With New York City’s mayoral election just weeks away, the campaign trail has become a hotbed of controversy, legal questions, and public drama. The three major contenders—Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa—are making their final appeals to voters, but it’s Mamdani who finds himself at the center of the storm. From fiery protests and allegations of antisemitism to legal scrutiny over his rent-freeze proposal and campaign finance issues, the city’s political scene is anything but dull.
On Friday, October 10, 2025, the tension in the race was on full display at Foley Square in Manhattan. According to VINnews and the Hindustan Times, Mamdani was forced to make a hasty exit after angry protesters confronted him, hurling accusations of antisemitism and demanding he denounce both Hezbollah and Sharia law. The demonstrators, some waving Trump flags, shouted, “Anti-Semite!” and “Denounce Hezbollah, denounce Sharia law!” as Mamdani’s security detail rushed him to his vehicle. The situation escalated into a brief shoving match between a protester and one of Mamdani’s staff, but cooler heads prevailed, and no further violence occurred.
The incident followed Mamdani’s speech in support of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who had recently been indicted for fraud related to a property loan. Mamdani called the charges against James a “blatant miscarriage of justice” and a “shameless act of political retribution,” taking a swipe at former President Trump by suggesting he should be held accountable for his own real estate dealings. Public lawyer Jumaane Williams, who was present but not involved in the scuffle, weighed in afterward, emphasizing the importance of allowing free expression, especially for those with dissenting views.
This heated confrontation was not an isolated event. Mamdani has become a lightning rod for criticism over his outspoken positions on both local and international issues. Just days earlier, on October 7, he published a social media post that condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre but also accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. His comments have drawn ire from both Democrats and Republicans, particularly for his use of the phrase “globalize the intifada” in the past. While Mamdani has since clarified his opposition to antisemitism and support for Israel, the backlash has not subsided.
Amid these controversies, Mamdani’s campaign is facing serious legal questions about its finances. As reported by the New York Post and corroborated in campaign finance documents, Mamdani’s team received approximately $13,000 in donations from individuals with addresses outside the United States—a clear violation of Campaign Finance Board rules. The campaign has returned about half of the money so far and pledged to return any other donations that are not in compliance with the law. Still, the revelations have opened Mamdani up to criticism from his opponents and the press, casting a shadow over his otherwise energetic campaign.
But perhaps the most contentious aspect of Mamdani’s platform is his proposal to freeze rents for four consecutive years across New York City. At a candidates’ forum on October 7, Mamdani dodged a direct answer about whether his plan could survive legal scrutiny, instead launching into a critique of landlords’ profits and the hardships faced by tenants. “To freeze the rent does not also preclude you from working on the necessity of a property tax reform agenda that is currently part of the reason why it’s so difficult to maintain rental housing across the city,” he said, according to the Manhattan Institute.
The problem, as legal experts and policy analysts have noted, is that the mayor does not actually have the authority to set rents. That power lies with the nine-member Rent Guidelines Board (RGB), whose decisions are governed by the New York City Administrative Code. The RGB is required to consider a range of objective factors each year, including real-estate taxes, water rates, operating and maintenance costs, vacancy rates, and the overall housing supply. The law does not allow the board to base its decisions on tenants’ incomes or landlords’ alleged profiteering, and certainly not on campaign promises.
By vowing to enforce a four-year rent freeze, Mamdani is effectively promising to override the law and direct the RGB to ignore its statutory obligations. “In essence, he’s telling voters that he’ll force the RGB to break the law for four years running,” wrote John Ketcham, director of cities and a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and attorney Christian Browne. They warn that such a move would almost certainly result in lawsuits and could be struck down by the courts, citing previous high court rulings that demand the RGB remain impartial and independent.
There are also concerns about the practical impact of a rent freeze on the city’s housing market. The RGB’s latest report found that landlords’ operating costs rose by 6.3% between April 2024 and March 2025, and by a staggering 28.1% over the last five years. Freezing rents, critics argue, would make it even harder for small landlords to cover their expenses, potentially leading to a decline in building maintenance and the loss of affordable housing units. “Rent regulations already impair the value of the city’s rent-stabilized buildings, making them difficult to maintain and operate at modest profit,” the Manhattan Institute authors noted.
While Mamdani’s campaign continues to dominate the polls, his rivals are seizing on these controversies as Election Day approaches. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, spent Sunday touting endorsements from 70 faith leaders across the five boroughs and the New York State Italian American Political Action Committee. “Faith leaders are the backbone of our communities: they feed the hungry, lift up families, and help heal our city’s soul,” Cuomo said in a news release. “Together, we will rebuild this city from the ground up, with faith, hope, and action.”
Cuomo’s campaign has also drawn support from prominent clergy like Reverend Dr. Renee F. Washington Gardner, who praised the former governor for his “real leadership” and ability to bring people together. Despite these endorsements and improved polling since Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race, Cuomo still trails Mamdani with just over three weeks to go until Election Day on November 4.
Meanwhile, Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, has focused his campaign on issues of public safety and cultural heritage. On Sunday, he joined the Columbus Citizens Foundation and other organizations for the annual Columbus Day wreath-laying ceremony at Columbus Circle, reaffirming his support for the Italian-American community and the controversial Columbus statue. “In 1892, Italian Americans raised funds to build and gift this monument to the City at a time when they faced open discrimination and fought for respect and inclusion,” Sliwa wrote in a social media post. Afterward, he attended the 48th Annual Morris Park Bronx Columbus Day Parade, continuing his outreach to key voting blocs.
As early voting approaches, New Yorkers are faced with starkly different visions for the city’s future—and a mayoral race that shows no sign of cooling down. From legal battles and campaign finance woes to public protests and passionate endorsements, the next few weeks promise to be as unpredictable as the city itself.
