Despite the fact that the New York City mayoral election is only a few weeks away, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani has yet to receive endorsements from some of the most influential New York political figures.
The figures yet to endorse Mamdani include Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York State Senators, as well as the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, who represents a Brooklyn district.
These politicians have power within their state. An endorsement from them could ensure that democratic voters don’t vote for the independent candidate, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo previously ran in the New York Primary, but conceded to Mamdani on election night, a result that shocked the establishment, as Cuomo represented the moderate democratic candidate.
Cuomo’s campaign strategy involved relying on endorsements from the city’s major power brokers, as well as name recognition, whereas Mamdani put in the groundwork. He focused on contacting constituents directly rather than relying on large donors and endorsements.
Mamdani also encouraged rank choice voting. He even appeared on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert alongside fellow candidate Brad Lander. In the segment, they both endorsed each other and reminded voters to leave Cuomo off their ranking. This simple act of endorsing another candidate depicted Mamdani as selfless, showing that he didn’t care who won as long as it wasn’t Cuomo.
So, who is Zohran Mamdani, and why are his policies causing such a stir? Let’s take a deep dive!
HIS Strategy
Mamdani focused on meeting New Yorkers where they were at, building his grassroots campaign up from the progressive areas of New York City and expanding it to working-class neighborhoods.
His campaign focused on affordability, a glaring issue for those living in the city, as one in four New Yorkers lives in poverty. This is nearly double the national poverty rate of 13% and heavily influenced Mamdani in advocating for a progressive platform, deviating from the Democratic Establishment.
Mamdani’s platform resonated with New York City residents, influencing over 50K volunteers to participate in canvassing efforts. Their efforts helped spread his message throughout the city.
Mamdani and his volunteers knocked on over 1.5M doors and made over 2M phone calls in an attempt to persuade New Yorkers to vote for Mamdani in the primary. By listening to the needs of New Yorkers and humanizing those he disagreed with, people rallied behind him.
City-Owned Grocery Stores
Mamdani’s focus on affordability is demonstrated by his policies. City-owned grocery stores are one measure that can help to stabilize the price of food and eliminate food deserts within the city.
This policy entails building a municipal grocery store in each borough. These grocery stores wouldn’t have to focus on churning a profit, as they’re fully funded by the city and would be built on city land. This would allow New Yorkers to buy groceries at a lower cost without having to deal with mark-ups from corporate chains.
The city currently spends $120M to subsidize privately owned grocery stores, and these stores are not required to take Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. Mamdani’s proposal would cost $60M. This public option would not only reduce government spending but also ensure that taxpayers’ money would benefit New Yorkers by guaranteeing cheaper produce.
Fast, Fare-Free Buses
The public transit system should be reliable; however, anyone who’s been to New York City knows the frustration that comes with using it. The unreliability and the continually rising fares are yet another problem New Yorkers face.
Mamdani’s goal as mayor is to eliminate the fare for every single city bus. His specific policy outline focuses on “rapidly building priority lines, expanding bus queue jump signals, and dedicated loading zones to keep double parkers out of the way.” Making buses free and reliable would improve the living conditions of every New York resident.
Freeze the Rent
The majority of New Yorkers are tenants facing the struggle of monthly increases to their rent, with little to no protection from the government. Even rent-stabilized apartments, in which 2M New Yorkers live, have faced significant increases with Eric Adams as mayor.
The Rent Guidelines Board, members of which were chosen by Eric Adams, has increased the rent by 9% for all stabilized apartments. This has caused many New Yorkers to be priced out of their own homes, increasing the standard of living crisis.
Mamdani’s policy goal is to immediately freeze rent on stabilized apartments. Although this policy wouldn’t immediately fix the system, I think it’s better than maintaining the status quo.
Why I think Mamdani Needs to Win
The Democratic Party is currently experiencing historically low approval ratings, and its unwillingness to endorse Mamdani represents its lack of political skills in the contemporary moment.
Mamdani’s campaign is a testament to the possibility of a grassroots campaign that actually listens to the will of the people. He made over 50K people passionate enough to volunteer on his campaign in the sweltering heat of a New York City summer. He inspired first-time voters to come out to the polls, which led to the highest voter turnout for a New York City mayoral primary in decades.
On Sept.14, New York Governor Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani, but that has yet to lead to any more endorsements from the democratic party. In an election this tight, it seems to be irresponsible for the democratic party to not endorse a candidate because they deem him too progressive.
If the democrats want to win in the next election cycle, they must learn from Mamdani. Listening to the concerns of your constituents can allow you to craft policies tailored to them. That’s why Mamdani’s campaign was so successful. He was not only for the people, but one of the people.
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