WASHINGTON: New York City takes the world's political center stage as it approaches its mayoral election on Tuesday, with over 750,000 votes already cast through early voting.
New York City, home to 8.7 million people, faces a stark political choice among three candidates: charismatic democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and seasoned independent Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani currently leads by double digits in all major surveys. If victorious, he would make history as the city's first self-declared democratic socialist and its first Muslim mayor.
According to experts, Mamdani is up against two less-than-bright candidates. Cuomo has little chance due to his past scandals, and Sliwa is not very popular.
American Dream personified
"He is presenting the classic American dream," said Jahangir Khattak, an academic and New Yorker. Mamdani, born in Uganda to South Asian parents, is a foreign-born immigrant in a city where 40% of the population was born abroad. His ethnic and immigrant background serves as a powerful symbol of New York's diversity, providing the foundation for his inclusive vision, promoted with the slogan "Roti and Roses."
Youth and immigrant support
Mamdani's meteoric rise depends heavily on young voters — particularly Gen Z New Yorkers and immigrants — who view him as "an authentic and long-overdue break" from the political establishment.
Muslim voter base
The city boasts a large and growing Muslim population of around 1 million. According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, more than 300,000 Muslims are registered voters among the city's 5.1 million registered voters, providing a critical base of support for the first Muslim mayoral candidate.
Policy platform
Mamdani's core platform promises a steep economic shift to ensure affordability for working-class New Yorkers. His key proposals include a rent freeze for stabilized units, fare-free city buses, and universal childcare, all funded by raising income and corporate taxes on the wealthiest.
"If Mamdani wins, it will be because of his ideas to work for the benefit of the working class," says Khattak, who believes that for a working-class person, "saving a single dollar" means a lot daily.
However, the agenda is "radical and ambitious," and "these are still promises that need to be seen how they materialize," Khattak emphasized.
Many projects are at the grassroots level but will undoubtedly require "federal funding at some point," noted Dr Sohail Khalid, an expert on international affairs.
Anti-Zionist position
Mamdani's unapologetic anti-Zionist stance and intense criticism of the Israeli government have become a powerful rallying point for the progressive and younger electorate. He has consistently spoken out against what he calls the "genocidal war" in Gaza, saying the struggle there is "tied to capitalist interests over here."
Netanyahu arrest pledge
Mamdani has said that if elected, he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the city. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Israel-Hamas war.
However, analysts note that "New York is the bastion of Jewish population" and believe Mamdani's statement is extreme, with actually arresting the Israeli prime minister "almost impossible."
Political fallout
"Mamdani, if he wins, will have to defeat many Democrats as well," Dr Khalid pointed out, as a considerable chunk of Democrats is siding with Cuomo due to Mamdani's anti-Israel stance.
Despite this, Mamdani has backing from prominent Jewish and ethnic politicians, including Bernie Sanders and former President Barack Obama.
Immigration policy clash?
A Mamdani victory would set the stage for immediate conflict with President Trump's administration. Trump has made mass deportation a central policy, defending aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics and asserting that enforcement actions "haven't gone far enough."
Mamdani has pledged to defy federal immigration policies, announcing plans to transform New York City into an "impregnable shield against ICE activities." He vowed that, "We're taking every step we can to keep New Yorkers safe, to keep New Yorkers together, and to show the world that they are welcome in this city."
Federal funding at risk
President Trump has relentlessly attacked Mamdani, labeling him a "communist," and warned that a Mamdani mayoralty would face "problems with Washington like no mayor in the history of our once great city."
Khattak fears a triumphant Mamdani would put the city in "direct confrontation" with Trump, who opposes Mamdani's socialist ideas and controls the "federal purse strings."
The Cuomo factor
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, technically an independent candidate representing the centrist Democratic status quo, has repeatedly attacked Mamdani's inexperience and policy proposals as reckless and unrealistic.
Challenging Mamdani's leadership capacity, Cuomo has asserted, "This is no job for on-the-job training." He argues that his own prior experience dealing with the federal government makes him the only candidate who can protect the billions in federal funds the city depends on.
In response, Mamdani has repeatedly pointed out Cuomo's past scandals and questioned his "integrity" as a politician.
What's at stake
A Mamdani victory would not only dramatically reshape New York's political economy with sweeping social programs but also set the stage for an unprecedented legal and political showdown between a democratic socialist city hall and the Republican White House over the rights and safety of immigrants, even as the city faces continuous criticism from President Trump himself.
The question remains: What would this win mean for New Yorkers, and how would it affect the broader political landscape in the deeply divided USA?
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