New York Mayor Election 2025 HIGHLIGHTS: ‘The momentum is on our side’: Cuomo
&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "New York Mayor Election 2025 HIGHLIGHTS: ‘The momentum is on our side’: Cuomo")
Image for representation Photograph: (AFP)
The major contenders of this poll are: Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The candidate who has emerged as the frontrunner is Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, who has been slammed multiple times by Trump.
New York went to the polls on Tuesday (Nov 4) to elect its new mayor. This was the first major election since Donald Trump became the US president for the second time. The major contenders of this poll are: Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The candidate who has emerged as the frontrunner is Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, who has been slammed multiple times by Trump.
Trump announced on Truth Social that he is backing independent candidate Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June this year. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him,” Trump said.
The NYC Board of Elections has said that voting check-ins have passed more than 1.1 million people, with some analysts saying that the total could approach two million by the time polls close.
The agency stated that as of 12pm New York City time (8pm GMT), a total of 1,195,062 voting check-ins have taken place, including a record-breaking period of early voting.
For Our City, a super political action committee (super PAC) supporting Andrew Cuomo, is running a video advertisement tying Zohran Mamdani and left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker to the September 11, 2001, attacks. The video, released this week, superimposed Mamdani’s photo over an image of the burning World Trade Center, as Piker is quoted as saying, “America deserved 9/11”.
The advertisement goes on to call Piker “Zohran’s buddy” before saying, “Mamdani is wrong for New York.”
Piker has previously apologised for the 2019 comment, saying it was an “inappropriate” attempt at satire, while Mamdani, who interviewed with Piker earlier this year, condemned the comments during a mayoral debate.
Independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo appeared upbeat after casting his vote at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan. “I’m feeling very good, I feel the momentum is on our side,” he said.
“It’s first time I ever walked into a polling place and the polling place cheered for me, that’s a good sign,” he added.
Asked whether he accepts Trump’s endorsement, Cuomo said, “The president does not support me. The president opposes Zohran Mamdani. The president believes Zohran Mamdani is a communist, he believes he’s an existential threat. I believe he’s a socialist and an existential threat.”
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani cast his ballot with his wife and spoke to reporters afterward to thank supporters and send a closing election message. “We are on the brink of making history in our city, on the brink of saying goodbye to the politics of past. And to usher in a new era in this city," he said, and then added, “It is time that we have a mayor who stands up for New Yorkers each and every day. I will not be intimidated by this president, I will not be intimidated by anyone.”
President Donald Trump again weighed in on the New York mayoral race with an inflammatory social media post, saying, "Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!"
“Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion,” Trump said in an interview last year. “They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves,” Trump had said.
Donald Trump on Monday smeared Zohran Mamdani, who is vying to become New York's first Muslim mayor, as a "Jew hater" that Jews should not vote for.
"Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!" the Republican president posted on his social media platform.
Andrew Cuomo appeared to dismiss US President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
“He didn’t say that. He didn’t say that. He did not say that," Cuomo told reporters, before reaffirming his political stance. “I’m a good Democrat and a proud Democrat and I’m going to stay a proud Democrat."
Zohran Mamdani cast his ballot at a high school in Astoria, Queens, alongside his wife Rama Sawaf Duwaj.
Elon Musk, on the day of the New York mayoral election, posted on X and called the City's ballot a scam.
"The New York City ballot form is a scam!
- No ID is required
- Other mayoral candidates appear twice
- Cuomo’s name is last in the bottom right," he wrote.
The winner of the New York mayoral election will take office on January 1, 2026.
Cost of living - New York City is facing one of its tightest housing markets in decades.
Law and order - Crimes like murder have risen in the city. As per the data, the number has reached a 17-year high in 2023.
Migration - New York has been a centre of migrants in the US. All three candidates have been critical of Trump for sending immigration agents to New York City streets, with each one claiming they are best suited to deal with White House should they be elected.
Both mayoral candidates, Mamdani and Cuomo, have used social media to urge their voters to be in their favour. “I am asking for your vote: a vote for experience to make change, a vote for public safety, and a vote for economic opportunity,” he wrote.
“New York City is the greatest city on earth – let’s make her shine again, together," he added.
Meanwhile, Mamdani posted a video graphic of a flower blooming to reveal his face and the text, “Polls are now open”, along with a link to voting locations.
Zohran Mamdani: The 34-year-old is a democratic socialist who, in June, became the Democratic nominee in a shocking victory over Andrew Cuomo.
Among his poll promises are making public buses free to ride and freezing increases on the city’s rent-stabilised apartments.
Andrew Cuomo: The 67-year-old is the former governor of New York. He is running as an Independent after losing to Mamdani by 12 points in the June Democratic primary.
Curtis Sliwa: The 71-year-old is a perennial candidate in New York City. His prime focus is on public safety and quality-of-life issues.
Former US president Barack Obama showed support for Zohran Mamdani. He reportedly reached out to New York mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, offering to serve as a “sounding board” should the Democrat convert his strong polling lead into a victory.
Ahead of the result, Madani said that Trump is “threatened” by his campaign, as the American leader warned voters that the city’s “survival” is at risk if the Democratic nominee wins.
