By: Oumou Sy
On June 24, Zohran Mamdani gained victory in the democratic primaries by achieving 56 percent of votes in the final round of ranked choice voting. The Queens assemblyman now must forge ahead in defense of his far-left principles, many of which his opponents contest.
Mamdani’s campaign promise strongly includes a focus on working-class individuals and families. He believes those individuals should be able to continue their livelihoods within the city and offering campaign promises that aid in minimizing the worry of being priced out. To achieve this he proposes a plan for small business initiatives, rent freezes and free transit that mirrors that of the Staten Island Ferry.
In a unique approach, the Queens assemblyman used short-form video models to get his campaign message across on social media. The assemblyman also demonstrated a coalition between local government peers such as City Councilmember Chi Osse and City Comptroller Brad Lander.
Osse represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bedford Stuyvesant and northern Crown-Heights. As the youngest member of the council, Osse has distinguished himself by introducing the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) act, a bill which was passed in December 2024.
The FARE act would end the practice of renters bearing the responsibility of a brokers fee and placing that duty onto landlords instead. In collaboration with Mamdani’s focus on the affordability crisis, he and Osse appeared together in a campaign video sharing their sentiments on the current state of New York City.
“In this political moment, we need someone with the energy to stand up to Donald Trump, with an inspirational vision of the most our city can be,” Osse said in the video where he publicly endorsed Mamdani.
On Sept. 2, top real estate leaders held a meeting to ensure the general election win does not sway in favor of Mamdani.
A mass email was sent by top New York City developers Jeff and Lisa Blau stating they must support Andrew Cuomo as an attempt to defeat Mamdani, according to the New York Times. If not, the race will be won by the Queens assemblyman. The email contained urgent language, advising members that:
“every one of us must get involved immediately.”
The group gathered less than 24 hours after the email was sent. Attendees met at the Pool Room, a luxury event-space located at the Seagrams Building in Manhattan. New York’s wealthiest developers were joined by former governor Andrew Cuomo to discuss plans to encourage those who are ranking low in the election predictions to drop-out of the race. This includes Mayor Eric Adams, who President Trump has also acknowledged is ranking low in the predictive election polls. After months of insisting he would not drop out of the race, Adams quit the race on Sept. 28.
In response to the meeting, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani has said “while billionaires continue to panic and scheme behind closed doors, our campaign is mobilizing tens of thousands of New Yorkers to get involved in the democratic process and rally around an agenda to make this city affordable.”
Part of Mamdani’s campaign includes taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers. Corporations and the top one-percent of earners would be subject to 6 percent in tax increases. This would ensure funding for his leftist policies, such as free buses and universal child care.
In an interview with NPR, the Queens assemblyman was asked about the feasibility of his promise to make New York affordable, with many of the changes he plans to implement being above the role of mayor. Mamdani answered by saying “any mayor that has an ambition that meets the scale of the crisis of the people that they’re seeking to represent will have to work with Albany.”
On Sept. 14 Governor Kathy Hochul, who is up for re-election next year, endorsed Mamdani. In a guest essay by the governor for The New York Times, Hochul wrote, “In the past few months, I’ve had frank conversations with him. We’ve had our disagreements. But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family. I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support.”
Hochul also wrote that her priorities also include making sure that police officers are equipped in keeping train stations and the streets of New York safe. Mamdani’s former statements about the NYPD, including calls to defund the force, have been used by his opponents against him.
During the Summer of 2020 Mamdani made a social media post saying:
“We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD.”
At the time, protests broke out across the country in news of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year old Black man, who was killed at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin. According to CNN, Mamdani has expressed that like many New Yorkers his past tweets critiquing the NYPD came from a place of frustration.
On July 28 a mass shooting occurred in a Manhattan building killing four people. One of the victims was off-duty NYPD officer Didarul Islam, a 36-year Bangladeshi immigrant. Mamdani, along with mayoral contenders Curtis Sliwa, Andrew Cuomo, and Adams attended the funeral of the slain officer.
According to CNN, Mamdani told reporters “I am not defunding the police. I am not running to defund the police,” after meeting with the family of Didrul Islam.
Mamdani’s public safety plan includes hiring mental health and social workers, so that police officers are not the first point of contact in handling issues regarding those who are homeless and suffering from mental illness.
With Adams out of the race, it is now down to Mamdani versus Cuomo, with Sliwa trailing a distant third..
The general election is set to take place on Nov. 4.
