With weeks until voting begins in the New York City primary, NY1 is sitting down with candidates running for mayor.

On Wednesday, author and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson appeared on “Mornings On 1” to make his case to voters.

Tilson leaned heavily into his business background, saying his corporate experience uniquely qualifies him to lead—especially in the face of economic turmoil brought on by new tariffs from President Donald Trump.

“I follow the markets closely and Trump is doing his best to destroy business confidence and tank our economy,” Tilson said. “We’re 5% of U.S. GDP, and so we will be affected. I think a recession is likely later this year, and that’s going to affect our city budget. We’re going to have to tighten our belts and manage the city a lot better.”

Tilson said business leaders are already pulling back because of the uncertainty surrounding the financial markets.

“They don’t know how much to invest or where to invest, and that will affect our long-term growth, not just in the city, but nationally and internationally,” he said.

Affordability is a central issue in the race, and Tilson argued that cutting taxes and boosting business growth is the best way to address the cost of living in the city.

“I'm the only candidate in the race who's committed to not raise taxes,” Tilson said. “I'm the only candidate in the race talking about growing our economy, and that may be difficult in the near term, given the headwinds that the Trump administration is creating, but we are an economic powerhouse.”

There are currently nine Democratic candidates vying for the party's nomination after Mayor Eric Adams announced last week he plans to run for reelection as an independent.

Among the frontrunners is Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who Tilson took aim at, calling his economic and policing views “very dangerous.”

“He wants to substantially raise taxes, which would further decimate our economic base,” Tilson said. “He's been the leader of the defund the police movement, the leader of the anti-Israel movement in the city. So I view him and his policies across the board as very dangerous. In particular, I think we are at a 34-year low in the number of police officers.”

Tilson said the NYPD needs at least 3,000 to 5,000 more officers and praised the work of current Commissioner Jessica Tisch, vowing to keep her on if he were to become mayor. Fellow Democratic candidates Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander have also said they would like Tisch to remain on.

Asked why he’s running, Tilson said the city needs someone from outside politics.

“I’ve been in the city for more than 30 years, raised three daughters here, and I love this city, and I'm concerned that it's headed in the wrong direction,” he said. “I don’t believe change can be driven from someone from within the system. You need an outsider, and I am the only outsider in the race.”