Independent Mayoral Candidate Jim Walden Files Almost 24,000 Petition Signatures
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2025
(646) 705-3286
sara@jimfornyc.com
More than 6x the required minimum; running on the Integrity Party line
New York, NY. The only truly Independent candidate in New York City’s Mayoral election, Jim Walden, on Tuesday filed 23,750 independent nominating petition signatures for his ballot line, the Integrity Party. More than 6 times the required minimum to qualify for the ballot, this substantial achievement comes on the heels of a series of incredible milestones for the Walden Campaign.
Walden, a former mob-busting federal prosecutor, has raised almost $3 million. He is the first independent candidate to qualify for public matching funds in a citywide race. He has been endorsed by the largest labor organization in the city, with 250,000 members. Fifty-eight citywide prosecutors endorsed him, including former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance (D) and former U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue (R). He received the first NYPD endorsement of the cycle.
Walden said “I am humbled by the overwhelming support I have received from New Yorkers across the city, and I am inspired by their desire for bold, honest leadership. The significant number of people who signed on to the Integrity Party is proof positive that New Yorkers are fed up with the political party system that gives them the same sad choices every election—a choice between extremists, incompetents or failures. I will bring independence, integrity and a bold vision for safety and prosperity to City Hall when I am New York City’s next Mayor.”
About Jim Walden
Jim Walden learned early that success comes through resilience and hard work while growing up in working-class Levittown, Pennsylvania. Despite an abusive father who abandoned the family when Jim was 14, he graduated near the top of his class while distinguishing himself in debate. His two years in the U.S. Navy’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps earned him dozens of commendations, foreshadowing a lifetime of public service.
It wasn’t easy for Jim to get to college. He spent a year working multiple jobs—from drugstore clerk to fast-food worker—sleeping on a friend’s floor while saving for his education. At Hamilton College, he excelled academically, winning awards for public speaking and campus service, and played rugby. He went to Temple University law school and graduated first in his class. He secured a coveted clerkship with a federal appellate judge in Philadelphia, Anthony Scirica.
As a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Jim quickly earned a reputation for innovative strategies that made him the go-to prosecutor for FBI and DEA agents, as well as NYPD officers. Focusing on organized crime, his investigations led to more than 100 convictions—including members of all five New York crime families and one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. He helped to solve 25 cold-case homicides. His groundbreaking work was featured in two documentaries, National Geographic’s “Inside the American Mob” and Vanity Fair’s “The Disco Inferno.”
Jim built one of New York City’s premier litigation boutiques over a decade, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to public service law. Across his 20+ year career in private practice, his “good government” work has touched many corners of city life:
Fought for safer schools by forcing the Department of Education to protect bullied school kids
Secured $250 million for emergency repairs and better living conditions for over 400,000 NYCHA residents
Protected public spaces by stopping illegal parkland transfers in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Defended voting rights by successfully challenging gerrymandered district maps
Restored vital food assistance to impoverished New Yorkers
Protected hundreds of thousands of city retirees from healthcare cuts
Saved emergency care in Southern Brooklyn when SUNY wanted to close a critical hospital
Jim also helped expose corruption in international sports, representing whistleblowers who testified about Russian doping during the Olympics and international soccer (FIFA). Jim’s work on the Olympics was featured in the Academy Award winning film “Icarus,” and a character based on his work was played by Idris Elba in the hit feature film “Molly’s Game.” Jim’s work on sports integrity led him to draft a ground-breaking law, the “Rodchenkov Anti-doping Act,” giving the FBI long-arm jurisdiction over doping in international sports competitions, including the Olympics, which President Trump signed into law in December 2020.
While building this career over 30 years and running a thriving law practice, Jim has remained devoted to family and community. He and his wife raised three children in Brooklyn, while financially supporting his sister and her four children. His commitment to public service extends to philanthropic work across numerous issues, and service on an array of not-for-profit boards, demonstrating that success means lifting others as you rise.
Jim’s story—from a challenging childhood to becoming one of New York’s most effective advocates for justice—embodies the spirit of our city: resilient, innovative, and deeply committed to helping others succeed.