Brad Lander

Brad Lander was my city councilman when we lived in Brooklyn. He's always struck me as kind, thoughtful, nuanced, nerdy, and principled.

Back in 2020, the world felt like a dark place. I wanted to "do something" and make a difference, but it felt like any involvement in national politics would be just a drop in the bucket.

Then I saw Brad was running for Comptroller and thought that maybe I could make an outsized impact in an obscure local election.

I made a modest ($X00) contribution to Brad's campaign. A few days later he called me on the phone. That was weird. We chatted for a bit... and then he asked for more money.

And he's sort of been calling ever since. 🤣

Unfortunately, that's how the system works. Things cost money: staff, ads, yard signs, more ads. Candidates need money to run campaigns. And playing a small part in getting a good, competent candidate to run the city's finances felt pretty good.

Now Brad's running for mayor. Based on his time as councilman and comptroller – and from the handful of interactions I've had with him over the last few years – I think Brad's a great candidate.

Here's a few photos from when my friend Ricky and I got coffee with Brad a few months back and showed him some magic tricks.