The Case for Mamdani: Why New York City Deserves More Than Andrew Cuomo
I discuss New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary and argue that voters deserve better than a disgraced Andrew Cuomo.
Four years ago I wrote an article for my then student paper called Why Andrew Yang Should Be the Mayor of New York City. Four years later, the Democratic primary for mayor is back, and while Yang is no longer in the race, the stakes remain as high as ever. And boy, do we have a contest.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, is running on an independent party line this time around to bypass his party's primary, as it was one even he knew he stood no chance in. His opponents in the 2021 primary, like Yang - were screaming from the rooftops about Adams's corruption charges in previous jobs. New Yorkers however ignored those calls and voted him in as mayor. Current polling, would show a regret for that decision, with Adams achieving a record low 20% approval rating and fresh corruption charges (Adams maintains his innocence).
This Democratic primary, with or without Adams is a close contest, nonetheless. The person who until recently had been leading the polls is former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo. One of the first articles I ever wrote was on questioning why Cuomo was being hailed as a media darling when he had manipulated data in order to hide the real number of care home patients who had died from Covid and was accused by multiple women of sexual assault. So it would be fair to say I am somewhat disheartened to see him as the frontrunner in this race.
But hope is not lost. New York State Representative, Zohran Mamdani is on the edge of shocking the political world, having come from relative obscurity to now be leading in the polls (although it should be said the average has Cuomo as the consistent frontrunner). Zohran could not be further from Cuomo. As he said in the recent mayoral debate, after being asked how he would deal with President Trump “I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare, as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in. And the difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in DC”.
Cuomo, by contrast, couldn’t even muster the respect to pronounce Mamdani’s name properly. I wonder why that might be.
But alas, I do not want to rehash old territory and discuss why I don’t think Andrew Cuomo should be anywhere near any position of power. Let’s look at what Zohran is standing for instead. He would freeze rent for every rent stabilised tenant, build 200,000 more rent stabilised units, create a Department of Community Safety, create a network of city-owned grocery stores to help keep prices low for struggling New Yorkers, make busses free, regulate delivery apps to protect delivery workers and raise the minimum wage to $30 by 2030 - to name just a few of his policies.
Zohran represents a clean break from the disastrous Cuomo governorship and the Adams mayoralty. He represents the chance for a bold progressive future for New York City, where its citizens come first - not those who send an extra bit of cash to their top elected officials.
Of course there are many other candidates running who could have a consequential impact on this election or even win. And herein lies one of the many beauties of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), which gives New Yorkers the option to rank their top five candidates. If no one wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and their votes are reallocated based on second-choice preferences. This process continues until a winner emerges. RCV allows voters to vote for what they actually want, and remove that fear of ‘wasting’ one's vote, or having to settle for the lesser of two evils. Instead you can put the lesser of two evils as fifth on your ballot - and still get your primary choice heard.
Consider Scott Stringer, who ran in 2021 and is now around a consistent 5% in the polls. So he is unlikely to win. Who his voters rank as their other four choices then becomes almost as, if not more important than how many people rank him first (assuming current polling is anywhere near accurate). Or Brad Lander, who comes in a consistent third place in the polls, behind Cuomo and Mamdani. Lander and Mamdani’s recent cross endorsement brings the importance of RCV into clear view. These two candidates are so dead set on preventing Cuomo from entering city hall - they are asking their supporters to rank the other as their second choices, ensuring the other gets a boost when one of them is eliminated. How many times do you see politicians telling their supporters to vote for someone else?
If Cuomo doesn't make it to 50% in the first round, and enough of the other votes are reallocated to Mamdani - he could feasibly become the Democratic nominee and pull off a stunning upset. However, fellow candidate and State Senator Jessica Ramos has recently endorsed Cuomo - just weeks after saying his “mental acuity is in decline” and being one of the first democrats to call for him to resign over the 2021 sexual harassment allegations. I would imagine she either has a very short memory or was offered a cushy position in Cuomo's administration. I also doubt another fellow candidate in former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson will be ranking Mamdani second. Go look at his Twitter if you think I'm being presumptive.
Hence, despite the Lander cross endorsement, it would be wrong to suggest all the other candidates, and their voters would choose Mamdani over Cuomo. It really is all to play for. Cuomo is entering the election as the favourite, being the consistent frontrunner - but polling shows Zohran is gaining a great deal of momentum. If I had to predict the outcome of this primary, I would, unfortunately, have to place my bet on Cuomo—especially after the disheartening outcome of Adams’s 2021 victory. However, history has shown us that political upsets are always possible, and I hold out hope for another one here. Perhaps Trump’s recent re-election could spark a moment reminiscent of 2018, when figures like AOC rose to prominence, giving progressives across the country, including Zohran, the momentum they need.
It’s important to remember that this is just the Democratic primary; the mayoral election itself won’t take place until November. At that point, there’s still a possibility that a Republican—or even Adams running on an independent line—could win. That being said, the political makeup of NYC makes this unlikely. In recent times, the winner of the Democratic primary tends to end up as mayor. Although Cuomo losing the primary and then running as an independent, like Adams, could still complicate the general election.
Nevertheless, I end with a plea to all Democratic New Yorkers to deeply consider who they vote for. Even if you don't want to vote for Zohran, why not vote for some of the other candidates who have not resigned in disgrace like Andrew Cuomo? The city does not deserve another mayor backed by the same people who backed Trump. Or for that matter one who was forced to resign from their last role due to sexual harassment charges, charges supported by the DOJ. Quite frankly, your city deserves better leadership - leadership that prioritises people over power, transparency over corruption and decency over moral vagrancy. Zohran Mamdani embodies this style of leadership. The same certainly cannot be said for Andrew Cuomo.