Giovanni Lanzo is “still tossed up” concerning the mayor’s race – that’s Brooklyn for undecided. But he understands the stakes.
“The whole world watches what New York does,” Lanza mentioned. “Let’s do it right.”
New York is America’s largest and most numerous metropolis, and a world monetary and cultural powerhouse. So choosing a brand new mayor is at all times an enormous deal.
But it’s even greater this time. Because of the second and the problems entrance and heart proper now in American politics; due to the candidates; and due to the excessive curiosity within the race proven by New York actual property developer turned President Donald Trump.
It’s an enormous deal irrespective of who wins. A historic deal if the frontrunner does.
Zohran Mamdani is simply 34. An immigrant. A Muslim. A democratic socialist. A champion of multiculturalism. In some ways, Mamdani is the anti-Trump.
Yet they share just a few traits. Mamdani, like Trump, makes use of social media as a megaphone to speak and encourage. Mamdani, like Trump, is polarizing.
“I just think the country is going really badly down the toilet,” mentioned Alice Henty, a filmmaker who lives in Brooklyn. “Zohran is like the glimmer of hope for me and for everyone I know.”
Sid Stewart lives in Queens. He is 60, Black, a Trump supporter troubled that Mamdani is a democratic socialist. More so that he’s Muslim.
“America has got to go a certain way,” Stewart mentioned. “This is a Judeo-Christian nation and people have to understand that. And I think we need to be more vocal about that. You can’t just let everybody into your country and let the — turn it into this or that.”
Stewart plans to vote for Andrew Cuomo, the previous New York governor who misplaced the Democratic major to Mamdani however is operating now as an unbiased.
Also on the poll: Republican Curtis Sliwa, a well-known face throughout town for greater than 4 a long time in his function because the founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels neighborhood anti-crime group.
Yes, New York is an overwhelmingly Democratic metropolis. But its politics are nonetheless difficult and shifting. Its almost 8.5 million persons are unfold throughout 5 distinct boroughs.
We visited all 5 to get a firsthand look as a part of our All Over the Map venture, which is aimed toward monitoring main tales by way of the eyes and experiences of on a regular basis Americans.
Brooklyn is Kings County on the map and is probably the most populous of the boroughs, with 2.6 million folks. It ranks fourth of the 5 when it comes to annual median earnings.
Mamdani gained Brooklyn convincingly within the major, and it’s vital to him within the normal election.
“I believe in socialism, so for me he’s a beacon,” Henty, the filmmaker, mentioned of Mamdani. “I don’t think you can be too liberal right now.”
Voting for Cuomo was by no means an possibility for Henty. He resigned as governor 4 years in the past due to a number of sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo denies them.
“I just don’t think he’s a good human being,” Henty mentioned.
Trump calls Mamdani a communist and says billions in federal support to New York are in danger if he wins. It solely motivates Henty extra.
“Are we going to live in fear and only do things in reaction to Trump for the rest of our lives?” she requested. “Because then we’re actually f**ked. “
Hassan Ragy additionally backs the frontrunner and believes a Mamdani win would ship a large message.
“The root issues are about wealth,” mentioned Ragy, 26, a clear power researcher. “He represents a kind of change we need, not just in New York, but around the country and quite frankly around the representing of ordinary people.”
Lanza — the “tossed up” voter — is a fixture in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, the place he owns Luigi’s, a pizza place began by his father 52 years in the past.
Lanza is a Democrat and certainly one of many citizens we met throughout town who’re sad with their decisions. “This is what we are stuck with,” he lamented.
Lanza mentioned he wished to do extra analysis and predicted he would make a last-minute resolution. There was one doable clue in our dialog, although.
While he has modified his stance in this campaign, Mamdani previously has known as for defunding the police and leveled harsh criticism on the New York Police Department for its conduct in communities of shade.
“These are the people we need,” Lanza mentioned of the police. “When I need them, I am going to call who? Superman? Clark Kent don’t exist.”
Queens is the second largest of the boroughs, third when it comes to median annual earnings and probably the most numerous of the 5. Cuomo was born in Queens; Mamdani lives there now.
Mamdani gained a snug major victory over Cuomo in Queens.
Mamdani supporters had been simple to come back by within the Astoria neighborhood that’s a part of Mamdani’s district within the state legislature.
We visited a Bangladeshi restaurant frequented by Mamdani.
