Warwick native throws hat in New York City mayoral race

Warwick native Kyle Gutierrez, an independent candidate for mayor of New York City, is in the process of gathering signatures to secure a place on the November general election ballot.

“Ever since I was a kid, I had an idea that I would run for something,” he said. “Last August, with this year’s mayoral election on the horizon, I decided to run because the candidates are moderates like Eric Adams, and now Andrew Cuomo, who have no good or groundbreaking ideas that would fix the problems in the city. Sure, I could wait until I have more experience, but why not run now and if need be, I can run again in the future.”

Running on a slogan of “Young and Unaffiliated,” Gutierrez’s campaign stresses the following issues:

Housing

There are loopholes that landlords and companies take advantage of that need to be addressed. Hundreds of thousands of units are deemed “vacant but not available for rent” for a myriad of reasons from legal hang ups to intentional warehousing from owners. These issues that prevent existing units from being on the market need to be addressed step-by-step, and if we want to build more housing, we should shoot to renovate existing buildings made for commercial use.

Climate justice

“Instead of simply installing energy guzzling air conditioners in every single apartment, cooling centers offer a broader solution. On the east side, the city is constructing a wall along the East River to prepare for rising sea levels, but East Harlem and above is just as vulnerable. Therefore, I’d want to start a project to design a similar barrier for the uppermost part of Manhattan. I’d also want to work to mitigate the city’s carbon emissions with strict policy.”

Public safety

“I’d reinstall many of the mental health resources that were closed during COVID, investing money in already existing centers for public and accessible mental health care. We also need to create a task force to meet people where they’re at – especially for those who live on the streets. Many people don’t feel comfortable living in shelters as they’ve had bad experiences or don’t trust the system. We also need to create harm reduction centers that provide safe haven for those struggling with addiction issues.”

Education

“New York City pays the most money per pupil out of any major city in the nation, but that figure has been inflated since more and more students are dropping out of school. Many students have lost their arts, enrichment, and extracurricular programs that made coming to school fun and provided social development. I’d want to reinvest money to bring these vital programs back to schools and make learning fun and comprehensive for students. Teacher salaries need to be increased so that those with a passion for education remain in our schools.”

Gutierrez said he seriously began thinking about a mayoral run last August and registered with the Campaign Finance Board in March. To get on the ballot as an independent, he has until Tuesday, May 27 to gather 3,750 signatures. He is shooting for 4,000.

Living in East Harlem while attending Hunter College and double majoring in urban studies and psychology, the 21-year-old junior says his candidacy has been met with support – from high school friends who share his social media posts and have offered to volunteer to the Hunter College student body and various groups around the city.

“I decided not to take donations because I don’t think it is healthy for anyone to have millions of dollars given to campaigns, especially when that money can be spent better elsewhere,” said the 2022 Warwick Valley High School graduate. “Instead, I am campaigning on social media, attending events and talking to people. I have stickers and flyers. Friends from Warwick share my stuff and some who live in the city have told me they are down to help. The response on campus has been positive.”

Gutierrez says that too many politicians become beholden to donors and lose sight of what is important.

“Career politicians are in it for themselves and that is what we have with so many of the candidates in this race and in politics in general,” he said. “Instead of concentrating on that, I am running a true grassroots campaign for all the residents of the city.”

As such, visitors to his campaign website, which he created, are met with messages such as: “What’s the point of free speech if no one is listening? We need to take back New York City from those who only take; and we need to demand a government that serves the working class of New York City.”

Last year, Gutierrez spent time interning and working for Assemblyman Alex Bores in legislative and constituent services. The experience, he says, was eye opening.

“I represented the assemblyman at many community events, and it gave me a different perspective on how government operates,” Gutierrez said. “I helped constituents who were not getting their unemployment benefits and others who were in a dispute with their landlord. I went into it with a lot of institutional cynicism but came out of it with a lot more hope for the future when it comes to bureaucracy.”

Visit kyle4mayor.nyc for more information on Gutierrez’s campaign.