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Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
New York Mayoral Race 2025 Decoded: Zohran Mamdani, Eric Adams or Andrew Cuomo - who will win?
In Daredevil: Born Again , Wilson Fisk—the Kingpin of Crime—doesn't just manipulate the system; he becomes Mayor of New York. Because in the Marvel Universe, the best way to consolidate criminal power isn't through backroom deals—it's by getting elected. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A comic book storyline? Maybe. But in 2025 New York, fiction and politics are on disturbingly good terms. This is the city where Sinatra sang about making it big, Trump gold-plated his ego, and aliens always seem to start their invasions. So naturally, New York's mayoral race couldn't just be another bland contest of platforms and pamphlets—it had to be a full-blown cinematic crossover event. Daredevil: Born Again | Wilson Fisk becomes Mayor of New York City | Clip 4K The incumbent, Eric Adams, entered 2025 under a federal indictment—only to be miraculously rescued by the Trump Justice Department. Unburdened but politically bruised, Adams bailed on the Democratic primary and now seeks reelection as an independent via two oddly branded ballot lines: Safe Streets, Affordable City and EndAntiSemitism. Think DJ Khaled meets Bloomberg, but with more subpoenas. In the Democratic primary, the drama centres on two men who couldn't be more different if they tried: Andrew Cuomo, the scandal-drenched ex-Governor staging a Nixonian comeback, and Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist from Queens endorsed by AOC, Bernie Sanders, the Working Families Party, and anyone who uses the phrase 'neoliberal hellscape' without irony. Trailing them is a whole gallery of political side characters: Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, State Senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos, hedge fund crusader Whitney Tilson, integrity lawyer Jim Walden, and the ever-returning vigilante Curtis Sliwa, whose red beret remains the most consistent part of Republican strategy in NYC. Eric Adams – The Survivor Mayor Image credits: Getty Images Adams' first term was less a public service than a multi-season streaming show. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Crime stats, police drama, migrant shelter chaos, zoning reforms, a revolving cast of commissioners—and all of it interspersed with nightclub appearances and cryptic Instagram captions. Then came the indictment. Then came the acquittal. Now, Adams has reinvented himself as the 'competence candidate,' reminding voters that murders are down, rezonings are up, and hey—at least he's not a felon. But public memory is short and sharp. Most New Yorkers remember the headlines, not the metrics. They remember the vibe. And the vibe was: chaos, ego, and subpoenas. If Adams wins, it'll be a masterclass in narrative control. If he loses, it'll be because even New York eventually gets tired of being gaslit. Andrew Cuomo – The Once and Future Kingpin Image credits: Getty Images Cuomo is back. Not because New Yorkers missed him, but because Cuomo missed being Cuomo. His campaign pitch? 'Experience matters.' His campaign vibe? 'Please forget everything after 2019.' He's armed with union endorsements, a donor Rolodex fat enough to crush a CitiBike, and the smug certainty of a man who believes he built the state and should get a second chance to ruin the city. But every speech, every op-ed, every photo-op brings back the ghosts: the nursing home scandal, the sexual harassment accusations, the press briefings that felt like hostage negotiations. He's polling well among moderates, but even his supporters admit it's less about enthusiasm and more about resignation. Cuomo is the electoral equivalent of a nicotine patch: addictive, unsatisfying, and kind of gross. Zohran Mamdani – The Socialist from Queens Zohran Mamdani (Image credit AP) Where Cuomo evokes the past, Zohran Mamdani is the embodiment of political future-shock. Young, Ugandan-Indian, socialist, multilingual, and unapologetically radical, Mamdani offers New York a campaign that reads like a progressive fever dream: a $30 minimum wage, rent freezes, free public transit, and publicly-owned grocery stores. He's adored by the left, feared by centrists, and targeted by conservatives who struggle to pronounce 'Astoria' without wincing. His campaign ads are multilingual, his rallies are electric, and his vibe is pure disruption. But New York is a city that loves the idea of revolution—as long as it arrives in the back of an Uber. Can a city that claps for social justice actually vote for it? Or will it smile at Mamdani's poetry, then quietly fill in the bubble for Cuomo in the privacy of the booth? Brad Lander – The Wonk Whisperer New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is placed under arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and FBI agents outside federal immigration court on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova) Brad Lander is the guy who shows up to a protest with anExcel sheet and a legal pad. Brooklyn-born, fiscally responsible, and ideologically moderate by progressive standards, Lander has built a reputation as the man who knows how to make the city run. His pitch is clear: data, ethics, efficiency. His platform includes housing reform, mental health infrastructure, and fiscal transparency. He's the candidate