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<\/p>\nMamdani hopes to make inroads among Black voters who favored Andrew Cuomo, Latinos who swung to Trump and Jewish voters who may disagree over Israel.<\/p>\n
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New Yorkers vote early in mayoral race<\/p>\n
Early voting is underway in New York City as residents choose their next mayor.<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2212 New Yorkers are turning out in historic numbers in the race for mayor<\/a> of the nation\u2019s largest city.<\/p>\n The off-year general election normally isn\u2019t competitive<\/a> in New York, a heavily Democratic city. But ahead of Election Day Nov. 4, the race is contested in a crowded field.<\/p>\n Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani<\/a>, a state Assemblyman, has led in the race since he had a stunning upset against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June Democratic primary. Now running as an independent, Cuomo is looking to make a political comeback by building a coalition of voters opposed to Mamdani, a democratic socialist. But Cuomo faces roadblocks by Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who has vowed not to drop out.<\/p>\n Here are six things to watch in the race.<\/p>\n Can Mamdani improve in Black neighborhoods?<\/p>\n In the June primary, Mamdani struggled to win over Black voters<\/a>, who a key part of the Democratic base. Cuomo, whose father Mario was also a Democratic governor of New York, performed well in majority-Black neighborhoods in the primary.<\/p>\n Since then, Mamdani has campaigned heavily in Black communities, including churches, across the city. Basil Smikle, a Columbia University professor and former state Democratic Party executive director, previously told USA TODAY<\/a> that Mamdani had to convince Black voters skeptical of his ambitious campaign promises that include free buses, free universal childcare and a rent freeze in rent-stabilized apartments.<\/p>\n Embattled Mayor Eric Adams, the city\u2019s second Black mayor, has endorsed Cuomo<\/a> after bowing out of the race but he remains on the ballot. The two have attacked Mamdani and his supporters, seen as contributing to gentrification<\/a> in communities of color.<\/p>\n Young voters carried Mamdani in the primary. Can they do it again?<\/p>\n Early voting numbers indicate older voters<\/a> were turning out in higher numbers, which could be a positive sign for Cuomo, 67, as polls indicate<\/a> he performs better than Mamdani among people ages 50 and older.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mamdani, 34, needs to turn out young voters that gave him<\/a> a resounding victory in the primary. He\u2019s had viral social media moments around his campaign \u2014 whether about the effects of inflation in the\u00a0city\u2019s famous halal carts<\/a>, or\u00a0celebrity “Hot Girls for Zohran” backing him<\/a> \u2014 benefitted from thousands of highly engaged younger supporters who have canvassed across the city.<\/p>\n Do Republicans believe Cuomo?<\/p>\n In the general election, Cuomo has made explicit appeals<\/a> to Republicans to back him against Mamdani. He\u2019s even sought to push Sliwa, founder of the anti-crime vigilante group Guardian Angels, out of the race.\u00a0<\/p>\n If Cuomo can take enough Sliwa voters, there could be a path for him to form a diverse anti-Mamdani coalition<\/a>.<\/p>\n How much have voters, particularly Jewish New Yorkers, shifted on Israel?<\/p>\n Mamdani has long been critical of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. Some critics derided Mamdani as antisemitic for his views opposing Israel\u2019s siege of Gaza, which he has called a genocide, an assessment shared by human rights groups and a United Nations commission<\/a>.<\/p>\n In New York City, which has roughly 1 million Jewish residents, support for Israel has long been the norm among politicians in both parties. Cuomo and Sliwa have implied Mamdani is antisemitic over his position on Israel.<\/p>\n In the Democratic primary, Mamdani nonetheless received substantial support among Jewish voters. Public opinion has also continued to shift against Israel<\/a>, including among Jews and New Yorkers, largely due to its harsh relatiation against Hamas in Gaza after the militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israeli civilians.<\/p>\n Can Mamdani bring back communities of color that swung toward Trump in 2024?<\/p>\n New York City voted in record amounts for Donald Trump in 2024<\/a>. Perhaps nowhere was the shift more visible than in majority-nonwhite neighborhoods who embraced his promise to lower costs, particularly Latino communities.<\/p>\n In the majority-Latino Bronx,\u00a0Trump made large gains, the nonprofit news outlet The City<\/a> reported. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won 73% compared to Trump’s 27%. But in 2016, Hillary Clinton had 89% to Trump’s 10%.<\/p>\n After Trump won in 2024, Mamdani visited the same areas<\/a> where Trump made record gains, pitching himself in social media videos as a candidate for mayor addressing affordability. The election will be a test of whether Mamdani, and his focus on lowering the cost of living, can bring back nonwhite voters who swung to the right.<\/p>\n How do national Democrats respond to NYC?<\/p>\n National Democrats have kept Mamdani at arm\u2019s length. The two top Democrats in Congress, both of Brooklyn, are at odds over Mamdani.\u00a0House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries<\/a> issued a tepid, last-minute endorsement. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hasn\u2019t backed Mamdani.<\/p>\n If Mamdani wins again, Democrats could look to Mamdani\u2019s platform to focus on affordability as a winning message. Or, as one GOP midterm strategy memo said, Mamdani could be a liability to take control of Congress.<\/p>\n