In the race for president, being an outsider set Andrew Yang apart.

In the race for mayor of New York City, where people pride themselves on being in the know, the outsider label can be a liability.

What You Need To Know

  • In the race for president, Yang amassed a loyal following as the unconventional candidate

  • In the race for mayor, repeated missteps place his outsider status in a different light

  • But Yang says voters don't want an insider, at least in the political sense

Yang has had some moments where he seemed new to New Yorkers’ struggles and how their government works.

There was the video he tweeted from a store far fancier than your average bodega. “Can you imagine a New York City without bodegas? I can’t imagine it," he says in it.

There was the offer to have the city do business with union critic Elon Musk, though such a deal would legally require a bidding process.

There was the demand that teachers be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccinations, which had to be followed-up with the acknowledgement that they already were in New York.

And there was this mix-up of City Council members Brad Lander of Brooklyn and Ben Kallos of Manhattan.

“I just want to express my appreciation for Brad Lander, who I recently supported on his anti-scaffolding bill," Yang told the Four Freedoms Democratic Club earlier this month.

Yang’s gaffes are minor, but they are many. They include earlier criticism for his “can you imagine?” defense of fleeing Manhattan for his upstate home for part of the pandemic, and for having never voted in a single New York City election.

Yang has said his credentials come in the form of memories made in his 25 years living here.

He tells NY1 he feels at home campaigning here. His national profile does help him get regularly recognized and cheered.

Yang is embracing a vantage point as an outsider, in the political sense.


“I think that New Yorkers sense that we need a different type of leadership that’s going to try and cut through the red tape, get things done, work within the system, yes, but activate resources outside the system, too," he told NY1. "Because the fact is government does not always have the answers to everything."

And he says he’s listening.

“I learn all the time about what people are struggling with, and we try to integrate policies into the platform," he said.

To be sure, New Yorkers who meet him are more concerned about the big picture than little missteps.

“Just like I care for this community and this bar, he certainly cares for this city," said Helen Buford, owner of Julius' bar in the West Village, which Yang visited earlier this week. "You can tell. You can tell because he listens to what people have to say.”