Announcing Candidate Preferences for the 2025 Primary Election
See who we support for Mayor, Comptroller, Manhattan Borough President, and City Council in our revamped Voters Guide.
Not sure who to vote for in this year’s City election? Citizens Union’s Voters Guide is here to help you decide what candidates deserve your vote at the ballot box in June. After undertaking a rigorous evaluation of dozens of candidates running in all five boroughs, we are proud to support a slate of candidates who are committed to fair and open elections and honest and accountable governance. To urge voters to make use of the ranked choice ballots, we issued ordered preferences in most evaluated races.
Our Voters Guide includes our candidate preferences for Mayor, Comptroller, Manhattan Borough President, and City Council Districts 2, 4, and 5 in Manhattan, 8 in Manhattan & The Bronx, 14 and 17 in the Bronx, 21, 28, and 30 in Queens, 38 and 39 in Brooklyn, and 51 in Staten Island.
Citizens Union Names Grace Rauh as New Executive Director
The 5BORO Institute to Join Citizens Union as New Public Policy Program
Citizens Union and the Citizens Union Foundation Chairman John Avlon announced that Grace Rauh has been named the organization’s new Executive Director. Rauh, an award-winning journalist, is the founding Executive Director of the 5BORO Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit public policy think tank. A former NY1 political reporter and longtime civic advocate, she brings a unique blend of journalistic integrity and policy acumen to New York’s oldest good government organization. Rauh succeeds Betsy Gotbaum, former New York City Public Advocate, who served as Executive Director for seven years.
“I am honored to lead Citizens Union at this pivotal moment for our democracy – not only nationally, but here in New York,” said Grace Rauh, incoming Executive Director of Citizens Union. “Throughout my career as a journalist, I worked to hold public officials accountable and shine a light on government decision-making. I’m eager to carry that same commitment to transparency, ethics, and civic engagement into this new role. By bringing the 5BORO Institute to New York’s oldest good government group, we’re building a stronger, more powerful nonpartisan force for accountable and effective government.”
Crucial Period for New York Democracy
We’re not resting - even if our website is. Here’s what else is cooking at CU.
The Charter Revision Commission is considering two of our proposals for improving participation in NYC’s elections, including open primaries and even year elections.
Our proposal to establish a local mechanism to remove a mayor over misconduct is getting attention.
Attorney General Letitia James at our most recent Civic Convention: “This is a moral moment for all of us to defend democracy”