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Atlantic
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Atlantic
New York Is Not a Democracy
In most parts of the country, this June is a moment of quiescence in the campaign cycle. The president has just been inaugurated. Many House and Senate candidates haven't declared yet. Homes are unmolested by flyers; television watchers are unbothered by advertisements. But it's a different story in New York City, where former Governor Andrew Cuomo is in an improbably close race for mayor with Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and member of the state assembly. In recent weeks, Cuomo has whipped up cowbell-ringing members of the carpenters' union in Hudson Square and Mamdani has railed against corporate power in a church in the West Village. They traded barbs with smiles on a debate stage before marching down Fifth Avenue in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. They are leading a field of a dozen mayoral candidates who will face off in a ranked-choice election for the Democratic primary on June 24. (Because the city has six times as many registered Democrats as registered Republicans, the Democratic primary is generally the de facto mayoral election.) Instead of picking one person to lead the city, voters will rank up to five candidates. This process is wonkish and confusing. But it ensures that similar candidates do not split a constituency. This, proponents of ranked-choice voting say, is the most democratic form of democracy. Cuomo is likely to get more first-choice votes than any other candidate. But he's not projected to win an outright majority, meaning that the ranked-choice system would kick in. Candidate after candidate would get knocked out and their supporters' votes reapportioned. In the end, the political scion with a multimillion-dollar war chest and blanket name recognition could lose to the young Millennial whom few New Yorkers had heard of as of last year. One new survey, by Data for Progress, shows Cuomo ultimately defeating Mamdani by two points, within the margin of error. Another poll shows Mamdani with more support than Cuomo. Seeing a no-name upstart attempt to upset a brand-name heavyweight is thrilling. But the system has warped the political calculus of the mayoral campaign. Candidates who might have dropped out are staying in. Candidates who might be attacking one another on their platforms or records are instead considering cross-endorsing. Voters used to choosing one contender are plotting out how to rank their choices. Moreover, they are doing so in a closed primary held in the June of an odd year, meaning most city residents will not show up at the polls anyway. If this is democracy, it's a funny form of it. Voters certainly have a surfeit of choice. Cuomo's got a fat résumé. He was secretary of Housing and Urban Development under Bill Clinton, attorney general of New York, and governor of New York. His centrist but decidedly Democratic politics probably best match the city's constituents'. He's promising good schools, a working subway, tax cuts, and more housing while bashing other candidates for failing to support the police and being soft on anti-Semitism. He's got a ton of money, having garnered $3.9 million in direct donations and the support of a $13 million super PAC. (Its biggest donor is DoorDash.) Xochitl Gonzalez: New York belongs to Trump now Still, it would be hard to overstate how many people hate the guy, and how much. Cuomo's a glowering hothead and an unreformed bully who resigned from the governorship in 2021 after nearly a dozen women made sexual-harassment claims against him and a scandal erupted over his COVID policies and nursing-home deaths. (He regrets quitting.) He swooped into the mayoral race when it was clear there was no strong frontrunner. He carpetbagged in, too; until recently, Cuomo was living in Westchester County, as philosophically distant from the city as it is physically proximate. He's now bunking in his daughter's $8,000-a-month apartment in Midtown East. Asked for his bagel order, Cuomo told The New York Times that he gets an English muffin. Even Cuomo's supporters don't seem to like him much. Their argument for him is practical. He gets things done. He's realistic. He's tough. He'd stand up to Donald Trump. He's an asshole, but he's our asshole and, these days, the city might need an asshole running it. 'I am the last person on this stage that Mr. Trump wants to see as mayor,' Cuomo said in a debate. 'That's why I should be the first choice for the people of the city.' Mamdani is Cuomo's rumpled, earnest foil. His résumé is thin; he worked as a campaign operative for a few years before winning a state assembly seat in 2020. He is a leftist in the Bernie mold, with a raft of great-sounding policies. Free buses! Free child care! Cheap groceries! Frozen rents! But a lot of these are impractical at best. Free buses would deprive the MTA of needed revenue. Free child care would require a mammoth tax hike that Albany would need to approve, which it has shown no interest in doing. Cheap groceries, Mamdani says, could be provided by new city-run stores—which would compete with existing bodegas, delis, and supermarkets owned and staffed by New Yorkers. A rent freeze would help people who live in rent-controlled apartments but inhibit housing construction, making the cost-of-living crisis worse. Jerusalem Demsas: Buses Shouldn't Be Free One thing the candidates share, I suppose, is that both get accused of being nepo babies. Mamdani's