It's the Brian Lair Show on WNYC.

I'm Bridget Bergen from the WNYC and Gothamist Newsroom.

Now we'll continue our coverage of the New York City mayoral election with our second candidate

interview. Joining me now is State Senator Zelnor Myrie, a Democrat from District 20, which includes

parts of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect

Lefford Gardens, South Slope, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn. He's also chair of the codes committee in the

Senate, a new role for him. In addition to discussing his run for mayor of New York City, we'll talk

about his work at his day job, representing his constituents in Albany, and get his reaction

to Governor Hockel's State of the State Address and Mayor Adams' preliminary budget from this week.

Senator Myrie, welcome back to WNYC. It's very good to be here, particularly to be here in studio. Yeah, pretty fun. It's exciting. Yes, I love it. So, Senator Myrie, we know each other, but why don't you start by introducing yourself to New Yorkers who you're meeting for the first time? Who are you? And why should you be running their city? I would not be who I am today without this city. I'm a born and raised New Yorker.

I'm the son of two immigrants who came to this city about 50 years ago. Both of them worked in

factories. My parents came from Costa Rica. My dad actually made more as a minimum wage worker in a factory here in Brooklyn than he would back home with a college degree back in Costa Rica.

Came here for opportunity. My mom worked in a linen factory, became a nurse, and then she opened up a small business, had a jewelry shop on Flatbush.

They sent me to public schools. In central Brooklyn,

I went to PS-161 in Crown Heights, went to Brooklyn Tech for high school, went to Fordham University

for undergrad and grad school, and then had the opportunity to go to Cornell for law school,

worked for one of the most prestigious law firms in the world, Davis-Poke, for a couple of years,

before I got to run for

State Senate and represent the very community that I was born and raised in. Got married a little

over a year ago. My wife, whose birthday was yesterday, so happy birthday again, babe. My wife, born

and raised in the city as well, born and raised in Brooklyn. We actually went to the same elementary school.

And we live in the same neighborhood right now where we want to put down roots.

...