Don’t miss the full story from our staff writers, whose reportage is the basis of this article.
New York mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani spent the final weekend of his campaign rallying supporters around his vision to transform the city by abolishing injustice and uplifting the poor.
The 34-year-old socialist, running as the Democratic nominee, leads his nearest competitor, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, by an average of 14.5 percentage points and Republican Curtis Sliwa by 28 points in the latest polling.
Speaking to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in Harlem, Mamdani emphasized that complaining about injustice isn’t enough. He promised to create a society where the poor receive aid and workers are freed from exploitation. He criticized President Trump and congressional Republicans for cutting programs like SNAP, Medicare, and Medicaid, claiming Trump would have dismantled the post-Civil War Freedmen’s Bureau as “socialist overreach.”
Controversy erupted after Mamdani campaigned with a Brooklyn imam who is an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and has been tied to terrorist activity. Rev. Sharpton defended Mamdani, condemning what he called “ugly Islamophobia” and arguing that taking a photo with someone doesn’t connect a candidate to that person’s alleged activities.
At a Queens rally, the Muslim assemblyman addressed supporters who have faced bigotry, saying they can “wait no longer” for change. He pledged to freeze rent for 2 million rent-stabilized tenants, make buses fast and free, and deliver universal child care. He told Muslim New Yorkers who have been made to feel ashamed of their faith that they no longer need to apologize for who they are.
Despite his commanding lead, Mamdani faces questions about his plans to address crime after calling for defunding and dismantling the NYPD and replacing officers with social workers. He also wants to phase out gifted programs for kindergartners and eliminate standardized testing.
Mamdani has captured a broad coalition of Democrats, who comprise 56% of registered city voters, attracted by his personality and affordability platform. Establishment Democrats were slow to endorse him, though Attorney General Letitia James and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries eventually offered their support.
However, Jeffries said on CNN that Mamdani is not the future of the Democratic Party.
New York’s two Democratic senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, have not endorsed Mamdani.
Former President Barack Obama called him twice and offered to be a “sounding board” but stopped short of a public endorsement.
Read more: Mamdani promises voters his movement will ’create a society we would like to see’
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
