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“Just as I was open about the fact that I was considering a run for mayor, I now want to be open about the fact that I have made the difficult decision not to run,” announced Corey Johnson in a statement this morning. “This challenging time has led me to rethink how I can best be of service to this city, and I have come to the conclusion that this is not the right path for me.”
New York City Council Speaker and representative of Hell’s Kitchen has ended his run for mayor after fights over the NYPD budget in the wake of its handling of the George Floyd protests. Many thought he should have pushed for deeper cuts.
Before the pandemic, Johnson looked like a real contender for the role of Mayor in 2021. At the start of the crisis, he stepped in when Mayor de Blasio wavered about closing schools, introducing social distancing, and clamping down on large gatherings, Johnson pushed and won on all these issues.
Today, Johnson explained that he has been dealing with depression: “In the same spirit of openness, I would also add that I have been dealing with some personal challenges over the past few months, namely – depression. I am sharing this because I know from experience the value of speaking honestly about one’s struggles. I’ve been open about my sobriety, which along with my partner and mother, has been instrumental to me during this difficult time, and my HIV status. I believe it’s important to be open about this as well. Too often, mental health issues are shrouded in secrecy and stigma, which causes people struggling with these issues to feel alone. I encourage anyone who is experiencing a mental health condition to seek help. I did – and I am better for it.”
It’s easy to forget how much Johnson has achieved. We reported in our 2018 interview with him, that less than ten years ago, “Johnson was broke and unemployed. He’d been a finalist for three jobs he desperately wanted, and losing out on all of them had left him devastated. To make matters worse, the rent was due and he didn’t have a clue how he was going to pay it. That wasn’t exactly an all-time low (that honor belongs to the period when, as a closeted gay 15-year-old, he was clinically depressed and suicidal), but it was right down there with the worst of times.”
Johnson is a fighter, he will be back: “I want to be clear that my decision to end this campaign is not the end of my public life. Far from it.” Corey Johnson cannot take on a third consecutive term on the City Council because of term-limits. At 38, he still has a lot of options, including Congress.
Corey Johnson’s Full Statement
It was no secret that I had been considering a run for mayor, and that I have put my campaign on pause for the past six months. I felt strongly that it was the right thing to do considering all that our city has been going through, including COVID-19, the resulting shutdown and economic pain, and the long overdue national reckoning on race.
Just as I was open about the fact that I was considering a run for Mayor, I now want to be open about the fact that I have made the difficult decision not to run. This challenging time has led me to rethink how I can best be of service to this city, and I have come to the conclusion that this is not the right path for me. I thank everyone who supported my campaign for this most important job. I was so inspired by the passionate, knowledgeable and committed New Yorkers I met throughout this process. I know that there are plenty of good candidates, and I wish them well.
In the same spirit of openness, I would also add that I have been dealing with some personal challenges over the past few months, namely – depression. I am sharing this because I know from experience the value of speaking honestly about one’s struggles. I’ve been open about my sobriety, which along with my partner and mother, has been instrumental to me during this difficult time, and my HIV status. I believe it’s important to be open about this as well. Too often, mental health issues are shrouded in secrecy and stigma, which causes people struggling with these issues to feel alone. I encourage anyone who is experiencing a mental health condition to seek help. I did – and I am better for it.
I want to be clear that my decision to end this campaign is not the end of my public life. Far from it. I will continue serving as Speaker of the City Council and working to improve the lives of New Yorkers. I love this City with all my heart and I believe by working together, we will come back stronger than ever. Let’s continue looking out for one another and fighting for the greatest city in the world.