Latest news with #mayorElection
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Is the New York Times trying to wreck Zohran Mamdani's mayoral bid?
A recent New York Times news story immediately drew fire from readers – and for very good reason. Headlined 'Mamdani Identified as Asian and African American on College Application,' the article centered on Zohran Mamdani, the candidate for New York City mayor who drew national attention recently with his stunning win in the Democratic primary election. Its gist was that as a high school senior in New York City, Mamdani – who was born in Uganda and is of Indian descent – checked a couple of different boxes about race when applying for admission to Columbia University. So what, you might ask. Why is this even a story, you might also ask. Excellent questions. Whatever its news value, or lack thereof, the story certainly got the attention of one of Mamdani's rivals – current New York City mayor Eric Adams, who will run in the general election as an independent candidate. Adams, who is Black, called it 'deeply offensive' that Mamdani would try to 'exploit' an African American identity even though he is not Black. And on Fox News, talkshow hosts used the Times story to trash Mamdani. Charlie Hurt, for one, called the mayoral candidate a racist on Fox & Friends and claimed that Mamdani despises America 'and everything that we stand for'. The rightwing cable network was having a field day with Mamdani, a Muslim and social democrat, even before the Times story. President Trump has called him a communist and suggested he should be deported. Other rightwing outlets picked up the story, too, presenting it as a DEI scandal – that Mamdani lied about his race in order to take advantage of the affirmative action admission policy at Columbia. (Making the story even more absurd is the fact that Mamdani didn't get in.) In print, the would-be scandal got some help from headline writers: 'Mamdani Faces Scrutiny Over College Application.' Mamdani has explained that he was trying to communicate his complicated background. His father is Indian Ugandan and his mother is Indian American; Mamdani himself was born in Uganda and lived briefly in South Africa before moving to New York City as a child. 'Most college applications don't have a box for Indian-Ugandans so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,' he told the Times. The Times's decision to pursue and publish the story was, at the very least, unwise. For one thing, it came to the Times due to a widespread hack into Columbia's databases, transmitted to the paper through an intermediary who was given anonymity by the paper. That source turns out to be Jordan Lasker, who – as the Guardian has reported – is a well-known and much criticized 'eugenicist', AKA white supremacist. Traditional journalism ethics suggests that when news organizations base a story on hacked or stolen information, there should be an extra high bar of newsworthiness to justify publication. Much of Big Journalism, for example, turned their noses up at insider documents offered to them about JD Vance during last year's presidential campaign, in part because the source was Iranian hackers; in some cases, they wrote about the hack but not the documents. The Mamdani story, however, fell far short of the newsworthiness bar. A ranking Times editor, Patrick Healy, responded to criticism of the story in a thread on X, justifying it as part of the paper's mission 'to help readers better know and understand top candidates for major offices'. Soledad O'Brien, the prominent media entrepreneur and journalist, called that explanation 'a joke'. The publication of the Mamdani story is 'an absolute embarrassment' for the Times, charged O'Brien, who herself is of mixed-race ancestry and identifies as Black. Plenty of others agreed, seeing Healy's explanation not as admirable transparency but as damage control. The incident raises a larger issue: the Times's apparent opposition to Mamdani's candidacy. On the opinion side of the paper, there's little question about that. Even though the Times no longer makes endorsements for mayor, they published an editorial urging voters to avoid ranking Mamdani at all on their ballots because he was so unqualified. (New York City uses ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to list several candidates in order of preference.) Remarkably, the Times stopped short of giving the same 'don't rank him' advice about disgraced governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned his office in 2021 and then ran for mayor against Mamdani in the primary. The opinion side of the Times is entitled to its opinion, however misguided. But straight news articles, by contrast, aren't supposed to go to bat for or against candidates. They're supposed to be neutral and non-partisan, not cheering on one candidate or kneecapping another. In practice, of course, that's often not the case. With this made-up scandal, combined with the pre-election editorial, the Times looks like it's on a crusade against Mamdani. And no lofty explanation about the mission can disguise it. Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamdani formally wins Democratic primary for NYC mayor
