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New York Times
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Black Voters Take Center Stage as N.Y.C. Mayor's Race Enters Final Days
It had barely been two months since Adrienne Adams became the last Democrat to join the New York City mayoral primary race when she got a call from a number she did not recognize. It was Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assemblyman who had stormed to second place in the polls. He broached the idea of the two cross-endorsing each other. Ms. Adams, 64, the first Black person to lead the City Council, needed the help. She was working furiously to raise enough money to meet the threshold for public matching funds. She, in turn, had something Mr. Mamdani needed: support from the city's critical older Black electorate. It may have seemed like a perfect fit, but Ms. Adams did not see it that way. She and her advisers felt that Mr. Mamdani — a democratic socialist who has made campaign vows to make buses free, open city-owned grocery stores and freeze the rent for some apartment dwellers — was too far to the left and would alienate her base of moderate Democratic voters in southeast Queens. As the Democratic primary for mayor enters its final days, a familiar dispute is playing out between the left and the city's crucial Black electorate. Despite being pressured to cross-endorse Mr. Mamdani, Ms. Adams seems set on doing the opposite, criticizing him during the candidates' second debate. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Someone who actually knows the issues on the ground': Newcomer to politics seeking Edmonton mayor's chair
Malik Chukwudi, Edmonton mayoral candidate, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about his campaign. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: What's driving your run for the mayor's chair? Malik Chukwudi: For so long, those who've been in council have been viewed as the most intelligent, and having all the ingredients to become the next mayor. This opportunity has gotten to a point where they viewed it as entitlement. It's not something you get handed because you've been there for 20 years. We have to look at the results and the disconnect between the council and the city of Edmonton. The reason why I decided (to run), I think someone who actually knows the issues on the ground should step in and solve the problems. MH: Do you run as an independent? MC: Yes, I run as an independent. I just want to tackle it head on because I don't want anyone to seem to swing me one direction or the other. I got calls to go to (Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton) but then when I went and sat down with them I realized no, this has to be for the people. For small and medium-sized businesses and folks who have been struggling here in Edmonton, and not lobbyists. Someone behind you is pulling the strings, and no, I don't want that. MH: Is there a spot on the political spectrum where you would land? MC: I'm centre-left. If I wasn't running I would vote for any candidate that cares about NDP or Liberal values. When it comes to balancing the budget, when it comes to social issues, I'm heavy on those things. Homeless issues, drug addiction, crime and public safety, also low income housing, I'm heavy on those things, and we need to look into those things. MH: What are the tough decisions that next council needs to make? MC: The next council has to understand how the city of Edmonton actually works. I think one of the biggest problems is you win election and you're in there now like a deer caught in the headlights. Here's a $10 million or $60 million dollar snow removal budget, and you don't know the right questions to ask. Why did we arrive with $60 million? What exactly is in the materials? Is it trucks, equipment, overtime pay for the snow removal workers? Someone like me, who has done it before, I understand how these things are budgeted. I can help them get up to speed and say, 'If we go this direction, we'll end up where we don't want to be. If we go this direction, folks in Edmonton will be very happy.' I've been out there at two in the morning, shoveling snow, plowing snow, training snow truck operators to get their 40 hours to plow the snow. So I've done it, and I've looked at the budget. I've also signed the papers, done the overtime. I've worked in private sector. I spent 22 years in oil and gas and six years in coal mining before I joined the city. I was the regional manager for an oil company in the Middle East and around the world, so I understand how private sector works. Efficiency is very important. The fact that I worked for the city, I could get them up to speed, and I could say, 'This is what we've done and failed. This is what we could do to succeed.' MH: You bring experience to the table, but you're facing experience, from those who are already there. How do you overcome that? MC: I'll listen to them. I've always said if everyone thinks like Malik, the world would be a very miserable place. I'm a Gemini, I'm very open to ideas and stuff. Those that brought experience, I want to see what they've done and (how they've) succeeded. Because in the private sector it is about results. Unfortunately, in government and politics, it's not about that. It's how much money you throw at a problem. I'm all about results. I don't care if you've been there for 20 years, I'll listen to you, but if what you've done hasn't produced any revenue, or saved money for the city, or made life easier for people and businesses and working class, I don't know if I'll go that direction.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
