Latest news with #CuomoVsMamdani
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Former Clinton advisor sounds '9-1-1' alarm for Democrats after socialist's NYC mayoral victory
Zohran Mamdani's surprise victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has raised questions about the party's political direction. Mark Penn, former pollster and advisor to President Bill Clinton and CEO of Stagwell Inc., issued a warning to the left following Mamdani's primary upset. "This is a 9-1-1 moment for the Democratic Party," Penn said on "America's Newsroom" Wednesday. "He's [Mamdani] an anti-Semitic socialist." Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens and self-identified Democratic socialist, beat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month. His platform includes eliminating transit fares, providing free municipal housing and childcare, and ending ICE operations in the city — proposals that Penn and others have labeled as extreme. "He is perhaps the most extreme major candidate ever to win such a major office," Penn said, going on to call out Mamdani for refusing to denounce the slogan "globalize the intifada," a phrase widely understood to carry anti-Jewish undertones. Several top New York Democrats have not yet endorsed Mamdani, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Governor Kathy Hochul. While Hochul has recently defended Mamdani from criticism by President Donald Trump, she hasn't formally endorsed him. Penn argued that Mamdani's campaign has successfully positioned itself as a battle against Trump, a strategy he says could distract voters from looking closer at the candidate's policies. "It's absolutely essential here that this not become Mamdani versus Trump," Penn said. "That's his strategy." While Trump gained ground in New York during the last presidential election, increasing his vote share to nearly 44%, Vice President Kamala Harris still carried the state with over 56%. Penn warns that making the narrative about the president could cause Democrats not to fully grasp what Mamdani's policies mean for the city. "The other Democratic candidates have to come in here and say, 'No, this is about the future of the city and how we save it and how we reduce crime,'" he said, also noting that candidates need to focus on making Jewish New Yorkers feel safe and bringing business back to the five boroughs. Mamdani's campaign has drawn significant enthusiasm from younger, progressive voters. But Penn believes many voters may not fully grasp the implications of Mamdani's agenda. "People really didn't know the full extent of his views on socialism and antisemitism," Penn said. "I think if there's real focus on that, he could be beaten." As the official Democratic nominee, Mamdani will face Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams this November in the general election, as well as his defeated opponent Andrew Cuomo, who's chosen to remain on the ballot as an Independent.
Bloomberg
24-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tight NYC Mayoral Race Drives Donations to Groups Backing Cuomo, Mamdani
New Yorkers are facing a barrage of last-minute advertisements across social media, television and pamphlets in the closely-watched Democratic primary for Mayor, fueled by donations from hedge fund managers, business titans and advocacy groups. The race has come down to two candidates with very different platforms, backgrounds and personal style — former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and state assembly member Zohran Mamdani — with polls set to close at 9pm on Tuesday. Recent polls signal a tightening race, with betting sites showing Mamdani with a slight edge.
New York Times
23-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
A Bustling New York Mayoral Race Reaches a Pivotal Moment
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary is a pivotal marker in the race to lead New York City. One candidate who is polling well, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, 67, would be the oldest elected mayor in the city's modern history. Another front-runner, Zohran Mamdani, 33, a state lawmaker, would be the youngest in a century. Mr. Cuomo has a long track record laid with a style of governance that rubs many the wrong way. Mr. Mamdani was unknown to most people before his media-savvy campaign. There are other prominent candidates who are trailing in the polls but who may still affect the outcome as voters use a ranked-choice ballot system for the second time. In an interview with Times Insider, Emma G. Fitzsimmons, the city hall bureau chief for the Metro desk at The New York Times, explained the contours of the race. This conversation has been edited. One of your colleagues described the final weeks of the race as 'chaotic.' How so? First, the race is close. Different polls say different things, but Andrew Cuomo, the former governor, has been leading for months. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist lawmaker from Queens, has been rising in the polls. The current mayor, Eric Adams, decided not to run in the Democratic primary and is running as an independent in the November general election. The race has gotten pretty nasty in the final weeks. Cuomo is attacking Mamdani; a super PAC that is supporting Cuomo is running millions of dollars' worth of advertisements calling Mamdani radical, and some people believe those advertisements are Islamophobic because Mamdani is Muslim. Mamdani is hitting Cuomo pretty hard, saying he's the candidate of the billionaire class and that he's a disgraced former politician who doesn't deserve a second chance. A year ago, for different reasons, it seemed unlikely that Mamdani and Cuomo would be in the positions they are in today. How did they get here? Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Al Jazeera
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Zohran Mamdani's mayoral bid is bigger than New York
