Overview
- Polling shows Zohran Mamdani with a double-digit advantage over independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa ahead of the November 4 election.
- Mamdani, 34, is a state lawmaker and self-described democratic socialist who would be New York City’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor.
- His platform centers on cost-of-living measures such as a rent freeze for regulated apartments, city-run grocery stores, free child care and free buses, financed in part by higher taxes on the wealthy.
- President Donald Trump has labeled Mamdani a communist and has floated responses to a potential win that include lawsuits, intensified ICE operations, conditioning or pausing federal funds, and deploying federal officers.
- Wealthy donors and conservative media have targeted Mamdani, with Bill Ackman giving $1 million to the Defend NYC super PAC and Michael Bloomberg contributing $1.5 million to a pro-Cuomo group, as Democratic leaders offer mixed or late support.