Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani’s supporters are not concerned about his policies, government-run groceries, free buses, rent freezes, anti-policing rhetoric, or even his unwillingness to condemn antisemitic “global the intifada” chants.
But his experience, or lack thereof, now that has them actually wary before Tuesday’s New York City mayoral election, The New York Times reported.
“I’m not sure that he has the experience to deal with what’s going on in this city, of all cities,” Sue Ann Todhunter told the Times, albeit planning to vote for him anyway.
“It’s a lot.”
Welcome to New York, where Democrats are in control and historically win low-turnout elections. In fact, it is so heavily blue that the two front-runners are a failed Democrat former governor,Andrew Cuomo, who was ostracized in disgrace over sexual harassment allegations and a one-term assemblyman born in Uganda and son of a filmmaker, Mamdani.
Times interviews and polls show even many supporters questioning Mamdani’s readiness to manage the nation’s largest city — a $112 billion budget and a 300,000-person workforce.
A Quinnipiac University poll released in October found that close to half of New York City voters had doubts about his qualifications, even as he ran up a strong lead over his rivals otherwise.
Asked whether Mamdani, 34, had the right kind of experience to be mayor, just 39% said he did, while 47% said he did not. In contrast, 73% said Cuomo had “the right kind of experience” for the job. Just 24% said the same of Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
Cuomo, 67, has made experience the centerpiece of his late campaign push, warning Mamdani’s inexperience could “kill New York City.” He has also argued he would better counter President Donald Trump, who has threatened to withhold federal funding and labeled Mamdani “my little communist mayor.”
If elected, Mamdani would become New York’s youngest mayor in more than a century. He has pledged to retain NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and said Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, a key ally, will help him assemble a “seasoned” team at City Hall.
While some voters view his youth as refreshing, others fear the steep learning curve.
“He’s really young,” a Queens supporter told the Times. “This is his first time doing something of this level.”
Another voter admitted Mamdani is “green.”
While there is an effort to turn New York City back over to the failed Democrat governor, Sliwa reminds New Yorkers that voting Democrat is what led to the issues the city faces, without a care from the Democrat voters.
“You’re flirting with Cuomo,” Sliwa told Newsmax’s “Finnerty” this week. “He said he would leave New York City and flee to Florida. I fight for what I know is right. Improve, don’t move.
“If I happen to lose this, I become his worst nightmare, I pitch my Republican flag and my Republican law and order values and I fight, fight, fight. That’s what Republicans do. They don’t surrender. They don’t retreat, and they don’t drop out.
“When do Republicans drop out? Do you remember when [Ron] DeSantis was being touted as the next presidential nominee? The New York Post had a front-page headline, Donald drop out. Did Donald Trump drop out?
“No. Donald Trump went on to become president again because he fights, fights, fights.”
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