New York state Assembly member Zohran Mamdani has officially won the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor after the completion of the ranked choice tabulation, Decision Desk HQ projects. Mamdani's stunning upset win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and numerous other candidates in the field seemed all but certain following the primary last Tuesday as he led comfortably in the first round of counting by about 7 points. He also declared victory as Cuomo, who placed second in the first round, conceded defeat in the Democratic primary and congratulated Mamdani. But the additional rounds of ranked choice tabulations weren't released until Tuesday. New York City allows mail-in ballots postmarked by primary day to be counted, so some outstanding ballots may be added to the total in the coming weeks. In the city's ranked choice voting system, voters can choose up to five candidates in order of their preference. If no candidate receives a majority of voters' first-choice votes, as happened last week, then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed according to their supporters' next preference. The process continues until one candidate receives a majority. All other candidates in the race were eliminated going into the third round because their vote totals were low enough that receiving votes from other candidates wouldn't have made a difference. City Comptroller Brad Lander finished in third with 11.2 percent, while New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams came in fourth with 4.2 percent. All other candidates received 2 percent or less. Almost half of the votes for the eliminated candidates went to Mamdani in the third round, while just over a quarter went to Cuomo. A quarter were also exhausted, meaning those voters did not include Mamdani or Cuomo as any of their five preferences. Mamdani said in a statement that Democrats spoke with a 'clear voice' in the primary last week, giving him a mandate for 'affordable city, a politics of the future, and a leader unafraid to fight back against rising authoritarianism.' 'I am humbled by the support of more than 545,000 New Yorkers who voted for our campaign and am excited to expand this coalition even further as we defeat Eric Adams and win a city government that puts working people first,' he said. A state legislator since 2021 backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Mamdani pitched himself as the progressive alternative to Cuomo and sought to attract any voter looking for another candidate. He made a range of progressive policy proposals, including rent freezes, free buses and city-run grocery stores, and he received the backing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He also received a boost from some other candidates, most notably city Comptroller Brad Lander, with whom he cross-endorsed, encouraging their voters to rank the other candidate second to give themselves the best chance of defeating Cuomo. Going into the primary, only Cuomo or Mamdani appeared to be in a position to win. The race started out with Cuomo as the clear front-runner well ahead of the rest of the pack, but it gradually shifted into a two-person battle between him and Mamdani, as the other candidates struggled to gain traction. Cuomo led in most polls since before he even entered the race in March, but Mamdani closed the gap in recent weeks and enthused young voters, with whom he had a significant advantage. Cuomo's strength came from older voters, particularly senior citizens. Cuomo emphasized his longtime experience serving in office at the state and federal levels. Before serving as governor for more than a decade, he led the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton administration and served as state attorney general. He also slammed left-wing rule for the problems facing the city and the Democratic Party as a whole, searching for an identity following former Vice President Kamala Harris's loss in the November presidential election. But his net favorability rating was consistently worse than most of the other candidates, with as much as 40 percent of voters viewing him unfavorably. While governor, he became embattled over accusations that he intentionally underreported the number of nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic and faced allegations from multiple women of sexual harassment. Cuomo has defended himself in arguing that he was following federal guidance in oversight of nursing homes and consistently denying the harassment claims. But Mamdani outperformed expectations across the board, performing well where he was expected to and decent with groups considered to be his weaknesses. He was expected to be strong with white voters and those with college degrees but also put up decent numbers with groups that Cuomo was expected to be stronger in like Black and Hispanic voters. He even won some mixed Black-Hispanic areas and wealthy older white areas. But the question remains as to whether Cuomo will continue his candidacy in the general election. Cuomo already secured a spot for himself on the ballot in November under the party line for the Fight and Deliver Party. He said after the primary that he would wait to see the final results of the ranked choice tabulation to determine whether to go forward with an independent bid. Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in a statement that a 'massive spike' in the number of voters under 30 and who never voted before changed the primary electorate, but Cuomo's focus remains the same, to bring 'real change' to New Yorkers through dealing with affordability, housing, education and public safety and bringing people together. 