mother made the 1991 indie romance Mississippi Masala. Cuomo's father was governor of New York. Mamdani doesn't have big money, personally or politically. And he doesn't have great name recognition; a quarter of New Yorkers say they don't know enough about him to have formed an opinion. Yet polls indicate that four times as many New Yorkers like Mamdani as dislike him. He's dominating the social-media primary, churning out sweetly dorky TikToks and Instagram posts. (Mamdani doesn't jump on trends or join in memes. He just posts. It works!) His campaign has an astonishing ground game: His volunteers are knocking on 100,000 doors a week. Alongside Cuomo and Mamdani are a number of skilled and reputable candidates, each of whom could make a great mayor but none of whom seems to have the charisma, cash, or name recognition to break through. Not one is garnering more than single-digit support in the polls, including Adrienne Adams, the speaker of the New York City Council; Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos, state senators; Brad Lander, the city comptroller; and Scott Stringer, a former comptroller. As these candidates have failed to win significant support, Cuomo has focused on Mamdani, painting him, not incorrectly, as inexperienced. 'Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,' he said in a debate. 'He's been in government 27 minutes. He passed three bills.' Cuomo has also promised sensible policy making. 'We wouldn't need more police if we didn't defund them in the first place. In my first 30 days, I will take every homeless person off the trains and the subway stations and get them the help they need.' Noah Shachtman: New York City's chaos mayor Mamdani has countered by arguing—again, not incorrectly—that Cuomo is beholden to the city's millionaires and billionaires. 'I don't have experience with corrupt Trump billionaires who are funding my campaign,' he said. 'I do have experience, however, with winning $450 million in debt relief for thousands of working-class taxi drivers.' At this point in the campaign, such arguments seem to have taken each candidate as far as he can go. Cuomo hasn't done much public campaigning, instead making private entreaties to powerful unions, rich people, and religious leaders in the city's Black and Jewish communities. (Cuomo has near-majority support among Orthodox voters. Mamdani, a onetime supporter of the BDS movement, polls around zero percent among those voters.) Cuomo just won the influential endorsement of Mike Bloomberg. For his part, Mamdani has electrified the city's leftists and been endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but might fail to broaden his base of support enough to win outright. Without ranked-choice voting, Cuomo would probably steamroll his competition. With ranked-choice voting, Mamdani could defeat him. In Data for Progress's recent poll, 37 percent of voters ranked Cuomo first, and 31 percent ranked Mamdani first. But as the weakest candidates were knocked out and their votes redistributed, Mamdani closed the gap. Other simulations show Cuomo with a greater margin of victory, but the general pattern is the same. Ranked-choice voting might better reflect voter preferences, but it is chaotic, requiring extra strategizing by both candidates and voters. To keep Cuomo out of the governor's mansion, some candidates have said that they are contemplating cross-endorsing Mamdani, telling their supporters to rank them first and him second. Unions and political groups are endorsing multiple candidates; many are pushing a simple 'Don't rank Cuomo' message. (Ramos, an exception, has thrown her support behind Cuomo while remaining in the race, saying he has 'experience, toughness, and the knowledge to lead New York'). Andrew Yang ran for mayor in 2021, the first time the city used the system. He led the primary for mayor before losing ground to Eric Adams. Realizing he would not win, Yang cross-endorsed Kathryn Garcia, a former sanitation commissioner. She came within 7,200 votes of Adams but lost. 'I thought, Well, shoot, if I have a chance to potentially influence the outcome if I don't win …' Yang told me when I called him last week. 'I'm someone who believes in ranked-choice voting's power to bring together coalitions.' He also noted that ranked-choice voting reduced negative campaigning. But that could make it harder for voters to make informed decisions, I pointed out. Lander and Adrienne Adams haven't pummeled Mamdani as they might have in a standard primary, because doing so might rankle Mamdani supporters, who might refuse to rank them. Michael Powell: How it all went wrong for Eric Adams The system demands more from voters. Instead of choosing a single candidate, voters have to figure out what they think about every candidate, then produce an ordinal ranking on the basis of their own feelings and calculations about who seems likeliest to win. It's a lot of work, and not work that normal people seem to relish. Ranked-choice voting might also diminish some voters' influence. In 2021, Black, Latino, and Asian voters were less likely than non-Latino white voters to rank a full slate of candidates, in effect curtailing their electoral power. Despite these drawbacks, a growing number of jurisdictions are adopting ranked-choice voting: Washington, D.C., will use the system for elections starting next year, and smaller cities are implementing it as well. The fact that many elections are decided in primaries is its own problem, and a big one. In 2021, just one in 10 New York City residents voted in the June election. Eric Adams became mayor having been ranked first by only 289,403 people in a city of more than 8 million. The prominence of the primary helps big-name candidates and incumbents. Holding elections in off years skews races to the right, because conservative voters are more likely to show up at odd times. Whether Cuomo or Mamdani wins this month, New Yorkers might have another chance to decide between them. After this annoyingly chaotic primary, we could have an annoyingly chaotic election: If Mamdani loses, he might run in the general on the Working Families Party ticket. If Cuomo loses, he might run in the general as an independent, as will the disgraced incumbent, Eric Adams. At least, in that election, voters won't be asked to rank their favorite, just to pick one.
