Marty Dolan, who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the 2024 Democratic primary, announced his candidacy Tuesday for New York City’s Public Advocate in the 2025 citywide election. The public advocate assists with complaints and inquiries into government-related offices and services.
Ocasio-Cortez won the 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and the Bronx, with nearly 82% of the vote. But Dolan, who strongly disagrees with Ocasio-Cortez’s style of governance, aims to apply his experience in domestic and international finance to tightening the city’s focus on essential services.
In a statement announcing his candidacy, Dolan said given the recent indictment of Mayor Eric Adams, several high-level resignations and investigations into top city officials, the mayor must be voted out next year — along with current Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Comptroller Brad Lander.
Despite Lander and Williams’ frequent criticisms of the Adams administration, New Yorkers should “clean house” in 2025, Dolan said.
“We need to confront incompetence at City Hall along with the dishonest Socialist mentality of trying to make everyone happy, which instead has made the majority of New Yorkers worse off,” he said.
Dolan advocates for focusing on essential municipal functions such as sanitation, education and public safety while deprioritizing broader issues such as international conflict. During his Congressional campaign, Dolan specifically pointed to the Israel-Gaza war as an issue that should not be a priority for local leaders.
“A back-to-basics strategy will refocus NYC on doing fewer things but doing them exceptionally well as measured on a global standard,” he said.
Public advocate is a lesser-known but relatively powerful position within the city, with a four-year term length (can serve two terms consecutively) and an annual salary of close to $185,000. The position holds a non-voting role on City Council with the power to sponsor legislation and the ability to appoint some high-ranking city officials. In the event of a mayoral vacancy or if the mayor becomes incapacitated, the public advocate is next in line.
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