Mayor Zohran Mamdani is greeted by the Bronx G.E.M.S. cheerleaders ahead of a press conference in Soundview marking the 100th day of his administration.
Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Ed Koch has a question he garrulously asked his constituents during his 12 years as mayor: “How’m I doing?” It’s natural to ask a similar question of Zohran Mamdani after he passed his 100th day in office on April 10.
In our opinion, the best description boils down to a one-word phrase popular among our younger readers for describing something that is not impressive but not terrible: Meh.
New Yorkers seem to agree, according to one poll that had Mamdani’s favorability just under the 50% mark. Does this mean Mamdani’s doomed for an even worse fate as mayor? Not yet.
But it does mean that being a social media darling — a TikTok sensation, to be sure — isn’t everything when it comes to running America’s biggest city and solving its most pressing problems.
So what does Mamdani need to do to succeed as mayor after a so-so first 100 days in office? Here’s what we think he ought to do:
The buck stops with him: Mamdani has laid blame at the feet of Adams for the “budget crisis” that left New York City in a $5.7 billion budget hole. The current mayor said the previous administration had consistently underbudgeted, and the city found itself spending far more than it planned for basic services.
Maybe so, but the logic is pretty thin. Mamdani is the mayor now, and he must lead the city out of this crisis, working with the City Council to do it. When incumbents blame the other guy for their current problems, it comes off as whiny, and it distracts from the need to look forward and do better.
In other words, do the math before the math does you in.
Live within the city’s means: We know Mamdani came into office thinking big ideas — fare-free buses, free childcare, building more homes, etc. The budget crisis has delivered a major blow toward fulfilling them. The mayor wants tax hikes to fill the gap and fund more spending, even though Gov. Kathy Hochul and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have repeatedly told him, “No.”
New York City’s $127 billion budget is big enough to trim enough fat to close the deficit while preserving vital services and finding ways to help New York’s poorest. Mamdani can find that way forward, if he wants to. If you want to realize your big dreams, don’t tax and spend yourself into a single-term mayorality.
Support your local police: The mayor has let Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch run the NYPD essentially on her own, though there have been moments of friction. He would be wise to continue letting the top cop use her incredible skill set to keep the city on a record-setting pace of reducing crime.
Moreover, while Mamdani has done plenty of videos and photo ops with garbage collectors, street repavers, and other public servants to celebrate their contributions to the city, he would be wise to do the same with the NYPD. Go to a few precinct roll calls, take a ride-along on patrols, visit a precinct community council meeting.
Both the cops and the community would appreciate such gestures.