From AOC to Bloomberg, here are some key endorsements in the NYC mayoral Democratic primary election
New York City's mayoral primary election is well underway with early voting, and the leading Democratic candidates have picked up some key endorsements in the final stretch of the race. CBS News New York's Political Reporter Marcia Kramer sat down with J.C. Polanco, assistant professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent, and political consultant O'Brien Murray to discuss why these endorsements matter. Bloomberg endorses Cuomo The biggest endorsement, to date, appears to be the decision by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to endorse former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "Huge endorsement for former Gov. Cuomo. Why? Because [former] Mayor Bloomberg talks to a specific type of voter -- down the Upper East Side corridor, down the Upper West Side corridor, up to Park Slope and Brooklyn. He talks to voters that come out in large propensities that are Democrats, that will cross over to vote Republican," Polanco said. "By endorsing former Gov. Cuomo, he gives them the green light -- you can support this guy, forget about the baggage you've heard about, he's the guy that I trust -- and they trust Bloomberg, this is going to be great for Cuomo." "There are three things that [former] Mayor Bloomberg brings: Money, money and money. With that comes ... polling, it will help him in the polling, number one. Number two, it will help him with fundraising. Number three, it will help him with voters on Election Day," said Murray. "But at the end of the day, Bloomberg's people were donating to this campaign before and donating to the Super PAC, according to published reports. If that continues, you could see Bloomberg money go to a Super PAC and Bloomberg donors go to a Cuomo campaign." In his announcement, Bloomberg did not mention Cuomo's sexual harassment or nursing home scandals. Bloomberg said there are no perfect candidates, and while Cuomo may not be a perfect choice, he is the best choice. "I think it's perfect, I think we all know the baggage that former Gov. Cuomo has, he doesn't have to remind people of it, it's baked into former Gov. Cuomo's candidacy. And again, it gives the green light to Democrats that are Bloomberg Democrats -- these are independent democrats that really loved his mayoralty -- and this endorsement reminds them of those good 12 years that they enjoyed, and he's giving them the green light," Polanco said. "I was lucky enough to work in a race with Mayor Koch about 10 years ago and this reminds me of the Mayor Koch quote: 'If you agree with me 10 out of 10 times, you're crazy. If you agree with me 8 out of 10 times, please vote for me.' Because that's Michael Bloomberg's quote, basically what he's saying there is no New Yorker is going to agree with any candidate across the board and if they do, they are crazy," said Murray. "But right now, [former] Mayor Bloomberg is most important for this. It adds credibility, it adds money and it adds stability at a time when we see New York's future uncertain." Polanco again called it a "huge endorsement," adding, "If you ask New Yorkers in the street, like you do, 'What do you think of [former] Mayor Bloomberg?' you're going to hear positive, rave reviews. This is someone who won three consecutive terms as mayor of New York City." "Progressives never supported Cuomo, they never supported Bloomberg. Everyone else that's not a progressive will come out in droves as much as they can and the energy they have, because they want New York to be what Bloomberg had and not what [Bill] de Blasio had and not what the future could be under anything that progressive," Murray added. Fellow Democratic candidate State Sen. Jessica Ramos made the shocking move to endorse Cuomo, telling her supporters to rank him number one. Ramos had been a harsh critic of the former governor but said she now believes he's the best person to take on President Trump. Cuomo also received endorsements from his predecessor, former New York Gov. David Paterson, and from Jewish community groups, including Ahronim, the Bobov community in Borough Park, Crown Heights PAC, Crown Jewish United and the Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance. CLICK HERE for more from his campaign. AOC & Sanders endorse Mamdani Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani received a high-profile endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the race. "I think most New Yorkers recognize that there was no other candidate for AOC to support. He is the socialist candidate, AOC is socialist. I think viewers would be as surprised as finding out I'm Latino, they know I'm Latino, they know that AOC was going to support the socialist," said Polanco. "It doesn't bring any new voters, because all those voters and endorsements that Mamdani brought to the table, it was already baked in." "I disagree and here's why: Because it didn't go to [Brad] Lander, and Lander needed it. Not only did he not get it, Adrienne Adams was ranked higher," Murray