This year New Yorkers will be faced with a different kind of ballot at the polling place, as the city enters a new era of ranked-choice voting. To help us all prepare before the primary, we've put together a sample ballot using fictional New York City mayors. Read their bios, and then vote for them in a ranked-choice order using the ballot below. We'll share the results of the race for Mayor of Imaginary NYC on Friday.
John Pappas
Mayor John Pappas (Al Pacino in City Hall)
A mayor that the NY Times once called "ambitious," Pappas was born in Astoria, and leans on his native status and skilled and passionate (albeit often phony) speechmaking to connect with New Yorkers. This guy wouldn't let the governor bigfoot him, and he's seemingly always working connections behind the scenes. He'd be entering a new term with a worn-down idealism, which is to be expected from any seasoned politician.
The Mayor (James Gandolfini in The Taking of Pelham 123, 2009)
Unlike some mayors, this one takes the subway (though has been called a "douchebag" by at least one fellow straphanger). Love him or hate him, he handled a high-pressure hostage situation that threatened the life of New Yorkers, all while taking shots from the hostage-taker (who called him a "philandering asshole"). While his tactics may be questionable at times (agreeing to deliver a ransom), he gets the job done. He also threw his full support behind MTA employee Walter Garber, who ultimately saved the day, and promised to "go to bat" him after Garber had admitted to accepting a bribe.
Kate Hennings
Mayor Kate Hennings (Candice Bergen in Sweet Home Alabama)
Mayor Kate Hennings is a conservative who has been called out of touch with real New Yorkers. Always thinking of optics first, Hennings even went after her son's fiance, fashion designer Melanie Carmichael, who she believed was hiding something from her past that could tarnish her re-election.
Mayor Bruce Lincoln
Mayor Bruce Lincoln (Charles S. Dutton in Aftershock: Earthquake in New York)
In his previous term, Mayor Lincoln rerouted money away from the FDNY, which led to the chief calling him "an opportunist con artist." However, it's possible he'll now have the full support of the FDNY behind him during this race, as the two were able to make amends and work together when the city was facing what some have called an "unrealistic" catastrophic earthquake.
Mayor C. Randall Poopenmeyer
Mayor C. Randall Poopenmeyer (David Herman in Futurama)
The mayor of New New York City, C. Randall Poopenmeyer stepped into the role around 8 years ago. He's tough on crime (with the help of the New Justice Team), and he loves his city. He'll never pass up an invite to a public occasion, like the opening of a new subway line, and he even helped save New New York from what is now referred to as the garbage ball crisis of 3000.
Mayor Anthony Garcia (Nestor Carbonell in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises)
Mayor Garcia has promised to clean up the city of organized crime, a job he took on during the Joker's uprising. Working with Gotham's DA Harvey Dent, he has attempted to fulfill his promise, and even dodged a bullet from the Joker's crew while doing so. While it was rumored he'd be retiring, he's back on the ballot, and voters will need to decide if he can continue his mission successfully, particularly with DA Dent now out of the picture.
Mayor Lenny (David Margulies in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II)
An amicable mayor by all accounts, Mayor Lenny just wants the right guys on the job. He fully supported the Ghostbusters when they were unknowns, and even bailed them out of jail so they could defeat Gozer. While he briefly distanced himself from the crew during a run for Governor, after consulting with the ghost of former mayor Fiorello La Guardia, he was back on their team. and when the Ghostbusters saved New York once again, he presented them with a Key to the City. He has been called "a reasonable politician" who just wants to "stop [a] crisis in New York at any costs." It's also been noted that he listens thoughtfully to his advisers, something not every mayor has been known to do.