Newsweek
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Zohran Mamdani's Chances vs. Andrew Cuomo in New York Primary: Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Zohran Mamdani, the socialist mayoral candidate for New York City is catching up to Andrew Cuomo in the polls for the Democratic primary. Mamdani, 33, is currently a New York Assemblymember and has been running a grassroots campaign largely against former Governor Cuomo. Despite Cuomo, 67, holding the lead in March in part because of sizable name recognition, he is now only two points ahead of Mamdani in a poll on the final ballot of the primary's rank-choice voting system. Mamdani is also polling as 10 percent more favorable than Cuomo, at 58 percent to Cuomo's 48 percent, according to a new Data for Progress poll. The poll surveyed 819 likely Democratic primary voters between May 30 to June 4, 2025. The Mamdani and Cuomo campaigns have been contacted via email for comment. Why It Matters Although Mamdani and Cuomo are facing off in the Democratic primary, New York City has not had a Republican mayor since Michael Bloomberg (who became unaffiliated in 2009), and although a Republican candidate could still win the mayoral election, it is likely that the winner of the Democratic primary will become mayor. Mamdani's campaign has pointed to Cuomo's millions raised from corporate donations and his resignation after a report said he sexually harassed multiple female employees. What To Know Left, Zohran Mamdani speaks to a crowd during a campaign event in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City on May 31, 2025. Right, Andrew Cuomo is seen at... Left, Zohran Mamdani speaks to a crowd during a campaign event in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City on May 31, 2025. Right, Andrew Cuomo is seen at the 2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 8, 2025. More Katie Godowski/MediaPunch /IPX The primary election is a rank-choice voting election, meaning voters have the opportunity to rank their five top choices for mayor. According to the Data for Progress poll, Mamdani falls behind Cuomo in a 40 percent to 33 percent split for the first two rounds of voting, but as other candidates get eliminated, and their vote share redistributed, Mamdani manages to pull almost even with the former governor. Mamadani's grassroots fundraising drives resulted in him reaching the maximum limit of donations, including a public match in late March. Cuomo, on the other hand, has been funded largely by super PACs and corporate donors, such as DoorDash and real estate developers. According to reporting from The City, Cuomo's "Fix This City" PAC received $2.7 million from people with business ties to New York City. Cuomo says that Mamdani is inexperienced, and his policies of a rent freeze, free public buses, and city-owned grocery stores are not achievable without higher taxes. Mamdani, who has been endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) as her top pick for mayor, says his policies will drive down the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers. In an interview with the New York Times, Mamdani said that affordability is the most important issue facing New Yorkers at the moment. Daniel Levesque, a filmmaker and frequent Mamdani canvasser, told Newsweek that the AOC endorsement has likely played a significant role in his increased popularity and name recognition. "What's not to like [about him]?" Levesque, 26, told Newsweek. He said he appreciates how Mamdani has put out a clear tax plan about how he plans to fund his sweeping changes, and that although Mamdani's name recognition is still falling behind Cuomo's, when people hear about his policies—especially his free bus plan—they respond very positively. Speaking about how Mamadani is currently running against other Democrats, Levesque said: "Other candidates speak in half measures that feel like they'll be compromised. Republicans don't temper their expectations…Democrats feel this need to compromise within themselves. It's refreshing to see a candidate say 'No, this is what I want and what you want so let's go and get it.'" In March, a Data for Progress poll found Mamdani was polling at 15 percent. Now, according to the same polling organization, he has jumped by nearly 20 points. Although his campaign initially appeared to be appealing only to young, online, voters because of his heavy use of social media, this new poll shows that Mamadani's appeal is beginning to reach Democratic voters beyond those who are frequently online. One Upper West Side grandmother who wants to remain anonymous told Newsweek: "There is a chance for real change in Zohran and we desperately need it. Cuomo and Eric Adams are tainted. "He is really representing hope. My grandson is speaking passionately on his behalf. It reminds me of how Obama got our attention with his clear, strong voice. "Housing [and] rent control are two huge issues I trust only with Zohran Mamdani." