Every vote counts. But each election day, dozens of New Yorkers toss their votes to the longest of long shots: write-in candidates. In last month’s Democratic primary, a barrage of famous and infamous faces were written on voters’ ballot. President Barack Obama got three votes for state comptroller. Luigi Mangione got one. From Madison Square Garden’s most recent bride, Taylor Swift, to famous rodent Minnie Mouse, here are the standout write-in candidates from the state comptroller results, as well as the competitive 7th, 10th, 12th and 13th Congressional Districts.
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Onetime elected officials
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (16 votes)
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams (6 votes)
Former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer (5 votes)
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (5 votes)
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (3 votes)
Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer (1 vote)
Political wannabes
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt (3 votes)
Potential New York City mayoral candidate and actor Michael Rapaport (spelled “Raporport”) (1 vote)
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Potential New York City mayoral candidate John Chell (1 vote)
Son of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani (1 vote)
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Gone but not forgotten
Con artist Bernie Madoff (2 votes)
Former Gov. Mario Cuomo (1 vote)
Elvis Presley (1 vote)
Jesus Christ (1 vote)
Big stage presence, though not in politics (yet)
British superstar Dua Lipa (2 votes)
British superstar Harry Styles (1 vote)
Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga, the only New Yorker in the bunch! (1 vote)
New York legends
Jalen Brunson (68 votes)
OG Anunoby (6 votes)
Josh Hart (3 votes)
Karl Anthony-Towns (2 votes)
Mamdani and friends
Mayor Zohran Mamdani (12 votes)
His father Mahmood Mamdani (1 vote)
His wife Rama Duwaji (1 vote)
Political influencer Hasan Piker (2 votes)
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (2 votes)