Overview
- The president warned on Truth Social he would limit New York City to only the legally required minimum of federal aid if Zohran Mamdani wins, and he urged voters to back independent Andrew Cuomo over Republican Curtis Sliwa.
- Recent AtlasIntel polling shows Mamdani at about 40.6% to Cuomo’s 34%, a tighter margin than earlier surveys, with Sliwa trailing far behind.
- Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey and phoned Mamdani to praise his campaign, offering to serve as a "sparringspartner."
- Mamdani’s platform centers on affordability measures, including a rent brake, free public buses and expanded early childhood care funded by higher taxes on wealthy residents and corporations; he would be the city’s first Muslim mayor.
- Federal funds comprise roughly $7.4 billion, or about 6.4%, of New York City’s budget, highlighting the potential impact of the threatened cutbacks as these elections are viewed as an early midterm barometer.