Elaina Batista, Asst. Social Media Editor
After the second New York City mayoral debate, Zohran Mamdani continues to be the frontrunner in the race and polls suggest that he has a 44% chance of winning 50-60% of the vote. These statistics argue Mamdani could have a landslide victory on Tuesday.
Mamdani’s campaign has garnered major traction with endorsements from New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Senator Bernie Sanders at a rally in Forest Hills Stadium attended by approximately 13,000 people.
Speakers at the rally included labor leaders, members of Socialists in Office, Comptroller and former mayoral candidate Brad Lander, as well as state legislative leaders Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Carl Heastie. One of the rally’s most notable speakers was Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Throughout the rally, Mamdani reiterated his plans to hire thousands of new teachers, renegotiate city contracts, freeze rent increases for the city’s one million rent regulated apartments, build more affordable housing and provide universal health care.
Most of Mamdani’s base, according to Newsweek, has been anchored in younger, progressive and foreign-born New Yorkers with the rally running under the slogan “New York Is Not For Sale.”
Mamdani also received an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who articulated that he has made statements of disagreement with the front runner but supports him as the nominee. Later, Jeffries stated how he believes having Mamdani as mayor could unify the Democratic party under a Republican-held federal government.
Meanwhile, incumbent mayor Eric Adams backed Andrew Cuomo, stating that he intends to campaign for Cuomo in order to defeat front-runner Mamdani.
In a joint press conference in East Harlem on Oct. 23, Adams said, “Am I angry that I’m not the one taking down Zohran the socialist and the communist? You’re darn right I am. But you know what? The city means more to me than anything, and it is time for us as a family to come together.”
It is to be noted that both Cuomo and Adams have criticized each other in the past, with both brushing off the other’s remarks.
Cuomo also attended a rally on Oct. 26 and spoke with city council member James Gennaro and Assembly Members David Weprin and Sam Berger.
Before the rally, Cuomo appeared in a radio interview.
“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party,” Cuomo said. “That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about…He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”
In 2021, Cuomo resigned as governor following several sexual harassment allegations which he denies. An independent investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office found that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, some of which included state employees.
Meanwhile, Curtis Sliwa took his campaign underground, holding a news conference at the 57th Street Subway station in Midtown on Thursday. Throughout his campaign, Sliwa has regularly condemned “migrant” crime and has vowed to hire 7,000 New York Police officers and “enhance proactive and intrusive policing strategies to target illegal firearm carriers, repeat offenders, and violent criminals before crimes occur.”
Early voting for the 2025 mayoral election began on Oct. 25 and will continue through Sunday, Nov. 2. The deadline to apply for voting by mail is Monday, Nov. 3, and Election Day will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Editor’s Note: Please note that the information in this piece is accurate as of Friday, Oct. 31.