ZOHRAN MAMDANI BATTLES ANDREW CUOMO TO BECOME NEW YORK CITY'S NEXT MAYOR, IN FIGHT FOR FUTURE OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ BACKS MAMDANI, SAYS IT WOULD BE "UNCONSCIONABLE TO SEND ANDREW CUOMO TO GRACIE MANSION."
Zohran Mamdani (c) with (r) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attend a campaign rally Saturday night June 15, 2025 at Terminal 5 with 10 days remaining in the Democratic primary. Photo credit: JB Nicholas.
New York, New York June 15, 2025 Last updated: 8:37am, June 16
Free buses, frozen rents, no cost child care, better schools and cheaper groceries are what Zohran Mamdani is offering New Yorkers if they elect him mayor. Former governor Andrew Cuomo, his chief opponent, is promising more of the same moderate Democratic policies American voters overwhelmingly rejected in the last presidential election.
It is a clash with the potential to define the future of the Democratic Party: will the Corporate Establishment prevail even after their choice for president, Kamala Harris, got trounced by Donald Trump in the 2024 election, or will new populist blood with new priorities—in this case Democratic Socialists of America—seize power and redefine what it means to be a Democrat?
Most polls have Cuomo beating Mamdani, but Mamdani rose in those polls last week and one of them now has Mamdani beating Cuomo.
With a fiery cameo appearance by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, youthful Progressive energy was on full display as Mamdani rallied his forces for a final push to defeat Cuomo during a live-streamed rally for about 3,000 campaign volunteers and guests at Terminal 5 Saturday night. Its theme: “A City We Can Win.”
Adopting the language of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, Mamdani told the cheering, multi-racial and mostly-young crowd: "Government must deliver an agenda of abundance that puts the interests of the 99% over the 1%."
"I will be a mayor who doesn't bow down to corporate interests, doesn't take his orders from billionaires and sure as hell doesn't let ICE steal our neighbors from their homes," Mamdani pledged.
The 33-year-old political insurgent and Cuomo have emerged from a crowded field of contenders as the two top candidates to replace current Mayor Eric Adams.
Adams was elected as a Democrat. He switched to Independent when it became clear his indictment on federal corruption charges compromised his ability to win the Democratic primary—especially after Pres. Donald Trump ordered those charges dropped after he was elected.
Early voting in New York City's Democratic primary started on Saturday and will continue until June 24. That means there is now a 10-day race to the finish line between Mamdani and Cuomo.
If elected, Mamdani would be New York City's youngest mayor ever. Cuomo, now 67, would be its oldest.
Mamdani was born in Uganda but raised on the Upper West Side.
He lives in Queens and won election to the State Assembly in 2020. He's the son of path-breaking Asian-American film director and writer Mira Nair (1988's Salaam Bombay! and 1991's Mississippi Masala, two of her early successes) and her second husband, Mahmood Mamdani, a scholar of Colonialism.
"He is so genuine and so sweet," a long-time family friend of the Mamdanis told The Free Lance. "That's the kid I watched grow up. He's the real deal."
The powers-that-be, both Left and Right, have opened fire on Mamdani, starting with The Atlantic. The New York Post set-aside its almost-decade long feud with Cuomo to tell its readers to vote for anyone but Mamdani. Even the New York Times piled on Mandami on Monday, in an Op Ed that reads like an indictment—as if the ancient Grey Lady knew anything about winning elections today, having twice falsely predicted Trump would lose.
Cuomo is the son of former New York State Governor and national Democratic Party luminary Mario Cuomo. Cuomo the Younger won election as state Attorney General in 2007 then went on to become a three-term governor himself.
While often criticized from the Left for not doing more, then-Gov. Cuomo helped reform New York's criminal justice system by signing into law the Raise the Age and Less is More acts, among many others. During his decade in office, Cuomo closed 18 prisons. He even pardoned Judith Clark, a former soldier in the Weather Underground convicted of three counts of murder for her role in killing two cops and a guard during 1981's infamous botched Brinks Job.
But Cuomo also resigned in disgrace after several women accused him of sexual harassment in 2021.
Cuomo portrays himself as if he’s above deploying Dirty Tricks to win, but during last week’s live mayoral debate, Mamdani accused Team Cuomo of sending out campaign literature "that artificially lengthened and darkened my beard to stoke" fear of Mamdani's Muslim faith.
In short, Mamdani is the Democrat's hopeful future; Cuomo its checkered past.
They clashed directly during last week's mayoral debate.
Citing Mamdani's lack of executive experience, Cuomo claimed electing Mamdani—whose name he mispronounced—would be "reckless and dangerous." Mamdani blasted Cuomo back with both barrels: "I have never had to resign in disgrace."
"And, furthermore," he added, "the name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I. You should learn how to say it."
On Saturday night at the Terminal 5 rally, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez referred to the cloud Cuomo resigned under and suggested the sexual harassment allegations should disqualify him.
"I will tell you, as a survivor of sexual assault, I will never un-see that," she said. "We have to stand up for what's right in this country."
Then she really twisted the knife.
AOC added: Americans were "crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership." They want "a new day" to "see a new generation ascend." It would be "unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion." If they did, he would use that to run for president in 2028—which would be even worse.
Watching AOC speak from above, I saw when her scripted words ran out. She improvised for about 8 minutes before finally stopping. She was on fire.
With AOC doing his dirty work for him, Mamdani could relax and be the smiling prophet of Progressive change he was born and raised to be.
"We stand on the verge of a victory that will resonate across the country and the world," Mamdani said. "Make no mistake, this victory will be historic not just because of who I am, a Muslim immigrant and a proud Democratic Socialist, but for what we will do: make this City affordable for everyone."
Send tips or corrections to jasonbnicholas@gmail.com or, if you prefer, thefreelancenews@proton.me