New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani rallied supporters on Sunday with heavyweight endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Contest Entering the final stretch, he told the raucous crowd that his campaign was a “mass movement.”
Democratic candidate Mamdani took the stage at a small stadium in Queens, where he and two of the nation’s leading progressives touted his candidacy as a counterweight to the billionaires and “oligarchs” who provide money and support to their opponents.
“When you persist in building a coalition that provides space for every New Yorker, that’s exactly what you create: a tremendous force,” Mamdani said. “My friends, this is your movement and it always will be.”
As the crowd chanted his name, Mamdani reiterated plans to hire thousands of new teachers, renegotiate city contracts, freeze rent increases in the city’s 1 million rent-controlled apartments, build more affordable housing and provide universal child care.
As early voting gets underway ahead of Election Day on November 4, democratic socialist Mamdani is in a bind. An increasingly mean race Compare that to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani and is now running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who campaigned in Queens on Sunday.
Cuomo has sought to portray Mamdani, a 34-year-old state representative, as a naive candidate whose agenda will harm the city. In a radio interview Sunday morning, Cuomo argued that he was the true Democrat in the race while saying Mamdani’s Democratic Socialism It will lead to an exodus of residents and businesses.
“Socialists want to take over the Democratic Party. That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about,” Cuomo said, adding, “He wins, book your flight to Florida now.”
Cuomo has denied a series of sexual harassment accusations and resigned as governor in 2021. Mamdani, who has frequently pressed Cuomo on the allegations, told the crowd Sunday it was time to jettison the former governor’s “playbook from the past.” But he urged supporters not to take his lead in the polls for granted but to get out and vote.
“We cannot allow complacency to creep into this movement,” Mamdani said.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have supported his campaign for months, including ahead of the June Democratic primary. On Sunday, they cast Mamdani as an antidote to the growing authoritarianism of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes Queens, said Mamdani’s victory would send a message to the country that progressive messages can prevail.
“It’s no coincidence that the forces Zohran faces in this campaign mirror what we’re facing across the country … an authoritarian, criminal presidency fueled by corruption and bigotry, and an ascendant right-wing extremist movement,” she said.
Sanders said Mayor Mamdani would represent “not the billionaire class” but working families.
“In 2025, when the people at the top have never had such great economic and political power, is it possible for ordinary people, the working class, to unite and defeat those oligarchs?” Sanders said. “You’re right, we can.”
Under the slogan “New York is not for sale,” the rally featured rousing speeches from religious and labor leaders as well as state elected officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. The event was hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Sarah Sherman.
Mamdani recently won the endorsement of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a moderate New York Democrat. Jeffries said in a statement that he had differences with Mamdani but supported him as the nominee, adding that the party should unite against Republicans and Trump.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams gave up his re-election bid and Support Como.