New York City woke up to a new mayor-elect Wednesday morning after Democrat Bill de Blasio swept Tuesday's election with 73% of the vote over Republican Joe Lhota.
While de Blasio won't officially take office until Jan. 1, he already touts plans for, seemingly, every industry that grabs his attention. But in a city where technology is the second-largest sector of the economy, can de Blasio hang on to the bar that outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg set so high?
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Ahead of September's primary, NYTECH, a non-profit that promotes the technology industry in New York City, rated the mayoral candidates based on their tech platforms. De Blasio earned an A-, the highest grade given to any of the eight candidates, for his support of NYC Tech Campus projects and his promise to create an Office of Talent Acquisition that would attract and cultivate innovative workers.
De Blasio also received high marks for his social media presence. The mayor-elect manages two Twitter handles: an official government account with more than 17,000 followers and a campaign account with more than 22,000 followers.
The mayor-elect says he'll create a two-year STEM program at the City University of New York and scholarships to encourage post-graduation work. He also promises to embrace the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, a cluster of tech businesses in the borough, and encourage other city locales to adopt its model.
But even the best laid out plans seem vague compared to Bloomberg, whose track record of supporting the young tech industry helped make New York City a startup hub.
Bloomberg has been lauded for encouraging that growth within the city since taking office in 2002. He funded early-stage technology companies and hired New York City's first chief digital officer. In 2012, he even vowed to learn how to code.
"It's really important for New Yorkers to be tech literate. Tech permeates every industry: finance, fashion, publishing, media, you name it," says Erik Grimmelmann, executive director of NYTECH.
That's why it's vital for the next mayor to understand that technology isn't just a single industry—it impacts all other aspects of city life. Bloomberg laid a solid foundation. Now, de Blasio just needs to follow the blueprint and finish the build.
"Sometimes, you don't need to put in place formal programs or propositions—just understanding technology and considering its impact on all other industries is enough," Grimmelmann says.
For New York City, technology isn't a problem to fix or a single point to explore; it's a growing industry that works with the city's existing facets. How it expands from there is now up to de Blasio.
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