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Loree Sutton Drops Out Of NYC Mayoral Race
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Mar 10, 2021
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Bebeto Matthews/AP/Shutterstock
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Mar 10, 2021
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Loree Sutton, a retired general who had helmed New York City’s Department of Veterans’ Services under Mayor Bill de Blasio, announced on Wednesday that she was withdrawing from the mayor's race.
"Although no longer a mayoral candidate, my commitment to service endures, deepened and fortified by the experience of running for office," she said in a press release. "I am especially grateful to all who believed in me and the centrist vision I championed for a restored, sustainable and inclusive City, fueled by innovation, partnership and growth. Going forward, I will continue my advocacy for and support of veterans and their families."
The announcement did not come as a surprise. Sutton had struggled to raise money; she never reached the required $250,000 threshold to qualify for the city's 6-to-1 matching program that she applied to participate in. The program often benefits candidates seeking funds from supporters living outside New York City.
According to the Campaign Finance Board's website, Sutton only raised $192,000, a tiny fraction of the millions that candidates like Eric Adams and Scott Stringer have been able to raise.
She had also stepped back in recent days from actively campaigning and participating in Zoom forums with the other candidates.
“There are enormous obstacles for non-career politicians,” she told Gothamist recently.
Sutton came into the race as someone with a national profile who also had a successful track record of reducing homelessness among veterans. As a candidate, she had the potential to make New York City political history in two ways: becoming the first woman as well as the first openly gay mayor.
She campaigned as a laissez-faire centrist who would focus on working to restore the economy. But her positions were often out of step with her rivals who presented themselves as more progressive and interested in tackling issues related to economic inequality and racial justice.
In one early interview about her platform, she called herself "a huge fan of capitalism."
During a mayoral Zoom forum last month, she said at one point, “I don’t see the role of our mayor as creating jobs.”
Rather, she argued that the mayor's role was about “resetting the conditions for prosperity.”
In early February, she tweeted a criticism of the city's shift to a more culturally diverse and anti-racist curriculum.
Sutton was arguably most persuasive in her arguments around the city's mental health crisis. Having spent three decades in the armed services, she was at one point Army’s highest-ranking psychiatrist.
In her final press release as a mayoral candidate, Sutton had a closing request to her fellow candidates.
"When the election is over and the next Mayor is chosen, we commit to forming the 'Recovery Coalition to Save Our City,'" she said. "With our combined insight, knowledge and experience, we would serve as a diverse and uniquely-informed group of citizens, volunteering to support the new Mayor in setting the essential conditions for recovery."
Additional reporting from David Cruz
Tagged
mayoral election
election 2021
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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