who reads the fine print—probably because he wrote it. But charisma matters. In a race filled with rappers, rogues, and reformed governors, Lander is the competent dad trying to DJ the party. He's quietly gaining steam, especially among voters fatigued by Cuomo and wary of Mamdani. But unless he breaks out of his technocratic shell soon, he risks becoming everyone's second choice—and no one's winner. The Progressive Soup Jessica Ramos began her campaign as a worker-first progressive. Then she endorsed Cuomo, and her credibility evaporated faster than a Midtown apartment deposit. Zellnor Myrie staked his candidacy on housing, calling for one million new units. Admirable. But in a race dominated by Mamdani and Lander, he's the third-most progressive in any room—and that's not a great place to be. Adrienne Adams, drafted as the centrist peacemaker, offers measured leadership and broad endorsements. But her campaign has struggled to cut through. In a year where the political circus is running full tilt, being sensible might just be the fastest way to be forgotten. Everyone wants to be the 'anti-Cuomo.' No one has figured out how to consolidate the vote. The result? Progressive fragmentation that makes a circular firing squad look efficient. The Independents, the Billionaires, and the Ballot Hobbyists Whitney Tilson is a charter school–loving hedge funder whose platform is basically 'Run NYC like a spreadsheet.' He's rich, loud, and terminally LinkedIn. Then there's Jim Walden, a Bloombergian technocrat suing to be called an 'independent' on the ballot, armed with powerpoints, white papers, and approximately five enthusiastic voters. These guys won't win. But they will fill panels, clutter debates, and write Medium posts explaining why they should have. Curtis Sliwa – The Red-Beret Rerun And finally: Curtis Sliwa, the vigilante. The red-bereted Ghost of Giuliani Past. Every few years he emerges like a Republican cicada—loud, angry, and allergic to nuance. He's running on a platform of crime, more crime, fewer migrants, and feral cats as pest control. He won't win. But if enough Democrats split the vote, he might finish second. Stranger things have happened. After all, this is the city where rats get pizza and mayors get indicted. Perception vs. Performance – The Real Contest This election isn't about what candidates have done. It's about what voters remember. And more importantly, what they feel. Adams has genuine achievements—but he feels like a nightclub manager with subpoena fatigue. Cuomo has experience—but his scandals still scream louder than his surrogates. Mamdani offers ideas—but he also scares the donor class. Lander is solid—but not sexy. And Sliwa is… available. The media knows it. Every headline is a meme. Every endorsement is a subtweet. Even the New York Times threw in the towel and endorsed no one—New York's journalistic version of saying, 'We're out of ideas. Good luck, Gotham.' Final Notes from Gotham New York's 2025 mayoral race isn't ideological—it's mythological. It's about redemption arcs, origin stories, surprise villains, and broken heroes. It's a city where Wilson Fisk becoming mayor wasn't a warning—it was a prophecy. Will voters choose the devil they know (Cuomo)? The devil they fired (Adams)? The socialist the Right fears (Mamdani)? Or the nerd in glasses who actually has a plan (Lander)? One thing is certain: whoever wins, they won't just inherit New York—they'll inherit its neuroses, contradictions, and the sacred duty of being yelled at in five languages before 10 AM.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Politicians who endorse NYC candidate Zohran Mamdani should earn your complete contempt
Please take note of all the politicians jumping aboard the Zohran Mamdani train — because they're telling you that they're just hunky-dory with an anti-Israel zealot who routinely flirts (at least) with blatant antisemitism. This holds particularly for Brad Lander and Michael Blake, the mayoral rivals cross-endorsing him: They've thereby disqualified themselves from even a No. 5 ranking by any decent New Yorker. And of course it applies to Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose Mamdani endorsement dropped Tuesday, as well and Bernie's protégé, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. So much for AOC's efforts to distance herself from Squad-mates like venomous Jew-hating Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib — or ex-Squad-boy Jamaal Bowman, for that matter. (Jamaal's endorsed Zohran, too, natch.) As well as to the various local pols who've listed Zohran as any one of their top choices among the nine or so who qualified for at least one debate: Remember to vote against Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Rep. Nydia Velásquez, state Sen. John Liu and state Attorney General Tish James if you ever get another chance. Look: On top of having basically never achieved anything in life, Mamdani's been an anti-Israel activist since college; he not only refuses to support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, he's declined to sign on to Assembly resolutions condemning the Holocaust. He's done a friendly interview with sick online influencer Hasan Piker and pretends 'globalize the Intifada' and 'from the river to the sea' merely express a desire for Palestinian rights, when the slogans are all about 1) violence against Jews anywhere and everywhere and 2) the destruction of Israel. He's a cop-defunder, too. All he's got going for him is charm and a raging socialist platform that would destroy the city if he got the chance to implement it. Sadly, that's enough to have him polling No. 2 (albeit in the weakest Democratic field ever) — and that momentum, plainly, is enough for hacks like Lander and Blake to cut cross-endorsement deals with the devil. Shame on them all.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuomo's lead shrinks with under one week until New York City mayoral primary: poll
