Former New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang (D) is officially leaving the Democratic Party.
In a blog post published on his website Monday, Yang wrote, “I changed my voting registration from ‘Democrat’ to ‘Independent’ today. It was a strangely emotional experience.”
Yang noted he “registered as a Democrat back in 1995” as a 20-year-old to vote for Former President Bill Clinton’s re-election.
He explained, “It was a no-brainer for me. I went to a college that was very liberal. I lived in New York City. Everyone around me was a Democrat. Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole? Clinton was one of the youngest presidents when he was elected and seemed more in tune to me, as a 20 year old.”
Yang reflected on former President Donald Trump’s 2016 victory and said it was “a red flag and call to action.”
He added, “Having spent six years working in the Midwest and the South I believed I had some insight as to what had driven Trump’s victory. I spent several years making the case for what I believed was the major policy that could address it – Universal Basic Income.”
Mentioning his experience as a Democratic presidential candidate, Yang continued, “At first, many didn’t know what to make of the odd Asian candidate talking about giving everyone money. But over time I established deep relationships with some of the local leaders who have worked in party politics for years.”
Still, Yang is “confident that no longer being a Democrat is the right thing.”
According to the former presidential hopeful, his goal is to “do as much as” he can “to advance our society.”
He continued, “There are phenomenal public servants doing great work every day – but our system is stuck. It is stuck in part because polarization is getting worse than ever. Many of the people I know are doing all of the good they can – but their impact is constrained. Now that I’m not a member of one party or another, I feel like I can be even more honest about both the system and the people in it.”
Admitting there has been an “odd fit” between himself and the party, Yang said, “I’m not very ideological. I’m practical. Making partisan arguments – particularly expressing what I often see as performative sentiment – is sometimes uncomfortable for me. I often think, ‘Okay, what can we actually do to solve the problem?’ I’m pretty sure there are others who feel the same way I do.”
Concluding his post, Yang wrote, “Am I right? Let’s find out. Together.”
The announcement comes just one day before Yang’s book, “Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy,” is set to be released.