'Extremism, division and empty promises are not the answer to this city's problems, and while this was a look at what motivates a slice of our primary electorate, it does not represent the majority,' Azzopardi said, leaning into another one of Cuomo's criticisms of Mamdani. 'The financial instability of our families is the priority here, which is why actionable solutions, results and outcomes matter so much.' 'We'll be continuing conversations with people from all across the city while determining next steps,' Azzopardi said. CNN has reported that Cuomo at least will remain on the ballot in November but hasn't decided whether to actively campaign in the coming months. Mamdani is already set to face sitting Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden. Unlike the primary, general elections in New York City don't use ranked choice, only requiring the winner to receive more votes than any other candidate. Updated at 1:11 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuomo's wealthy donor base splintering as he mulls independent NYC mayoral run
As Andrew Cuomo considers whether he can drum up support for an independent run for mayor in November's general election, the wealthy donors who backed his primary bid are splintering. Some have declared they're sticking with him despite his 12-point loss in the Democratic primary, while others are now throwing their weight behind Mayor Adams and encouraging the former governor to remove himself from consideration. Cuomo's run was in large part fueled by a super PAC called Fix the City that raised a record-breaking $25 million from the likes of Michael Bloomberg and Bill Ackman in his support. The PAC's direction remains undecided after Mamdani won the Democratic primary by double-digit points in the third round of ranked-choice voting. Another pillar of support for Cuomo — organized labor — has also drifted towards Mamdani, who rallied alongside the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and building workers union 32BJ on Wednesday. Ackman, a hedge fund billionaire who gave $500,000 in support of Cuomo, wrote in a lengthy social media post Wednesday that he'll now throw his support behind Adams — a blow to Cuomo as much of his core support has started drifting. 'In short, my takeaway is that Adams can win the upcoming election and that the Governor should step aside to maximize Adams' probability of success,' Ackman wrote, adding that he had met both with Adams and Cuomo on Tuesday to discuss the race. The billionaire, who also backed Trump's 2024 campaign, wrote that Cuomo was 'not up for the fight' against Mamdani, but that Adams was 'ready to go to battle.' Anthony Scaramucci, a financier who briefly served as Trump's communication director, said Thursday that he was sticking by the ex-governor because of his experience and promise to stand up to Trump, 'not bow down to him.' Scaramucci's firm, Skybridge Capital, donated $100,000 to a super PAC supporting Cuomo's run, and he himself previously donated $2,000 to Adams' 2021 campaign and another $2,100 to his reelection bid last year. 'I've known Andrew for a long time and there is absolutely no one with more fire in their belly or who is stronger in the ring than [Cuomo],' he wrote on social media, citing his remodeling of LaGuardia Airport and the Second Ave. subway. Other donors, including Mark Gorton, a prolific political donor who's backed RFK Jr., have indicated they'll now support Mamdani's candidacy. Moderate Democrats have taken issue with Mamdani's campaign promises of free buses and rent freezes for rent-stabilized units. And the city's wealthiest residents have taken issue with the state assemblymember's push to increase taxes on the city's wealthy 1%. While Cuomo lost the race to become Democratic nominee, he can still run as an independent on a separate line, which he's dubbed 'Fight and Deliver.' In addition to Mamdani and Adams, he'd be facing off against Curtis Sliwa, a Republican, and Jim Walden, another independent. His path to victory appears slim: He'd be courting the same moderate, outer-borough voters as Adams on a similar political platform, and he's have to swipe the city's Republicans from Sliwa. 'Everyone is entitled to their own political opinion — we understand President Trump supports Eric Adams, and do not believe socialism is the answer,' Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said. 'Most New Yorkers are not Trumpers, and most New Yorkers are not socialists — the majority lies in the middle. We will continue to assess the current situation in the best interest of the people of the City of New York.' Rev. Al Sharpton, who wields enormous influence among many Black voters, said Cuomo should drop out of the mayoral race and let Mamdani and Mayor Adams go head-to-head in November. 'He expressed that he has received many calls mostly asking him to stay in the race,' Sharpton said Thursday of a 'long' call between himself and Cuomo. 'Governor Cuomo said he thought the candidate with the best chance to win should run and would make his final decision in the coming days, after looking at new data and polling, which he said he would share with me to review. I said that while I would look, my position currently stands that the best option for New Yorkers is a one-on-one race between Mayor Adams and Assembly Member Mamdani.'
