🔗 Share this article

Residents of the Big Apple will discover the identity of their new city leader this election day, in a race that will determine who runs and defends the country's most populous metropolis at a moment when Donald Trump has vowed to send armed forces to the city.

Against that backdrop, New York has experienced a race for mayor that has pitted two very different Democratic figures against one another. The contest has turned into an increasingly bitter showdown, marked by alleged racism and Islamophobia, but it is the political differences between the two main candidates that could have major implications for how the Democratic party performs in next year's midterm elections.

The Progressive Challenger

On the left side is the democratic socialist, the 34-year-old progressive candidate whose rapid ascent and grassroots campaign has attracted global notice. On the establishment side is the former governor, the former New York governor now running as an independent – and enjoying the backing of ultra-rich donors and big business.

With days to go, it is Mamdani, the one-time underdog who beat his opponent in the party primary who is solidly positioned as the leading candidate. Mamdani, who has run on a agenda of economic justice and pledged to halt rent increases for about two million New Yorkers, has led Cuomo by double-digits in every poll conducted in the fall, and it is very much the progressive's race to lose.

The Controversial Campaign

Yet, Cuomo, who stepped down as governor in 2021 amid accusations of misconduct, has stated clearly he will battle to the finish, and not necessarily in an above-the-belt manner. He has criticized Mamdani's objectives as unachievable, and in recent days laughed as a broadcaster made anti-Muslim comments about the candidate, who is a Muslim. Two weeks ago, Cuomo was strongly criticized as bigoted after posting an AI-generated ad that featured a slew of racist stereotypes and showed Mamdani releasing a group of criminals.

It's been a rather grubby end to an race that could be key to the path that the Democratic party, struggling in its response to Trump's authoritarian grabs, takes in the near future.

Broader Consequences

If the progressive wins convincingly, the establishment party leaders who have declined to support his campaign will be compelled to address a message that has appealed to Americans' frustration at inequality, inflation and the political elite. It would be difficult for the Senate leader and Hakeem Jeffries not to embrace at least some of the candidate's ambitious ideas about economic justice, given the fresh face has generated an enthusiasm within the party perhaps not witnessed since Bernie Sanders campaigned for the White House eight years ago.

However, if Cuomo, who had been expected to win easily in the Democratic primary, complete a surprising comeback win, it could reinforce national Democrats' existing approach of cautious, lackluster resistance – a strategy that has angered the party base. A NYC rejection of Mamdani's progressive, positive message could convince party leaders that the wisest course is to stick to the political center – even as polls show the present version of the party is deeply unpopular nationwide.

Voter Enthusiasm

Residents of New York seem to prefer the progressive agenda. Surveys show that his backers are far more enthusiastic about their choice than his opponent's supporters, something that has been evident throughout the campaign. Mamdani's engaging content on digital platforms, his hopeful outlook for New York and his readiness to actually get out and connect with voters in the city has drawn an army of more than 50,000 volunteers, many of them young or new participants.

Negative Tactics

Yet, Cuomo, 67, isn't giving up. And with the stakes against him, the ex-leader has resorted to negative campaigning in the final days.

Following extensive throwing basically everything at his opponent to see what might resonate, Cuomo has concentrated on attacking Mamdani personally. He has labelled his rival, who was born in Uganda to South Asian heritage, an "radical", and popped up on conservative media for an interview with a rightwing host, where the candidate asserted the city “will not survive” Mamdani as mayor. It hit bottom last week, when Cuomo laughed along and said “that’s another problem” after a radio host said Mamdani would “cheer” another 9/11-style attack.

Political Landscape

The line of attack echoes much of what Trump, who has sent the national guard to the capital and threatened to do the same to New York, has said about the progressive, and maybe that shouldn’t come as a surprise. A set of wealthy residents, including some who donated to Trump in the last presidential race, have invested heavily into trying to elect Cuomo into office, as other influential figures have urged Curtis Sliwa to drop out from the contest.

Candidate Backgrounds

As far as the Cuomo camp, and his wealthy backers, are worried, it should never have come to this point. When the assemblyman, one of 150 state legislators, launched his campaign for mayor in last year, not many had known him, and in truth, few even paid attention.

The former governor, by contrast, eased his way into the race in this year and became the instant favorite. He was the political heavyweight who apparently held every edge. The quintessential political insider, he had married a political dynasty member and worked in Bill Clinton’s administration. He assumed office as the state's leader in 2011, seventeen years after his father, Mario Cuomo, stepped down from the same position.

The progressive, who was voted in to the state legislature in 2020, does not have the comparable background. But his commitment to providing no-cost transit and free childcare – along with the freeze-the-rent pledge – offer a brighter outlook of the city's direction than his opponent's dire warnings about “mayhem” and unfettered crime, and his promise to hire more police officers.

Campaign Controversies

Nevertheless, Mamdani has faced some challenges in recent days, after footage emerged appearing to show him suggesting the New York police department and the Israel Defense Forces were connected.

“We have to make clear that when the pressure of the NYPD is on your throat, it’s been influenced by the IDF,” Mamdani said in the recording, recorded at a Democratic Socialists of America convention in 2023. Mamdani, a vocal opponent of the Israeli government who has said the country is committing genocide in Gaza, indicated he was criticizing cooperative programs between the city police and Israeli forces.

Powerful Moment

With the election nearing, Mamdani seems to have gained sympathy and support, however, for his reaction to his opponent's increasing rhetoric.

The progressive addressed Cuomo’s terrorism comments in an heartfelt recording. In it, the candidate recalled how, when he first ran for state assembly, a Muslim uncle advised to him that he did not have to tell people about his Muslim faith. It was a lesson, he said, that many Muslim New Yorkers had been taught “again and again”: “That safety could only be found in the shadows of our city. That it is in those shadows alone where followers of Islam could embrace their true selves, and that if we were to emerge from those seclusion, then it is in those shadows that we must set aside our beliefs.”

Addressing the behavior of his opponents, who has alleged Mamd