Yang’s campaign started the season hot, with the former Democratic presidential candidate seen as an early frontrunner in the race to replace Mayor Bill de Blasio.
But as the months passed, excitement waned, and Yang was no longer seen as a likely winner. Yang fell behind in many polls and was far behind in early returns Tuesday night.
Yang centered much of his primary campaign on his universal basic income initiative as well as promises to bring jobs back to the city, bring down violent crime and diversify the NYPD.
With ranked choice voting in its first year in New York City elections, first place votes for Yang would be redistributed to voters’ second place candidates if necessary.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was leading in early returns, with Maya Wiley and Kathryn Garcia behind him. Curtis Sliwa won the G.O.P. primary.
With the new Ranked Choice voting in New York, results could take days or weeks to complete, the BOE has said.
