Latest news with #mayoralRace
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
Washington Post bashes socialist Zohran Mamdani as potential disaster for New York City
The Washington Post editorial board warned on Thursday that democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's recent primary win in the New York City mayoral race is not only "bad" for New York, but also for the "struggling" Democratic Party. The Post's editorial board argued that Mamdani's socialist policies could bring the city back to the "bad old days" and "discredit" the next generation of Democratic leaders. "New Yorkers should be worried that he would lead Gotham back to the bad old days of civic dysfunction, and Democrats should fear that he will discredit their next generation of party leaders, almost all of whom are better than this democratic socialist," they asserted. According to The Post, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., played a key role in Mamdani's primary win — making the election a referendum on himself and blocking "potentially more appealing center-left candidates" from challenging the young democratic socialist. They argued that Mamdani's policies, including "city-owned grocery stores," no bus fares, freezing rent on one million regulated apartments and raising the minimum wage to $30 may be tempting to some voters, but the trade-off would "hurt the people they are supposed to help." "Such a massive minimum wage would depress low-skilled employment. His rent freeze would reduce the housing supply and decrease its quality. Cutting bus fares would leave a transit funding hole that, unless somehow filled, would erode service. Meanwhile, the grocery business operates on thin margins, and his plan for city-run stores would probably lead to fewer options, poor service and shortages, as privately run stores closed rather than try to compete with city-subsidized shops," the Post claimed. The liberal outlet also acknowledged the mayoral hopeful's previous record of calling to defund and dismantle the police, contending that even though he has toned this rhetoric down, he still opposes hiring more officers. Another issue the Post took with Mamdani's proposed policies is the tax burden the city would have to bear in order to achieve them, more than likely sparking a "corporate exodus" from the Big Apple and, in turn, "undermining the tax base." In conclusion, the Post laid out what it believes Democrats need to do if Mamdani does end up becoming mayor. "Should Mamdani become mayor, Democrats such as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul can lead the way in containing him, not least so he does not define their party," it argued, adding, "Their gubernatorial nominees in Virginia and New Jersey, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, respectively, would be much better representatives of a Democratic brand that still needs to buff out the rough edges of its left wing."
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Cuomo will stay on NYC mayor's ballot after conceding Democratic primary to Mamdani, sources tell CNN
Andrew Cuomo will not drop out of the New York City mayoral race by the Friday deadline to remove himself from the general election ballot, sources tell CNN. That leaves in place contingency plans he had established before the Democratic primary to challenge Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in November. The former New York governor, who quickly conceded the Democratic primary race on Tuesday night to Mamdani, has not fully committed to running an active campaign through the summer and fall. But Cuomo will keep the place he already secured on the 'Fight & Deliver' ballot line for the November election, three sources say. Cuomo is calculating that the full city's electorate would be significantly different from Democratic primary voters who were energized by Mamdani's focus on affordability and his campaign's online videos. His camp also believes Mamdani and his policy ideas, from a rent freeze to city-operated grocery stores, will receive increased scrutiny now that Mamdani is positioned to secure a Democratic primary win once ranked-choice votes are allocated next week. 