The Race for New York City

On November 4th, millions of Americans were at the edge of their seats, impatiently awaiting the election results of three significant political positions: New York City Mayor, the Virginia and the New Jersey Governor’s races.  Most notable was the NY Mayor’s race, with Democrat Zorhan Mamdani winning by a wide margin.

As votes were being counted and the results became clear, social media erupted. A popular opinion was that these election results were a glimmer of hope in combating what was possibly the worst problem in the US: the rising cost of living. On the other side of the political spectrum, Republican supporters believed the state was doomed, that they’d fallen into the hands of people who could bring down the city. The election of Zorhan Mamdani was heavily debated. Articles by large media sources, “Opinion | Mamdani captures New York,” by the Washington Post, and “Zorhan Mamdani’s victory in New York: the Democrats can build on an uplifting night,” by the Guardian, show perspective on the issue, but it’s hard to judge Mamdani without understanding him and what he stands for, what he’s looking to gain for the city of New York and their people, and how he’s going to get it done. 

Zorhan Mamdani has taken both news stations and social media by storm. He’s known for his quick and intelligent responses to hard-hitting debate questions. One of his quotes in response to Andrew Cuomo, stating he has no experience, is: “What I don’t have in experience I make up with integrity, what you don’t have in integrity you will never be able to make up with experience.” This attitude is what caught the public’s attention, but what kept them there were his policies and the fight he was making against millionaires and the top 1%. 

According to thecity.nyc, the NYC “oligarchy” donated over $55 million to Cuomo, spending $65 per vote on a losing candidate. Mamdani’s investors spent $16 million, $15.81 per vote. During the race, President Trump made constant threats to New York City through press conferences and Twitter about what he’d do if Mamdani were elected. “If communist candidate Zorhan Mamdani wins the election for mayor in New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds.” Trump seems to be holding up on this promise. The White House withheld $18 billion from the city for a tunnel project when the government shutdown began, and did not fund $34 million in anti-terrorism measures. A federal judge called the move “arbitrary, capricious and a blatant violation of the law.” Trump also called on his party, asking them to comply, stating, “Now it’s gonna be up to the Republicans, and I hope they listen to the president.” New York City did not listen to the president.

Mamdani promises to heavily tax the wealthy to give all New Yorkers basic needs, starting with the need for affordable housing. In addition to a proposed rent freeze, he wants to provide free public transportation, provide universal childcare for all New Yorkers, add 200 lawyers to New York City’s legal department, and raise taxes for the wealthiest of New York City. Many critics claim that it’s unlikely he will be able to fulfill all of these promises, if any. 

The governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, disagrees with raising taxes on the rich and supports tax cuts for the middle class instead. This has caused intra-party conflict, as much of the Democratic-led state Legislature supports raising taxes on high earners and corporations. During a speech, Houchl was faced with backlash from New York City residents shouting, ‘tax the rich.’ In response, the governor said, “The more you push me, the more I’m not going to give you what you want.” Additionally, Houchl has also argued that she has already put vast sums of money into the public transportation system. “I cannot set forth a plan that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and subways.” Unfortunately, this is making the future of Mamdani’s promises seem grim, but he has continued verbally supporting the promises he’s made. “I continue to be excited about the work of making the slowest buses in America fast and free.” 

Even though Mamdani has faced pushback from all sides, including his own party, it will be exciting to see how he fulfills his promises and improves the quality of life for New Yorkers.