said, referring to Ocasio-Cortez's full ranked choice voting list. "At this point, when you have a situation where you have an opportunity for Adrienne Adams to get some wind in her sails and AOC behind her, after Mamdani, that is something that hurt Brad Lander like you wouldn't believe." Mamdani later received another endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders, and the Queens socialist has taken advantage of ranked choice voting to align himself with fellow candidates Comptroller Brad Lander and former state Assemblyman Michael Blake, in part, to unite against Cuomo in the polls. "Four years ago, we wound up with one of the worst mayors in our history, largely because the two top alternatives in the race did not come together and join forces to cross-endorse each other. We can't afford to make that mistake again," Lander said when they announced their cross-endorsement. Polanco said it's all about addition. "Being ranked on that sheet matters," he said. "It's important for each candidate to get as much support as possible from their fellow candidates on each side, because as they drop off the count, the idea is that their supporters will now have their entire support moving forward. And that matters at a game in which a few votes may decide who's going to be the winner." Mamdani has also received an endorsement from state Sen. John Liu, who represents Queens and made history as the first Asian American to win citywide office. CLICK HERE for more from Mamdani's campaign. NYT sounds off on Lander, Mamdani While not, technically, an endorsement, a panel of New York Times opinion experts picked Lander as the best overall choice to run the city. "In the end, a veteran civic leader and elected official, Brad Lander, the city comptroller, emerged as the top overall choice among the panelists, including four who recently shifted away from Mr. Cuomo, Mr. Mamdani and other candidates," the piece read. "Mr. Lander was also cited as best on education, the economy and leadership. Those who favored him cited his experience in city government and his ability to work with others — but, truth be told, he also benefited from lacking the heavy baggage of Mr. Cuomo and the democratic socialist image of Mr. Mamdani." While the newspaper's Editorial Board no longer does endorsements, the story could still have a major impact on the race. The board's 2021 endorsement of Kathryn Garcia provided a significant boost to her campaign. CLICK HERE for more from Lander's campaign. The board has since come out against Mamdani, writing, "We do not believe that Mr. Mamdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers' ballots. His experience is too thin and his agenda reads like a turbocharged version of Mr. de Blasio's dismaying mayoralty," in reference to former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Mamdani shrugged off the criticism. "These are the opinions of about a dozen New Yorkers, and a democracy will be decided by close to a million New Yorkers. They certainly have the right to their opinions, and New Yorkers have the right to their votes," he said. AG James for Speaker Adams Meanwhile, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams received endorsements from state Attorney General Letitia James and DC37, the city's largest municipal employee union. "Adrienne Adams is a fearless leader who puts people over politics. She has repeatedly stood up for New Yorkers and won, keeping libraries open and protecting childcare for families. She is leading the City's fight against the Trump administration, including keeping ICE out of Rikers. I'm proud to endorse Adrienne as my number one choice for Mayor and look forward to having her in the fight to protect New York City," James said in a statement. Murray noted that while James endorsed Adams, it was Mamdani who helped the speaker raise enough money to access the city's matching funds. "That's the most amazing thing here. The Upstart did more for her to raise money and get her on the map than Tish James did," said Murray. "And it was all about social media," Polanco added. CLICK HERE for more from Adams' campaign. Other Democratic candidates Use the following links for a closer look at each candidate's endorsements: Police unions holding out until general election Murray also pointed out the city's police unions are not making an endorsement in the race. "I think what they're trying to do is figure out what they have to or can do for Mayor Adams. They do not want to go against the incumbent right now, and they don't have to in the primary," he explained. "Because once they go for somebody in this primary, they're stuck with that person in the general. This gives them a full boat to wait until deciding what to do after the summer." contributed to this report.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Zohran Mamdani responds to NYT not endorsing candidate
CNN's Kaitlan Collins talks with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani about the New York Times editorial board's decision not to endorse a candidate in the race.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Zohran Mamdani responds to NYT not endorsing candidate
CNN's Kaitlan Collins talks with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani about the New York Times editorial board's decision not to endorse a candidate in the race.
