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3h ago

Mamdani Hit With Attacks Over Photo With Imam Wahhaj as Race Enters Final Stretch

Polling and betting odds still give him a wide lead despite rivals trying to weaponize the episode before early voting.

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From left, independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani participate in a mayoral debate, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)

Overview

  • Zohran Mamdani posted a photo after meeting Imam Siraj Wahhaj at Masjid At-Taqwa, drawing scrutiny over Wahhaj’s past listing as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center case, for which he was never charged and which some former prosecutors have called overly broad.
  • Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa condemned the association, citing security concerns and past anti-LGBT statements attributed to Wahhaj, and argued the encounter reflects poor judgment.
  • Mamdani defended the meeting, noting Wahhaj has engaged with previous mayors including Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams, and said the backlash targets his faith and his frontrunner status.
  • Recent measures of the race still favor Mamdani: a Fox News poll shows him at 52% to Cuomo’s 28% and Sliwa’s 14%, and betting markets put his chances above 90% on Polymarket and Kalshi.
  • A Gotham Polling/AARP survey indicates a tighter contest if Sliwa exits, with Mamdani 44.6% to Cuomo 40.7% and many older voters undecided, as the second debate is set for Oct. 22 and early voting begins Oct. 25.