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, and Zohran Mamdani are seen at the 2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 8, 2025. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, and Zohran Mamdani are seen at the 2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 8, 2025. Katie Godowski/MediaPunch /IPX What People Are Saying Daniel Levesque, Mamdani canvasser told Newsweek: "Every candidate tried their hardest to speak to affordability. He's one of the few candidates who has bold visions for making this city more affordable." Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times: "There are far too many New Yorkers who do not know if they will be able to call themselves that next year, who do not know if they will be able to afford their rent, or their child care, their groceries, or even their MetroCard. "This is a city that we want to ensure does not become a museum or a relic of the working-class people who built it, but rather a living, breathing testament to the continuation of that story." Andrew Cuomo told the New York Times when asked what the most pressing issue is for New Yorkers: "Lack of management capacity evidenced through all of the above [affordability, public safety, President Trump or something else]. Lack of affordable housing, deterioration of quality of life—they all stem from poor management. Then the existential threat is Trump." What Happens Next The last day to register as a New York City voter is June 14. The mayoral primary is on June 24, and the mayoral general election is on November 4.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2025 when, where, route, and more
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — Dubbed 'America's largest cultural celebration' with an estimated one million attendees, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade returns to New York City for its 68th year on Sunday. This year's parade follows the theme of 'Plantando Bandera (Planting Roots),' which focuses on recognizing how Puerto Rican communities have established deep roots and positively contributed to their communities. Things To Do Around NYC Event organizers also partnered with New York-native Lin-Manuel Miranda and his company TeeRico, to create merchandise featuring this year's theme. The design combines the Puerto Rican flag with a ceiba tree whose roots stretch around the image a global, symbolizing the deep roots and worldwide influence of Puerto Rican identity. The artwork was created by Puerto Rican artist Jorge Rafael Calderón. The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is preceded by the 40th-annual 116th Street Festival in East Harlem on Saturday. More than 500,000 people will celebrate Puerto Rican culture, music, food and more during the 20-block festival. More Local News Below is everything you need to know about the parade and how to enjoy New York City's biggest celebration of culture. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. on Sunday and runs along Fifth Avenue from 43rd Street to 79th Street. Celebrations are expected to last through 5 p.m. Among the honorees in this year's National Puerto Rican Day Parade include six-time Grammy-winner Olga Tañón as the Queen of the celebration, film and television actor Luis Guzmán as the King, Golden Globe Award-winning actress Gina Rodríguez as the Madrina (Godmother), and Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning artist Elvis Crespo as the Padrino (Godfather?). Merchandise designed by Puerto Rican artist Jorge Rafael Calderón and through collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda can be purchased online. Proceeds from all sales go towards the NPRDP Scholarship Fund to support the next generation of Puerto Rican leaders. The parade is free for all to attend and can be viewed along the Fifth Avenue parade route between 43rd Street to 79th Street. The following streets will be closed in Manhattan for the parade. Formation:– Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street– West/East 44th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 45th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 46th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 47th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 48th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison AvenueRoute:– Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and 79th StreetDispersal:– Fifth Avenue between 79th Street and 86th Street– East 79th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 80th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 81st Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 82nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 83rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 84th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 85th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison AvenueMiscellaneous:– Madison Avenue between East 42nd Street and East 86th Street– Sixth Avenue between West 42nd Street and West 49th Street– West/East 43rd Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 42nd Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West 51st Street between Rockefeller Plaza and Fifth Avenue– West 58th Street between Grand Army Plaza and Fifth Avenue– East 60th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 62nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 63rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 64th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 66th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 68th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 69th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 70th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 72nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 74th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Street closures in NYC for parades and events for June 7 and June 8