The 2025 race for New York City mayor is tightening, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's lead shrinking with less than a week to go until the crucial June 24 Democratic Party mayoral primary, a new poll indicates. A Marist Institute for Public Opinion poll released Wednesday shows that Cuomo – the former three-term governor – is the top choice for 38% of likely Democratic primary voters in New York City. Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 during his third term as New York State governor amid multiple scandals, is now aiming for a political comeback and working to redeem his damaged image. Zorhan Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist state assemblyman from Queens, stands in second place in the poll, with 27% support in the primary, which is conducted using a ranked-choice voting system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. Cuomo Targets Trump As He Questions Mamdani's Experience In Nyc Primary Battle Mamdani, who is originally from Uganda, cut Cuomo's lead by nearly half from a Marist poll conducted a month ago, thanks in part to consolidating progressive support in the 11-candidate mayoral primary field. Read On The Fox News App Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City's most prominent leader on the left, endorsed Mamdani earlier this month. Earlier this week, longtime progressive champion and two-time Democratic presidential nominee runner-up Sen. Bernie Sanders backed Mamdani. With multiple candidates on the left running in the primary, the endorsements by Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders aimed to consolidate the support of progressive voters behind Mamdani. Aoc Backs Rising Progressive Candidate In Nyc Dem Primary In Push To Defeat Frontrunner Cuomo "Mamdani is clearly in Cuomo's rearview mirror," Marist polling director Lee M. Miringoff told Fox News. The poll indicates that New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is a distant third in the primary battle. The survey was conducted June 9-12, before the final debate between the candidates and ahead of Lander's arrest on Tuesday by Department of Homeland Security agents in Manhattan, after allegedly assaulting a federal officer as Lander tried to escort a defendant out of an immigration court. The poll was also conducted before the launch of an ad blitz questioning Mamdani's experience leading a city of more than 8 million people. "Zohran Mamdani's a 33-year-old dangerously inexperienced legislator who's passed just three bills with a staff you can fit inside a New York elevator," the narrator in a Cuomo campaign ad said. "We need someone ready to roll. Andrew Cuomo managed a state and managed crises, from COVID to Trump." This Billionaire Former Nyc Mayor Endorses Cuomo Ahead Of Primary Cuomo adviser and spokesperson Rich Azzopardi, when asked by Fox News about the new Marist survey, said, "This is the second poll in two days that showed Andrew Cuomo beginning and ending rank choice voting with a double-digit lead in a crowded multi-candidate race. These are serious times and New Yorkers know that Andrew Cuomo is the only candidate with the experience and the real record of results to fix what's broken and put the city back on the right track." The 67-year-old Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations, which he has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was also under investigation at the time for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes. Last month, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Cuomo after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about the decisions he made as governor during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 130,000 Democrats have already cast ballots in early voting in the Democratic primary, ahead of next Tuesday's election. Andrew Cuomo The Biggest Target As New York City Mayoral Primary Heats Up The winner of the Democratic Party primary is traditionally seen as the overwhelming frontrunner in the November general election in the heavily blue city. However, this year, the general election campaign may be a bit more unpredictable. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a moderate Democrat elected in 2021, is running for re-election as an independent. Adams earlier this year dropped his Democratic primary bid as his approval ratings sank to historic lows. While he is not on the ballot, President Donald Trump has taken center stage on the campaign trail in the closing weeks of the New York City primary battle. Cuomo and many of the other candidates in the race have heavily criticized Trump's recent move to place National Guard troops and U.S. Marines in Los Angeles in an effort to quell unrest sparked by an increase in ICE arrests of illegal immigrants orchestrated by the administration. The candidates are vowing to protect the city from what they suggest is a possible future federal crackdown against immigration protests in New York article source: Cuomo's lead shrinks with under one week until New York City mayoral primary: poll
