According to the New York Times, the mayoral election saw the highest turnout in almost 25 years. Mamdani primarily appealed to young voters and people without money with a clever online campaign for a more “affordable” life. He wants to finance promises such as a rent cap, free buses and daycare centers, and municipal grocery stores through higher taxes for the rich and companies.
Mamdani belongs to the left wing of the Democratic Party and describes himself as Trump’s “worst nightmare.” The president denounced him as a “100 percent communist lunatic” and massively interfered in the election campaign in New York, where Trump’s real estate company has its headquarters – in the Trump Tower on the famous Fifth Avenue.
“If communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the New York City mayoral election, it is highly unlikely that I will provide my beloved hometown with more than the legally required minimum amounts of federal funding,” Trump wrote on his online service Truth Social.
He also insulted the 34-year-old Muslim as a “Jew-hater.” Any Jewish New York citizen who votes for him is a “stupid person,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Because of Mamdani’s pro-Palestinian stance in the Gaza war and his accusation of “genocide” against Israel, many in the right-wing camp consider him an “extremist.” But numerous Jewish US citizens also expressed concern.
Many in the president’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) camp also loudly called for Mamdani’s “deportation.” The member of the New York State Parliament was born in Uganda in 1991, is the child of intellectuals from the Indian diaspora and has only been a US citizen since 2018. There is a persistent rumor among Trump supporters that he illegally obtained the passport.
To prevent Mamdani, Trump called for the election of 67-year-old Andrew Cuomo. After his defeat by Mamdani in the Democratic primary in June, he ran as an independent. Cuomo belongs to the Democratic Party establishment and was hoping for a comeback: He had to resign as New York governor in 2021 after harassment allegations from eleven women.
According to the latest polls, Mamdani was clearly ahead of Cuomo. According to polls, 71-year-old Republican Curtis Sliwa was a distant third. However, if his supporters switch to Cuomo, this could change the election outcome in his favor. New Yorkers were able to cast their votes until 9 p.m. (local time, 3 a.m. CET), after which the first forecasts were expected.
According to experts, if Mamdani wins the election, there could be “some kind of political confrontation” with Trump. Trump will “treat New York City more aggressively,” said Syracuse University political scientist Grant Reeher. Trump had threatened New York with deploying the National Guard and could also order intensified raids by the ICE immigration police against migrants.
At the same time, gubernatorial elections took place in the US states of Virginia and New Jersey. They are also seen as a mood test for Trump’s Republicans. If the Democratic Party wins there, it could give it new momentum for the US congressional midterm elections next year. Since the defeat of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris against Trump a year ago, the Democrats have been seen as leaderless and are desperately looking for new issues.