'Ultimately Andrew's decision and my decision matters less than the decision that voters already took on Tuesday night,' Mamdani told CNN's Erin Burnett on Thursday. Asked about possibly running against Cuomo in November, he said on 'OutFront': 'We did it once and it turned out pretty well.' Notably, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have praised Mamdani since Tuesday but declined to endorse him. And two House Democrats from swing districts in the New York suburbs criticized him after Tuesday's results put him in position to win the primary, while Republicans have sharply criticized Mamdani and tried to tie national Democrats to him. Mamdani is poised to face Adams, who opted out of this year's Democratic primary and is running as an independent himself, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo staying on the November ballot leaves the door open for the former governor to resume his bid for a political comeback, four years after he resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment that he has denied. Cuomo was long considered the front-runner in the mayoral race but faced progressive anger over the sexual harassment cases as well as his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic while governor, driving much of the liberal enthusiasm for Mamdani. Cuomo's bet would be that he could become a safe harbor for moderates and progressives concerned about Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, or Adams, who was indicted on federal bribery charges before President Donald Trump's administration moved to drop them. He could also keep his ballot line without campaigning, as he did in 2002 when he dropped a Democratic primary bid for governor but remained on the ballot as the Liberal Party candidate. For now, however, Cuomo has not set a timetable for making a final decision on whether to actively campaign or when to re-launch a prospective campaign. 'There's no clock ticking,' one source said. This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN
a day ago
- Politics
- CNN
Cuomo will stay on NYC mayor's ballot after conceding Democratic primary to Mamdani, sources tell CNN
CNN — Andrew Cuomo will not drop out of the New York City mayoral race by the Friday deadline to remove himself from the general election ballot, sources tell CNN. That leaves in place contingency plans he had established before the Democratic primary to challenge Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in November. The former New York governor, who quickly conceded the Democratic primary race on Tuesday night to Mamdani, has not fully committed to running an active campaign through the summer and fall. But Cuomo will keep the place he already secured on the 'Fight & Deliver' ballot line for the November election, three sources say. Cuomo is calculating that the full city's electorate would be significantly different from Democratic primary voters who were energized by Mamdani's focus on affordability and his campaign's online videos. His camp also believes Mamdani and his policy ideas, from a rent freeze to city-operated grocery stores, will receive increased scrutiny now that Mamdani is positioned to secure a Democratic primary win once ranked-choice votes are allocated next week. 'Ultimately Andrew's decision and my decision matters less than the decision that voters already took on Tuesday night,' Mamdani told CNN's Erin Burnett on Thursday. Asked about possibly running against Cuomo in November, he said on 'OutFront': 'We did it once and it turned out pretty well.' Notably, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul as well as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have praised Mamdani since Tuesday but declined to endorse him. And two House Democrats from swing districts in the New York suburbs criticized him after Tuesday's results put him in position to win the primary, while Republicans have sharply criticized Mamdani and tried to tie national Democrats to him. Mamdani is poised to face Adams, who opted out of this year's Democratic primary and is running as an independent himself, as well as Republican Curtis Sliwa. Cuomo staying on the November ballot leaves the door open for the former governor to resume his bid for a political comeback, four years after he resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment that he has denied. Cuomo was long considered the front-runner in the mayoral race but faced progressive anger over the sexual harassment cases as well as his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic while governor, driving much of the liberal enthusiasm for Mamdani. Cuomo's bet would be that he could become a safe harbor for moderates and progressives concerned about Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, or Adams, who was indicted on federal bribery charges before President Donald Trump's administration moved to drop them. He could also keep his ballot line without campaigning, as he did in 2002 when he dropped a Democratic primary bid for governor but remained on the ballot as the Liberal Party candidate. For now, however, Cuomo has not set a timetable for making a final decision on whether to actively campaign or when to re-launch a prospective campaign. 'There's no clock ticking,' one source said.