Sitting in northern Europe, I shouldn't care about the New York mayoral race. Yet, despite all that is happening in the world, the contentious Democratic primary for the 2025 New York City mayoral election has found its way into conversations around me – and onto my social media feed. This attention isn't just another example of the New York-centric worldview famously skewered in Saul Steinberg's 1976 New Yorker cover, View of the World from 9th Avenue. A genuine political struggle is under way, one that has the potential to reverberate far beyond the Hudson River. At its centre is the increasingly polarised contest between Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani. The name Cuomo may ring a bell. He resigned as New York's governor in 2021 following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. While he expressed remorse at the time, his political comeback has been marked by defiance – suing one of his accusers and the state attorney general who found the accusations credible. He claims the scandal was a 'political hit job'. Cuomo's record in office was far from unblemished. He diverted millions of dollars from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), jeopardising the financial health of New York's essential public transit system. He formed the Moreland Commission to root out corruption but disbanded it abruptly when it began probing entities linked to his own campaign. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his administration was accused of undercounting nursing home deaths, allegedly to deflect criticism of policies that returned COVID-positive patients to those facilities. Given that legacy, one might imagine Cuomo's chances of becoming mayor would be slim. Yet, he currently leads in the polls. Close behind him is Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and state assemblyman from Queens. When he entered the race in March, Cuomo led by 40 points. A recent poll now puts Mamdani within 8 points. Born in Kampala and raised in New York, Mamdani is the first Muslim candidate to run for mayor of the city. But his significance extends beyond his identity. What distinguishes Mamdani is his unapologetically progressive platform – and his refusal to dilute it in the name of 'electability'. His appeal rests on substance, charisma, sharp messaging, and a mass volunteer-led canvassing operation. At the heart of Mamdani's campaign is a vision of a city that works for working-class New Yorkers. He proposes freezing rents for all rent-stabilised apartments, building 200,000 affordable homes, creating publicly-owned grocery stores 'focused on keeping prices low, not making profit', and making buses free. He supports free childcare for children under five, better wages for childcare workers, and 'baby baskets' containing essentials for new parents. To fund these initiatives, Mamdani proposes increasing the corporate tax rate from 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent, and imposing a 2 percent income tax on New York City residents earning more than $1m annually. He also wants to raise the minimum wage, regulate gig economy giants like DoorDash, and protect delivery workers. His plan to establish a Department of Community Safety would shift resources away from traditional policing towards mental health and violence prevention. He further promises to 'Trump-proof' New York by enhancing the city's sanctuary status, removing ICE's influence, expanding legal support for migrants, defending LGBTQ+ rights and protecting reproductive healthcare access. But championing such bold policies – as a brown, Muslim candidate – has made Mamdani a lightning rod for hate. Recently, in a rare show of emotion, Mamdani teared up while recounting threats he has received: 'I get messages that say the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. I get threats on my life … on the people that I love.' The NYPD is investigating two voicemails from an unidentified caller, who labelled Mamdani a 'terrorist', threatened to bomb his car, and ominously warned: 'Watch your back every second until you get the f..k out of America.' Cuomo's campaign has also played into Islamophobic tropes. A mailer targeting Jewish voters from a Cuomo-aligned super PAC doctored Mamdani's photo – darkening and lengthening his beard – and declared that he 'rejects NYPD, rejects Israel, rejects capitalism and rejects Jewish rights'. Much of this centres on Mamdani's outspoken support for Palestinian rights. He has been criticised for refusing to affirm Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and for defending the slogan 'globalise the intifada', which he describes as 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights'. He also noted that the Arabic term intifada has been used by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to describe the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. Despite the attacks, Mamdani's movement is surging. He has received endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, Attorney General Letitia James, the New York Working Families Party, United Auto Workers Region 9A, and Jewish Voice for Peace Action. In contrast, Cuomo is backed by major real estate donors wary of Mamdani's housing agenda. His campaign has received $1m from DoorDash, presumably in response to Mamdani's proposed labour protections. Other prominent donors include Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone and hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman – both known for supporting Donald Trump. Still, Mamdani's grassroots campaign has continued to gain ground. Whether or not he wins the nomination, his candidacy has already achieved something vital: it has offered proof that an anti-corporate, anti-Trump, community-powered campaign – one rooted in progressive values and refusal to compromise – can resonate with American voters. But the stakes extend far beyond New York. Across Europe, South America, South Asia and Africa, right-wing populists are gaining ground by exploiting economic precarity, stoking culture wars and vilifying minorities. Mamdani's campaign offers a clear counter-narrative: one that marries economic justice with moral clarity, mobilises diverse communities and challenges the politics of fear. For progressives around the world, it is a rare and instructive blueprint – not just for resistance, but for rebuilding. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
CNN