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Why establishment Democrats still can't stomach progressive candidates like Zohran Mamdani
Who's afraid of Zohran Mamdani? The answer, it would seem, is the entire establishment. The 33-year-old democratic socialist and New York City mayoral candidate has surged in the polls in recent weeks, netting endorsements not just from progressive voices like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders but also his fellow candidates for the mayoralty, with Brad Lander and Michael Blake taking advantage of the ranked-choice voting system in the primary and cross-endorsing Mamdani's campaign. With the primary just around the corner, polls have Mamdani closing the gap on Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor of New York. This has spooked the establishment, which is now doing everything it can to stop Mamdani's rise. Take Michael Bloomberg, who endorsed Cuomo earlier this month and followed this up with a $5m donation to a pro-Cuomo Pac. The largesse appears motivated not by admiration for Cuomo – during his mayoralty, sources told the New York Times that Bloomberg saw Cuomo as 'the epitome of the self-interested, horse-trading political culture he has long stood against' – but animosity towards Mamdani and his policies. Mamdani wants to increase taxes on residents earning more than $1m a year, increase corporate taxes and freeze rents: policies that aren't exactly popular with the billionaire set. Bronx congressman Ritchie Torres (who was once progressive but moved steadily away from that and now receives fundraising assistance from far-right donors) is another establishment Democrat trying to prevent a Mamdani win at all costs. Torres, who makes his pro-Israel positions explicit, has criticized Mamdani for pro-Palestine comments. Torres has even said he won't run for governor in 2026 if a socialist like Mamdani becomes the mayor because it will 'revolutionize the political landscape'. The New York Times' editorial board is also aghast at Mamdani's sudden popularity. On Monday, it published a piece urging New Yorkers to completely leave the candidate off their ranked-choice ballot, arguing that the assemblyman is woefully underqualified for office and has a bunch of wacky progressive ideas that will never work including free buses and frozen rent. The Times, which announced almost a year ago that it will not make endorsements in local elections, did not officially endorse a candidate but it certainly didn't tell people not to put Cuomo on the ballot. It seems being accused of sexually harassing multiple women and then going after those women in an aggressive and intrusive way (including demanding gynecological records) isn't as disqualifying as progressive policies. And, of course, the sexual harassment is just one of many scandals that Cuomo has weathered, including allegations he covered up nursing home deaths during the pandemic. The Atlantic also came out with an anti-Mamdani piece, albeit one that was more subtle and which focused on the process rather than the personality. Staff writer Annie Lowrey argued that ranked-choice voting in a mayor primary, used by New York City since 2021, is not truly democratic: 'Without ranked-choice voting, Cuomo would probably steamroll his competition. With ranked-choice voting, Mamdani could defeat him.' While there are problems with ranked choice (as there are with first-past-the-post systems), I think the bigger democratic threat might be a system in which a billionaire can swoop in with millions to prop up their preferred candidate at the last minute. All of this is anti-Mamdani mobilization is depressingly predictable: the Democratic establishment is allergic to fresh blood and new thinking. Shortly after Trump won the election last year, and the Democrats also lost the House and the Senate, Ocasio-Cortez launched a bid to become the lead Democrat on the House oversight committee, which is an important minority leadership position. Ocasio-Cortez has become a lot more establishment-friendly since getting into power in 2018 (New York Magazine even decreed in 2023 that she is just a 'Regular Old Democrat Now'), but she's still not centrist enough for the Democrats, it seems. Nancy Pelosi reportedly sabotaged the 35-year-old congresswoman's ambitions and ensured that 74-year-old Gerry Connolly, who had esophagus cancer at the time, got the job instead. Connolly died age 75 earlier this year, becoming the sixth House Democrat to have died in office in 12 months. Then there's the Democratic backlash to David Hogg, the young Parkland shooting survivor turned politico. The 25-year-old was briefly vice-chair of the Democratic national committee but stepped on powerful toes by criticizing the party for its 'seniority politics'. Hogg, who has said that he's worried about his generation losing faith in democracy, pitched competitive primaries which challenged Democratic incumbents who'd become too complacent, injecting new blood into the party. This did not go down well and various members of the DNC had voted to hold new vice-chair elections that could have led to his ouster. Instead of waiting to be kicked out, Hogg recently said he'd step away from the role. I am not a Mamdani evangelist, but while some