Jim Walden, a prominent attorney in New York political circles, plans to launch a bid for mayor in the coming days — joining a growing pack of contenders looking to replace Mayor Eric Adams next year in the wake of his federal indictment. Walden, a self-described policy wonk in the mold of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has represented prominent New York politicians, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio, and state Attorney General Letitia James.
He filed with the city’s Campaign Finance Board to begin fundraising on Wednesday and said he will officially launch his campaign in the near future—a development first reported by Politico . As a candidate without a party affiliation, Walden said he is prepared to jump into a nonpartisan special election should one be called if Adams resigns — but still needs to decide if he would want to join a Democratic primary for the scheduled 2025 contest. The Brooklyn Heights resident is a former federal prosecutor; for the last several years, he has been a partner at Walden, Mact, Haran & Willimas, which he helped found in 2015.
Walden, in an interview with amNewYork Metro, said he is distinguishing himself as a candidate focused first on policy solutions to the city’s biggest issues. He believes will be in prime position to do so because, unlike the other candidates running, he does not adhere to a specific political party or ideology. “I offer New Yorkers a much better vision than anything they’ve enjoy.