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — Warm weather has finally settled over New York City just in time for the kick-off of dozens of parades, fairs and mini-marathons throughout the city. Among some of the celebrations taking over NYC this weekend are the annual 116th Street Festival and the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. Below is a list of anticipated street closures and events in Manhattan between June 7 and June 8. Eighth Avenue Midtown FestivalStreet closures– Eighth Avenue between 42nd Street and 55th Street Avenue of the Americas ExpoStreet closures – Sixth Avenue between 42nd Street and 54th Street St. Nicholas Avenue FairStreet closures– St. Nicholas Avenue between 181st Street and 188th Street – Hosted by the New York Road Runners, this race is meant to empower women of all ages. Runners will step off at 8 closures– Central Park West between 95th Street and 72nd Street – The biggest National Latin Festival in the North East returns for the 40th year. More than 500,000 people are expected to gather in Harlem to enjoy live music performances, community art, and food influenced by the Puerto Rican and Hispanic culture. The celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. and is expected to run to 5 p.m. with performances by Tito Puente Jr., Frankie Negrón, and Luis Damó closures– Third Avenue between 106th Street and 122nd Street– 116th Street between Lexington Avenue and Second Avenue New York City Expo Street Closures– Third Avenue between 23rd Street and 34th Street – Dubbed 'America's Largest Cultural Celebration' the parade returns for its 68th year with the theme 'Plantando Bandera (Planting Roots).' It focuses on recognizing how Puerto Rican communities have established deep roots and have positively contributed to their communities. Among this year's parade honorees include six-time Grammy-winner Olga Tañón, film and television actor Luis Guzmán, Golden Globe Award-winning actress Gina Rodríguez, and Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning artist Elvis Crespo. The parade will kick off 12 closuresFormation:– Fifth Avenue between 51st Street and 52nd Street– West/East 44th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 45th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 46th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 47th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 48th Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison AvenueRoute:– Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and 79th StreetDispersal:– Fifth Avenue between 79th Street and 86th Street– East 79th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 80th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 81st Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 82nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 83rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 84th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 85th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison AvenueMiscellaneous:– Madison Avenue between East 42nd Street and East 86th Street– Sixth Avenue between West 42nd Street and West 49th Street– West/East 43rd Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West/East 42nd Street between Sixth Avenue and Madison Avenue– West 51st Street between Rockefeller Plaza and Fifth Avenue– West 58th Street between Grand Army Plaza and Fifth Avenue– East 60th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 62nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 63rd Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 64th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 66th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 68th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 69th Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 70th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue– East 72nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue– East 74th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Goya Foods donates over 20K pounds of food to families in need
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — It was a celebration of culture and a day of giving in the Bronx. New York's finest teamed up with Goya Foods and school district twelve to feed thousands of families in need. More Local News In honor of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, Goya Foods, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, will donate over 20,000 pounds of non-perishable Goya products to those in need. Members of the New York Police Department Hispanic Society, along with students and principals from District 12, will assist in packing and distributing over 2,000 food bags to families and individuals in need. This effort is part of Goya's #GoyaGives initiative and serves as a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and heritage during the parade week festivities Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