of his ideas are a little pie in the sky, he's authentic and ready to fight for normal people rather than corporate interests. Sure, he doesn't have a lot of experience. But he has a huge amount of potential. He's managed to get at least 26,000 New Yorkers to volunteer for him. And I don't mean they've sent a couple of text messages: one week they knocked on almost 100,000 doors. Michael Spear, a professor of history and political science at a Brooklyn college, told Jacobin the degree to which Mamdani's campaign has galvanized New York City voters is unprecedented: 'I don't think there is anything like it' in New York history. Nobody in the Democratic establishment is quite so delusional that they think the party is doing great. Everyone knows there is a need for change and yet they seem keen to sabotage anyone who might bring that change. Instead of rallying around fresh talent like Mamdani that can clearly mobilize young voters, the Democrats are mulling a $20m plan to try to manufacture a 'Joe Rogan of the left' who can connect with young men, rather than support an authentic grassroots candidate who is already connecting with them. Will centrist interests prevail in New York? We won't know until, at the very earliest, late on primary night, 24 June. Whatever happens, though, you can bet that Democrats will continue to do their very best to kneecap anyone who wants to drag them way from their obsession with doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
AOC and other Squad Democrats join Republican rivals to back resolution against US involvement in Iran
In a bit of extreme party flank crossover, firebrand progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, has signed onto a resolution from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, to limit US involvement in Israel's war with Iran. Massie, a libertarian Republican, has criticized President Donald Trump's support for Israel's aerial war with Iran. He posted on X on Monday evening that he would introduce legislation to restrict U.S. involvement. 'This is not our war,' Massie wrote. 'But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution. I'm introducing a bipartisan War Powers Resolution tomorrow to prohibit our involvement. I invite all members of Congress to cosponsor this resolution.' Massie's resolution comes as the United States on Monday sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. Trump left the G7 dinner early to return to Washington that evening. The president warned that 'everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.' In the past, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have attempted to wrest back its constitutional authority to declare war even as presidents of both parties have continuously used military force without congressional authorization. Ocasio-Cortez, better know by her initials AOC, a longtime critic of the Israeli government, signaled her support for Massie's resolution. 'Signing on,' she posted in response. Ocasio-Cortez was not the only member of the congressional 'Squad,' a coterie of progressive Democrats, to voice her support for the resolution. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian congresswoman, who repeatedly criticized Israel's war in Gaza, also signaled her support. 'I look forward to supporting this War Powers Resolution,' she said. 'The American people aren't falling for it again. We were lied to about "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq that killed millions + forever changed lives.' Rep. Ro Khanna, of California, also said he would co-lead the resolution with Massie. 'It's time for every member to go on record,' he said. 'Are you with the neocons who led us into Iraq or do you stand with the American people?' In addition, Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia said he would support the resolution. 'I'm in, signing on to this,' he said. The legislation comes as some of Trump's biggest supporters have split with regard to supporting Israel in its conflict with Iran. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene broke with Trump and said that 'Real America First/MAGA wants world peace for all people and doesn't want our military killed and forever injured physically and mentally.' Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, has also criticized Trump's support for Israel, saying Trump was ' complicit in the act of war.' Later, Greene signaled she sided with Carlson instead of Trump on Iran. So far, on the Senate side, Democrats have led the charge to oppose war with Iran. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who sits on the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, introduced a war powers resolution. 'The American people have no interest in sending servicemembers to fight another forever war in the Middle East,' he said in a statement. 'This resolution will ensure that if we decide to place our nation's men and women in uniform into harm's way, we will have a debate and vote on it in Congress.' Separately, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the indepdendent from Vermont, introduced legislation with Democratic Sens. Tina Smith of Minnesota, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Peter Welch of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Sanders's legislation would prohibit the use of federal dollars to go toward war against Iran unless it had specific congressional authorization.