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
Andrew Cuomo staying on the ballot in NYC mayor race for November general election, sources say
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be on the ballot in the New York City mayoral race for the November general election, sources tell CBS News New York's political reporter Marcia Kramer. Cuomo has been considering whether to actively campaign, and sources say he will wait until next week when he sees the next round of ranked choice voting results from the Democratic primary. He previously announced he would run as both a democrat and independent so he could be on the ballot in November, whether he won the primary or not. On Wednesday, he told Kramer he was still weighing his options. "We're going to be looking at the numbers that come in from the primary, and then we have to look at the landscape in the general election, which is a totally different landscape," he said in an exclusive interview. "There are issues that came up -- the issue of affordability, which the assemblyman spoke to with offering a lot of free services -- and is that feasible? Is that realistic? Can that be done? So, basically, looking at the landscape in the general election, as it develops, and we'll take it one step at a time." Cuomo had until Friday to withdraw his name from the November ballot. Cuomo faces stunning primary challenge from Mamdani Late Tuesday night, Cuomo announced he congratulated Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for winning the Democratic primary, though he stopped short of officially conceding. The former governor faced a stiff challenge from Mamdani in what became an increasingly close race against nine other Democratic candidates. The 33-year-old democratic socialist campaigned on lowering the cost of living, in part, by raising taxes on corporations and top earners. The first, unofficial primary results were released when polls closed Tuesday night, showing Mamdani with 43.5% of the vote over Cuomo's 36.4%. Mamdani appears to be the winner, but it won't be formally declared until all votes - including mail-in and others - are counted and certified. Cuomo and Mamdani would then face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams in November, along with Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Jim Walden. Adams officially launched his reelection campaign Thursday after bypassing the primary by running as an independent. A new poll released by Honan Strategy Group had Mamdani favored to win the general election against Adams -- unless Cuomo ran as an independent, in which case, the poll had Mamdani and Cuomo statistically tied. The poll showed them both at 39%, followed by Adams at 13%, Sliwa at 7% and Walden at zero. Cuomo hoping to pull off political comeback Cuomo served as the state attorney general before he was elected governor in 2010. He was reelected twice before stepping down in August 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal. He was accused of sexually harassing nearly a dozen women, including some on his staff. An investigation from state Attorney General Letitia James' office found he created a hostile work environment with offensive, suggestive comments and unwelcome, nonconsensual touching. He denied the allegations -- at one point attributing his behavior to his Italian heritage -- but he ultimately resigned in the face of an impeachment investigation. His legal team later sued the attorney general's office and several of his accusers. Cuomo's administration was also accused of lying about the number of people who died in state nursing homes during the early days of the COVID pandemic. He testified before the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic as recently as last fall, after which lawmakers referred him to the Department of Justice for allegedly making false statements to Congress. The DOJ opened an investigation into the matter in May. Cuomo acknowledged the scandals that forced his resignation when he reentered politics with his run for mayor. "Did I always do everything right in my years of government service? Of course not," he said in a video announcing his campaing. "Would I do some things differently knowing what I know now? Certainly. Did I make mistakes, some painfully? Definitely, and I believe I learned from them and that I am a better person for it and I hope to show you that every day." Cuomo built a campaign based on experience Cuomo joined the crowded mayoral race on March 1 after much speculation. "I know what needs to be done and I know how to do it. Experience matters," he said in his campaign announcement. "Leading New York City in the midst of a crisis is not the time or the place for on-the-job training." He repeatedly touted his experience on the campaign trail, not only in leading the state of New York but in standing up to President Trump during the COVID pandemic. He also called out Mamdani for lacking that level of leadership. A big endorsement in the race came from former New York City Michael Bloomberg, who had largely stayed quiet in mayoral elections since leaving office. Political experts called it a "huge" win for team Cuomo. "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," political expert J.C. Polanco explained. "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." "It adds credibility, it adds money and it adds stability at a time when we see New York's future uncertain," added political analyst O'Brien Murray. Cuomo also received a stunning endorsement from fellow Democratic candidate, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who was once among his critics but said she now believes he's the best person to take on Mr. Trump. Other endorsements came from labor unions, Jewish groups and former New York Gov. David Paterson. contributed to this report.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Wealthy fear ‘hot commie summer' after Democrat outsider wins mayoral primary
