On a humid Sunday in Brooklyn, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist mayoral candidate who stunned New York’s political establishment with his June primary victory, took the stage to launch his general election campaign. The crowd, a mix of longtime supporters and curious newcomers, buzzed with anticipation. Mamdani’s message was clear: his movement, forged in the city’s walk-ups and subway platforms, was only just beginning—and it was time to reach beyond party lines.
“Are there more New Yorkers who want to join this movement for a city that they can actually afford?” Mamdani asked, his words echoing through the leafy streets. The candidate, who had just wrapped up a whirlwind five-day, anti-Donald Trump tour across all five boroughs, was now setting his sights on November. But this time, he avoided mentioning Trump, instead focusing on bread-and-butter issues: affordability, housing, and the promise that local government could finally meet the “material needs” of its people.
According to Fox News, Mamdani’s campaign has been built around socialist and even communist ideas—proposals like government-run grocery stores and citywide rent freezes. These policies, he argued, were not just slogans but real solutions for working families squeezed by rising costs and stagnant wages. “This is your victory. It is your work that took us from 1% in the polls to beating a former governor by 13 points,” Mamdani told his supporters, referencing his upset win over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the June primary.
That victory, which saw Mamdani claim more than 573,000 votes—despite turnout being less than 30% of registered Democrats—was historic. As reported by Fox News, it was the largest vote total in New York City primary history. Mamdani credited his canvassers, who braved rain and six-floor walk-ups, for turning a long-shot campaign into a citywide movement.
But the road ahead is anything but smooth. In the general election, Mamdani faces a crowded field: Cuomo, running as an independent after his primary defeat, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (also running as an independent), and Republican Curtis Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder. Each brings a distinct vision for New York’s future—and each is determined to paint Mamdani’s platform as either unattainable or outright dangerous.
Conservative voices have been especially vocal in their criticism. In an August 17 opinion piece for the New York Daily News, attorney David Scharf argued that Mamdani’s win signaled the unraveling of the New York built by “hard-working immigrants and business ingenuity.” He warned that the city’s embrace of socialism would only accelerate its decline, calling instead for a “compassionate conservative vision rooted in New York’s promise and opportunity.”
Scharf’s critique focused on what he described as surges in public crime—subway stabbings, organized retail theft—that have eroded the safety and dignity of working-class, elderly, and marginalized New Yorkers. He pointed to the 1990s, when Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton slashed crime rates with tough policing. Today, Scharf highlighted NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s advocacy for re-establishing cash bail, arguing that recent criminal justice reforms have let too many offenders back onto the streets and increased recidivism.
“Law and order are the foundation of any compassionate society,” Scharf wrote, warning that Mamdani’s promises—like building 200,000 new public housing units while proposing tax hikes—would alienate the businesses that form New York’s economic backbone. He accused Mamdani of treating city tax revenue “like Monopoly money,” ignoring the trust between government, business, and taxpayers.
The city’s housing crisis loomed large in both Mamdani’s campaign and his critics’ arguments. Public housing, with an estimated $80 billion in unmet capital needs, has long been a symbol of government dysfunction. Mamdani’s plan to dramatically expand public housing was met with skepticism from conservatives, who argued that rent regulation laws—strengthened during the de Blasio administration—have stifled private investment and worsened the crisis.
By contrast, Mayor Adams’ administration has touted its use of the PACT (Permanent Affordability Commitment Together) program, a public-private partnership that has raised $1.7 billion in capital and improved or built more than 50,000 public housing units. As Scharf noted, “The PACT program does not alienate private partners but instead utilizes their expertise and capital to improve public services. That’s the kind of conservative governance New York needs—not big government, but smart government.”
For Mamdani, the challenge is to convince voters that his bold ideas can translate into real change. During his Brooklyn remarks, he recounted stories that underscored the breadth of his coalition. He recalled a conversation with a campaign volunteer on primary day, who described “aunties and uncles who were breaking down at the poll sites after they’d been informed they weren’t registered as Democrats and able to vote at that time.” Only registered Democrats could participate in the primary, leaving many of Mamdani’s would-be supporters on the sidelines.
Mamdani also told the story of an 18-year-old man who, on primary night, pulled up on a motorbike to ask for a selfie. When Mamdani asked if he had voted, they discovered the young man was a registered Republican—unable to vote in the primary, but now eligible to cast a ballot in November. “I tell you the story of that 18-year-old young man, of those aunties and uncles who had to be pulled away from those poll sites to remind us of how many more New Yorkers there are for us to speak,” Mamdani said. “And I thank you for being here, because so often, any victories in politics are described as if they are that of just the candidate. But you know the truth. This is your victory.”
Yet Mamdani’s campaign has not been without controversy. Cuomo, his former rival and now independent opponent, has ramped up attacks, questioning Mamdani’s authenticity for living in a rent-stabilized apartment despite his wealthy upbringing. Mamdani, the son of an acclaimed Indian filmmaker and a Columbia University professor, recently returned from an extravagant wedding celebration in Uganda—fodder for critics who accuse him of hypocrisy. He has also walked back his previous support for the phrase “globalize the intifada” after backlash from the New York Jewish community, signaling a willingness to recalibrate his message in the face of criticism.
On Sunday, Mamdani addressed a grim reminder of the city’s ongoing struggles: a mass shooting in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights that took the lives of three New Yorkers and injured eight more. “We cannot accept gun violence in our city,” Mamdani wrote on social media, expressing gratitude for the first responders who rushed to the scene. His response, while measured, reflected the delicate balance he must strike—championing progressive reform while reassuring voters that public safety remains a top priority.
As the November election approaches, New Yorkers face a stark choice. Will they embrace Mamdani’s vision of a city transformed by bold government action and grassroots activism? Or will they heed the warnings of conservatives who see his rise as a threat to New York’s economic and social fabric? With Adams, Cuomo, Sliwa, and Mamdani all vying for City Hall, the race promises to be one of the most consequential—and contentious—in recent memory.
In the end, the outcome will hinge on whether voters believe that New York’s future lies in radical change, pragmatic compromise, or a return to the city’s storied traditions. For now, one thing is certain: the city’s political landscape has been upended, and the conversation about what New York can—and should—be is just getting started.
