New York braces as Mamdani nears historic mayoral win

#York #braces #Mamdani #nears #historic #mayoral #win

New Yorkers are expected to elect leftist Zehran Mamdani as mayor on Tuesday, opening a new front in opposition to Donald Trump and raising the specter the president will retaliate against the city where he took his name.

While Mamdani’s rise dominates the headlines, the year’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey will be seen as even more critical gauges of the American political mood nearly 10 months into the right-wing Trump administration.

Democratic wins there will be seen as signs that the troubled opposition is coming back to life ahead of next year’s midterm elections to decide control of Congress.

Mamdani, who describes himself as a socialist and campaigns on reducing spending for ordinary New Yorkers, was leading by seven points at 41 percent in the latest Atlas-Intel poll.

The 34-year-old was trailed by former state governor Andrew Cuomo at 34%.

Republican candidate Curtis Silva, founder of the Guardian Angels Citizen Crime Patrol group, had 24% — a margin that would have given many of his backers a vote if Cuomo was transferred.

More than 735,000 people cast ballots as early voting closed at 6 a.m. (1100 GMT), according to election officials, with polls opening and closing at 9 a.m. (1100 GMT), according to election officials.

A total of 1.14 million votes were cast in 2021, which saw the election of incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who was embroiled in controversy after his campaign struggled to build momentum amid scandals and allegations of corruption. He endorsed Cuomo, 67.

‘Are you ready to win?’

In a final push for votes, Mamdani toured nightclubs over Halloween weekend, making a pit stop at an event called “Puppy Juice” without ditching his trademark dark suit.

If elected, he would be the city’s first Muslim mayor and right-wing Republicans have slammed a video released in Arabic to supporters in the famously diverse city.

Cuomo visited all five cities on Monday, while Silva criss-crossed the city pushing his “tough on crime” message.

The race focused on lifestyle, crime and how each candidate would handle Trump, who has threatened to withhold federal funding from the city.

“If Communist candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will contribute any federal funds, other than the very minimum, to my beloved first home,” Trump wrote on social media.

Mamdani opened fire during a canvassing event in Queens on Monday.

“What was rumoured, what was feared has been laid bare and uncomfortable – the Andrew Cuomo embrace of the ‘MAGA’ movement,” he said.

Syracuse University political science professor Grant Rehrer said Mamdani’s victory would set up a “showdown” with Trump.

“Trump will treat New York City more aggressively,” he said. “There will be a kind of political exhibition.”

Mamdani’s improbable ascension to America’s largest city has sent shock waves even through the Democratic Party, which is struggling to decide whether to embrace a centrist or populist, left-wing path.

“I think it has to be a party that actually allows Americans to see themselves in it and not just be a mirror image of a few people who are engaged in politics.”

The great test of our mood

Voters in the states of New Jersey and Virginia will elect a new governor on Tuesday.

Democratic candidate Mickey Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, faces Republican Jack Citrelli, a Trump-backed businessman, in a two-neck tie, according to polling.

In the Virginia governor’s race, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger is polling comfortably ahead of Virginia Republican Lt. Governor Winsom Earl Sears.

Both sides have brought out the big guns, with former President Barack Obama endorsing Spanberger and Sherrill at two separate events over the weekend and Trump scheduling telephone-releases on the eve of voting for both Virginia and New Jersey.

Obama also reportedly spoke with Mamdani over the weekend but — reflecting an internal party debate — stopped short of endorsing him.