Khaleej Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Mamdani confirmed as Democratic candidate for New York mayor
Rising star of the American left Zohran Mamdani is now officially the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, according to official primary election results released Tuesday. The 33-year-old self-declared democratic socialist defeated his nearest rival by a strong margin, winning 56 per cent to former New York governor Andrew Cuomo's 44 percent in the third round of vote counting. With neither candidate winning a majority in the June 25 primary, election officials eliminated lower-ranking candidates and recounted under the ranked-choice voting process. But after Mamdani earned 43 percent outright, Cuomo -- aiming for a comeback after a sex scandal -- did not wait for the full results and conceded defeat the night of the vote, a stunning outcome for Democrats. Staunchly pro-Israel Cuomo led in polls for most of the race, with massive name recognition and support from powerful centrist figures including former president Bill Clinton. "Democrats spoke in a clear voice, delivering a mandate for an affordable city, a politics of the future, and a leader unafraid to fight back against rising authoritarianism," Mamdani said Tuesday. Born in Uganda to South Asian parents, New York state assemblyman Mamdani would be the first Muslim mayor of the heavily Democratic city if he wins the general election in November. Polling currently shows him ahead of current Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa for the November vote. Adams was elected in 2021 as a Democrat but is running as an independent. Mamdani and others have accused the mayor of allowing the Trump administration to conduct immigration raids in exchange for burying federal corruption charges against Adams. Cuomo is still weighing a possible run as an independent. 'We shattered everyone's expectations' The contest has catapulted Mamdani from an unknown to the national stage, with Democrats debating if he is too far-left -- his proposals include freezing rent for many New Yorkers, higher taxes on millionaires and corporations, free bus service, and universal childcare -- or just what is needed to beat back President Donald Trump's MAGA agenda. Asked by NBC Sunday if he is a communist, Mamdani responded in the negative. He also said "I don't think that we should have billionaires," but added he wants "to work with everyone." Trump has led the Republican criticism of the man who has upended Democratic politics. "Frankly, I've heard he's a total nut job," Trump said Tuesday. Mamdani -- a hyper-adept social media user whose campaign clips showcased his accessibility and drew millions of views -- posted a video Tuesday explaining how he "shocked the establishment and redrew the political map with a campaign relentlessly focused on the needs of working people." He noted Trump drew surprisingly strong support in New York City in the 2024 election, and explained how campaigning relentlessly in neighborhoods with minority, working class and immigrant populations, he was able to bring disaffected voters back to the Democratic fold. "We can win back voters many have written off if we give them something to vote for, not just tell them what to be against," Mamdani said.
Malay Mail
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Mamdani confirmed as Democratic nominee for New York mayor, defeating Cuomo
NEW YORK, July 2 — Rising star of the American left Zohran Mamdani is now officially the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, according to official results released Tuesday. The 33-year-old self-declared democratic socialist defeated his nearest rival by a strong margin, winning 56 per cent to former governor Andrew Cuomo's 44 per cent, in the third round of vote counting. Neither candidate won a majority of votes in the June 25 primary vote, prompting election officials to begin a process of eliminating lower-ranking candidates and recounting. But after Mamdani earned 43 per cent outright, Cuomo — aiming for a comeback after a sex scandal — conceded defeat the night of the vote, a stunning outcome for the Democrats. Staunchly pro-Israel Cuomo led in polls for most of the race, with massive name recognition as well as support from powerful centrist figures including former president Bill Clinton. 'Democrats spoke in a clear voice, delivering a mandate for an affordable city, a politics of the future, and a leader unafraid to fight back against rising authoritarianism,' Mamdani said Tuesday. Born in Uganda of South Asian parents, New York state assemblyman Mamdani would be the first Muslim mayor of the heavily Democratic city if he wins the general election in November. Polling currently shows him ahead of current Mayor Eric Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa for the November vote. Adams was elected in 2021 as a Democrat but is running as an independent. Mamdani and others have accused the mayor of allowing the Trump administration to conduct immigration raids in exchange for burying federal corruption charges against Adams. Cuomo is still weighing a possible run as an independent, which could further complicate the race. The mayoral contest has catapulted Mamdani from an unknown to the national stage, with Democrats debating if he is too far-left or just what is needed to beat back President Donald Trump's MAGA agenda. Asked on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday if he is a communist, Mamdani responded with a negative but added, 'I don't think that we should have billionaires.' 'Frankly, I've heard he's a total nut job,' Trump said Tuesday morning. 'I think the people in New York are crazy because they go this route.' — AFP