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani tear into each other in final New York City mayoral debate
Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani bitterly clashed over age and experience Thursday in the final debate before New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, as Cuomo warned that the progressive state assemblyman is unprepared for the job and Mamdani hammered the former governor over scandals during his time in Albany. Cuomo, Mamdani and five other candidates squared off just before Saturday's start of early voting ahead of the June 24 Democratic primary. The fiery exchanges between the universally known Cuomo and fast-rising Mamdani reflected how many see the race as increasingly competitive — and how the two view each other as a threat. Cuomo said it would be 'reckless and dangerous' to elect a 33-year-old state assemblyman to a role that requires negotiating with city, state and federal lawmakers, standing up to President Donald Trump, responding to natural disasters and more. Mamdani retorted with a laundry list of the 67-year-old Cuomo's scandals in the governor's office, including the sexual harassment allegations that forced him out of office in 2021. 'I've never had to resign in disgrace,' Mamdani said, while also taking shots at Cuomo's handling of Medicaid and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 'I have never hounded the thirteen women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records. And I have never done these things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.' Cuomo shot back: 'Mr. Mamdani is right. He's never done anything, period.' 'He's accomplished nothing,' he said, criticizing Mamdani's four years as a state assemblyman. 'He has zero accomplishments, and now he thinks he's going to be ready to be mayor of the city of New York. It is laughable. It is laughable and it is dangerous.' Earlier Thursday, Cuomo's campaign had launched a television advertisement pointing to Trump sending troops to Los Angeles amid protests over deportations, and portraying Mamdani as 'dangerously inexperienced' and unprepared to take on the president. Mamdani, meanwhile, ripped Cuomo for repeatedly mispronouncing his name and spelled out his last name to make the point. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a longtime Cuomo rival, said on X during the debate that Cuomo 'is REALLY scared' of Mamdani. 'He's not even faking it,' de Blasio said. 'And Andrew is REALLY disrespecting all the New Yorkers who support Zohran.' In deep-blue New York City, the primary is often the decisive contest. This year, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who was elected four years ago as a Democrat, will be on the ballot in November as an independent. Curtis Sliwa, who lost to Adams four years ago, is again the Republican nominee. Other candidates sought to offer Democratic voters a path besides Cuomo and Mamdani. New York's primary is a ranked-choice contest, which means candidates are also competing to be voters' second- or third-favorite contender, even if they don't win their first-place votes. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who largely sought to remain above the fray, also questioned Mamdani's experience. She pointed to her experience crafting the city's budget and leading the council. 'Given what I've just laid out, do you think you're more qualified than me to lead the city?' she asked Mamdani. Scott Stringer, a former New York City comptroller, said Cuomo has experience and Mamdani has vision — but 'my experience and my vision, when you combine it, is the third lane to win this race.' New York City Comptroller Brad Lander might have landed the sharpest blows on Cuomo. He highlighted the specifics around Cuomo's resignation and the findings of the attorney general's office's investigation that concluded he sexually harassed multiple women and violated state law. Lander said he wouldn't want to have to tell college students, 'Don't go work at city hall because the mayor is a sexual harasser.' Cuomo responded that five district attorneys investigated the allegations against him and 'nothing has come of them whatsoever.' 'This is disqualifying. The man resigned. It should be obvious. The problem is that we do not get to address the issues that New Yorkers care about because we're talking about his past,' said state senator Zellnor Myrie. The candidates also clashed over police and public safety, as Cuomo described New Yorkers as 'afraid on the streets.' 'They feel unsafe,' he said. 'You can quote statistics all day long, they get afraid walking into the subway, they get afraid walking down the street when they see a mentally ill homeless person.' Cuomo sought to use his tough talk on public safety, much like Adams did in 2021, to differentiate himself from the Democratic field. He pointed to a 2021 plan to cut $1 billion in police funding from the city budget and accused his rivals of supporting efforts to 'defund the police.' 'That was the chant, and $1 billion was taken from the police department,' Cuomo said. He touted a proposal to add 5,000 police officers to the NYPD. Mamdani said he wants more social workers so that the NYPD can focus on serious crime but does not want to slash police funding. 'I will not defund the police. I will work with the police,' he said. Mamdani is running to be the city's first Muslim mayor. He was sharply attacked over his criticism of Israel's war in Gaza – which he has called a 'genocide' – as well as his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and his calls for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's arrest. Former hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson accused Mamdani of being a leader 'inciting these mobs' at Columbia University, where he said protests disrupted students' educations. 'When you use words referring to the only Jewish state in the world like 'genocide' and 'apartheid,' when you call for divestment and all, that is inciting these mobs,' he said. Mamdani said he is being 'smeared' and 'mischaracterized' for positions with which he says many Jewish voters agree. 'I say these things because far too often, we take what can be a place of disagreement and start to broach beyond that,' he said.
