Mr. Rose, a Democrat who lost re-election for his House seat in Staten Island, had said a mayoral bid would be an “underdog campaign.”
Max Rose, the recently ousted Democratic congressman from Staten Island, will not run for mayor of New York City after all, he announced on Sunday morning.
In a statement, Mr. Rose did not offer reasons for withdrawing from the race, which already has more than 12 other contenders. Reached by phone, Mr. Rose said, “The statement certainly speaks for itself.”
In the statement, he urged other candidates to pay heed to the needs of the “working class.”
“People are scared and unsure if the New York they love will still exist in the years to come,” Mr. Rose said. “The next mayor can’t just balance the budget, he or she must build a social contract that leaves no one behind.”
He also indicated he and his wife had plans to adopt a baby. They are already the parents of a son.
Mr. Rose’s abrupt decision comes after he had taken several steps aimed at mounting a bid for the mayoralty that he himself said would be an “underdog campaign.”
In early December, he created a mayoral campaign committee with the city’s campaign finance board, a step that allows candidates to raise money and spend it.
He also made a point of meeting with the Rev. Al Sharpton, who said Mr. Rose would “add some excitement to the campaign.”
But it was never clear how Mr. Rose’s record as a centrist Democrat from the relatively conservative bastion of Staten Island would play in a Democratic primary in New York City.
“Where is the base?” asked Christina Greer, a Fordham University political science professor. “What, you have middle-of-the-road Staten Islanders?”
Mr. Rose initially thought the field of mayoral candidates was weak and might create an opening for him, according to someone close to the former congressman, who requested anonymity so he could speak freely. But as time wore on, Mr. Rose decided it wasn’t the right moment.
Mr. Rose’s associate insisted that fund-raising was not the issue. In order to gain access to the city’s matching funds program, a mayoral candidate has to raise at least $250,000 from at least 1,000 New York City-based small donors.
“We were confident we could raise the money,” said the person close to Mr. Rose.
A decorated Army veteran, Mr. Rose represented a congressional district that encompassed Staten Island and a sliver of Brooklyn. In 2020, he lost his bid for re-election to Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican state assemblywoman and an ardent supporter of President Trump.
As a congressman, Mr. Rose sometimes took positions that suited his district but might not have played well in a citywide Democratic primary. He was slow to embrace the impeachment of Mr. Trump, and said last year that nothing would make him happier than seeing Mr. Trump beat back the pandemic, even if it meant the president’s re-election.
“It’s like, Max Rose, you can’t pay footsie with Trumpists and then try to run a campaign in the five boroughs,” Ms. Greer said.
Mr. Rose had little experience with municipal government, something he argued would be an asset in a race against longtime city officials. Among the contenders are Eric L. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, and Scott M. Stringer, New York City’s comptroller.
Conventional political wisdom had it that Mr. Rose would appeal to moderate white voters. But it was unclear how much name recognition he had outside his district. And other candidates are expected to compete for that slice of the electorate too, including Mr. Adams, a former police officer; Raymond J. McGuire, a former Wall Street banker; and perhaps even Andrew Yang, the former presidential candidate who is expected to announce his candidacy this month.
Mr. Yang raised funds for Mr. Rose’s failed re-election campaign as recently as October. After Mr. Rose declared he would not run on Sunday, Mr. Yang texted with him, according to someone familiar with the exchange who was not authorized to speak on the matter.
In his statement, Mr. Rose suggested that this was not the end of his political story.
“While I won’t be a candidate for mayor this cycle, I am not going anywhere in the fight to make our city and country live up to their promise,” he said.
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Former Rep. Max Rose Says He Will Not Run for New York City Mayor - The New York Times
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