New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani delivered an emotional address on Friday, condemning what he called “racist, baseless attacks” from his opponents, just a day before early voting begins in a race he is widely projected to win.
Speaking outside a mosque in the Bronx, Mamdani criticised his opponents for bringing “hatred to the forefront,” warning that their Islamophobia affects not only him as the Democratic nominee for mayor but also nearly one million Muslims living in New York. “To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity, but indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does,” he said, delivering the remarks less than two weeks before the November 4 general election.
Mamdani, currently serving as a member of the New York State Assembly, said his campaign had focused on affordability, but recent events had shown that “Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement” among his opponents. His speech followed comments by his former primary rival, ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who laughed after radio host Sid Rosenberg suggested that Mamdani “would be cheering” if another September 11 attack occurred. Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, responded in agreement with Rosenberg, calling it “another problem.”
Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Muslim advocacy group CAIR Action, described Cuomo’s remarks as “despicable, dangerous, and disqualifying.” “By agreeing with a racist radio host who suggested a Muslim elected official would ‘cheer’ another 9/11, Cuomo has crossed a moral line,” Elkarra said. He added, “Cuomo’s willingness to engage in this kind of hate speech, on this kind of platform, shows exactly the kind of leader he is: someone who would rather stoke fear than bring people together.”
Mamdani also recounted being slandered by Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa during a debate, when Sliwa claimed that Mamdani supports global jihad. He highlighted attacks in campaign advertisements that imply he is a terrorist or mock the way he eats. Mamdani recalled personal incidents, including his aunt stopping subway rides after 9/11 due to feeling unsafe in her hijab, a staff member having the word “terrorist” spray-painted on their garage, and advice that he could hide his faith to improve electoral chances.
On Friday, Mamdani received a long-anticipated endorsement from Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader representing New York’s eighth congressional district, which includes East Flatbush, Coney Island, and Brownsville. He has previously earned endorsements from prominent Democrats such as Governor Kathy Hochul, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and independent Senator Bernie Sanders. However, the pro-Palestinian candidate has faced challenges in securing backing from other top New York Democrats, including Senator Chuck Schumer.
Despite these hurdles, Mamdani won the Democratic primary resoundingly in June. Current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who did not contest the primary after facing corruption allegations, endorsed Cuomo this week after withdrawing from the race, though his name will still appear on the ballot.
A recent AARP and Gotham Polling and Analytics survey shows Mamdani leading with 43.2 percent support, followed by Cuomo at 28.9 percent and Sliwa at 19.4 percent, while 8.4 percent of voters were undecided or preferred other candidates. Nearly two-thirds of voters identified the cost of living as their main concern, with public safety and housing affordability also highlighted as significant issues.