Andrew Yang stopped and posed for selfies in Forest Hills in Queens on Sunday morning.
He urged kids (and dogs) to wish their fathers a happy Father’s Day, tasted yogurt from a local business and at one point ran into Austin Road to bump fists with passing drivers.
Mr. Yang’s exuberant spirit, the one that he exhibited early in his campaign as he vowed to be a cheerleader for New York City, was on full display as he canvassed with Elizabeth Crowley, a candidate for Queens borough president. They endorsed each other.
Throughout his campaign, Mr. Yang has seemed at his most enthusiastic when he has been among voters. He has been crossing boroughs for months to meet them, many of whom sheepishly stop to ask for photos of the candidate with national name recognition and a strong social media game.
Matthew Rubinstein, 19, said that Mr. Yang’s presence on the trail was one of the reasons that he was voting for him.
“You see Andrew Yang going here, Andrew Yang going there,” Mr. Rubinstein, who grew up in Forest Hills, said. “He’s on my TikTok, he’s on my Instagram. He’s everywhere, you know? He’s just more for the people.”
Mr. Rubinstein said he would not be ranking any of the other candidates on his ballot. “I don’t see any of the other candidates going to every borough, talking to every single person,” he said. (They are, for the record.)
Mr. Yang has said his path to victory involves engaging more new voters, particularly young, Asian American and Hispanic ones.
Many from those groups stopped to take photos with him, though several told him they were not decided on who to vote for.
Beth Hart, 55, who was born in Flushing and now lives in Forest Hills, said she was also leaning toward Mr. Yang but was also considering ranking Maya Wiley as her top choice.
Housing and education were two of the most important issues to her, she said. Growing up in Queens, Ms. Hart, who is Black, said the city had become unaffordable, particularly for Black communities. Mr. Yang’s background as an executive had swayed her.
“Everything about him is standing in the forefront for me,” she said.
But she was also moved by the historic candidacy of Ms. Wiley, who would be the first Black woman elected mayor if she won.
Ms. Hart said had not yet made her decision and would take the remaining two days to decide. Talking to Mr. Yang on Sunday helped her lean toward him.