Even Zohran Mamdani's detractors recognize that the vibes are with the 33-year-old democratic socialist. "It's officially hot commie summer,' hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb wrote on X, after Mamdani shocked the Democratic establishment by crushing Andrew Cuomo in the party's primary for the New York City mayoral race. It's a quip that masks deep anxiety among the city's elite that a Mamdani win in the general election in November would lead to higher taxes and a subsequent exodus of wealthy residents from the five boroughs. Kathy Wylde, a New York power broker who's connected business titans from across finance, real estate and media with city leaders for decades, said while Mamdani is inspiring to young people, his ideological approach "terrifies taxpayers and employers.' But enough voters across racially and economically diverse neighborhoods embraced Mamdani. In a speech early Wednesday, he reiterated that "a life of dignity should not be reserved for a fortunate few. "I cannot promise that you will always agree with me,' Mamdani said. "But I will never hide from you.' At the heart of his success was a social media campaign — populist economic proposals and progressive cultural ideas packaged in slick videos designed to go viral. A monitor displays early election results at a watch party in New York on Tuesday. | Bloomberg Just on Tuesday, he appeared in an Instagram video with Emily Ratajkowski, who has over 29 million followers on the platform. The model and actress wore a "Hot Girls for Zohran' t-shirt and urged voters to go to the polls. It was typical of the savvy and hustle that helped Mamdani amass an army of tens of thousands of volunteers, who relentlessly knocked on doors, stood on street corners and posted on social media to exhort voters. They evangelized his policies: Free child care, cheaper groceries at government-owned stores, free bus rides, a rent freeze and more — much of it paid for with tax hikes on the rich. Not mentioned: Those tax increases would need approval from New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has said she is opposed to the idea. Mamdani also wants to raise $70 billion in debt, another effort that has little chance of succeeding. Still, in the moneyed corridors of Manhattan, wild forecasts of doom are taking hold. Wall Street headhunter Michael Nelson said the mood is grim among clients who typically make more than $1 million a year. "This will be the end of New York City as we know it' is how his deep-pocketed clients are reacting to the prospect of Mamdani winning in November, he said. Already, stocks of companies tied to New York City real estate are getting hit. Flagstar Financial, a lender to apartment buildings, dropped as much as 6.7% on Wednesday before paring its decline to 5%. Corporate landlords Empire State Realty Trust, SL Green Realty and Vornado Realty Trust all fell. The city's elite had backed Cuomo, a member of the Democratic old guard who was considered the favorite in the race even in its final days. At 67, he was the oldest candidate in the race and pitched himself as a seasoned moderate who can manage New York's problems — from crime in the subways to a universally acknowledged affordability crisis. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo concedes to state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani at a Democratic primary night gathering in New York on Tuesday. | Hiroko Masuike / The New York Times Billionaires including Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP, as well as Bill Ackman, Loeb and Vornado's Steven Roth supported his campaign. Cuomo's PAC, Fix the City, raised nearly $25 million — an unheard of sum in a primary race for mayor. But many of the ads backing him focused on painting Mamdani as a bad choice for the city, rather than laying out Cuomo's own vision for governance. The former New York governor, who stepped down from that job following a string of sexual harassment allegations that he denies, didn't just have money on his side. Stalwart figures of the Democratic establishment such as former U.S. President Bill Clinton endorsed him. Mamdani, meanwhile, was backed by progressive stars like Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. There are signs that at least some on Wall Street might be warming to the democratic socialist candidate. "While we might disagree on certain issues, we should always be hopeful that Mamdani — if he ends up being elected mayor — can unite the city to address its critical education, public safety, housing and economic development needs,' said Ralph Schlosstein, former head of Evercore and a longtime Democrat. So far that sentiment is limited. Ackman, another longtime Democrat before he became one of U.S. President Donald Trump's most-vocal supporters, blasted Mamdani by claiming that his policies would bankrupt New York. Zohran Mamdani during an election night event in New York on Wednesday | Bloomberg The investor didn't respond to a request for comment on the results of the election. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, described Mamdani as a "Communist Lunatic,' signaling how Republicans will seek to portray the candidate as representative of the Democratic party. Rich Farley, a veteran Wall Street lawyer, said many of New York City's wealthy are likely to see the November general election as a make-or-break moment. Should Mamdani prevail, "the folks who can easily unplug and move elsewhere are going to think very seriously about plans to do that.' Ahead of that race, ultrawealthy donors have to decide if and how they will oppose Mamdani. Cuomo, who has signaled he may run as an independent, has to persuade backers that he is a more viable candidate outside of the closed Democratic primary system. If he stays in the race, he will compete against the Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and current mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent and didn't take part in the primary after a corruption scandal. But others on Wall Street may choose a more radical option. "I've already talked to hedge fund guys who have told me they have got a foot out the door,' said Eric Rosen, a former senior JPMorgan trader and hedge fund executive. "I left New York City 8 years ago because I didn't like the way the city was being run,' he said. "I sold my Park Ave. co-op and it's now down 25% and my house in Florida is up 250%. The market has spoken.'