A “Zohran” marketing campaign signal hangs inside, and as we spoke to 2 older males outdoors about their assist for Mamdani, a younger man strode by on his approach into the restaurant and started chanting the frontrunner’s identify.
Soleyman Abu, nevertheless, emerged from the restaurant and voiced assist for Cuomo, regardless that he mentioned Mamdani had labored onerous for the neighborhood within the state Assembly.
Abu mentioned he had simply believed Cuomo’s expertise as governor made him extra certified to steer town.
“Crime and rent control” was Abu’s fast reply once we requested him the highest challenges going through the subsequent mayor.
“Definitely the economy,” was the equally fast response of Sediqua Francis, who’s in search of work in movie or TV manufacturing.
“People are struggling finding work,” she mentioned. “Young people, especially around my age and younger.”
She helps out at her mom’s small store promoting bathtub and physique merchandise within the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. Francis says enterprise is sluggish for her mom and for the opposite distributors within the neighborhood market.
She was undecided once we visited, leaning Mamdani however not able to commit.
“I know a lot of people in the film industry who back Mamdani,” she mentioned. “I’m part of a WhatsApp group right now that’s kind of supporting him. But I still want to do my own research.”
Chris Dulcio, 36, moved to Queens from Brooklyn when he was 14. He has a barbershop now within the Jamaica neighborhood.
“Business is doing well,” Dulcio mentioned as he gave a customer a trim. “It’s getting better every year.”
Dulcio mentioned he doesn’t pay a lot consideration to politics, checking in along with his father for recommendation earlier than voting. His dad, an HVAC engineer on the Park Plaza, put in a plug for Cuomo, Dulcio mentioned, citing his expertise and his dealing with of the Covid-19 pandemic as governor.
“So, I guess I will vote for Cuomo,” Dulcio mentioned.
Manhattan is third among the many 5 boroughs when it comes to inhabitants, with 1.6 million residents.
It is first, although, in annual median earnings ($106K) and additionally has the best share of residents, about 68%, who’ve accomplished no less than 4 years of school.
Young professionals like Lal Lopez and Anna St. Clair are an enormous piece of the Mamdani coalition. We met them at trivia evening at Gaf East, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Their staff of eight was all in for Mamdani.
“I’m probably overstating what he can do, but of all the candidates, I think he is the one to be able to stand up to everything that’s going on,” mentioned Lopez, who’s 40 and a nurse.
Standing as much as “everything that is happening at the federal level” was her prime challenge, and she laughed at how Trump and different critics go after Mamdani. “Everyone just calls him a communist,” she mentioned with fun. “I don’t have reservations with him. I think he is fully capable.”
St. Clair, 29, works in public relations. She mentioned most different Democrats, within the metropolis and nationally, appear too timid each in standing as much as Trump and in providing new concepts.
“He’s interested in the lives of people who live in the city,” St. Clair mentioned, itemizing affordability as her prime challenge. “He has new ideas like the grocery stores. … Maybe that won’t work out. But I think the idea that he has new policy proposals, like the free buses, is inspiring.”
Both rolled their eyes when requested in the event that they thought of voting for Cuomo, saying the sexual harassment allegations had been a crimson line. St. Clair mentioned she sees Cuomo as “very interested in power and not interested in improving the lives of the people he governs.”
Lopez nodded in settlement. She offers Cuomo some credit score for his Covid-19 administration, however added: “But everything else. He needs to retire, sit down, go away.”
The Bronx is fourth among the many 5 boroughs in inhabitants and is majority Hispanic.
It is the poorest of the 5; its median annual earnings ($49,000) is lower than half what it’s in Manhattan. The Bronx is majority Hispanic.
Gil Teitel’s household opened Teitel Brothers, an Italian grocery, on Arthur Avenue 110 years in the past. Teitel is a registered Republican and a Trump voter. But he mentioned he may vote for Cuomo if ultimately he believes Cuomo might win.
Teitel is not any fan of Cuomo however mentioned he fearful Mamdani’s insurance policies would harm the financial system.
“He will raise real estate taxes. He will freeze rents,” Teitel mentioned. “But then how do you go about paying (higher) real estate taxes? … He’s going to tax the billionaires. What’s to prevent the billionaires from moving out of New York?”
We stroll just a few blocks from Teitel Brothers and discover a very busy auto physique store – and extra 2024 Trump voters who plan to again Cuomo within the mayor’s race and who’re a part of an vital shift amongst blue-collar voters of shade across the nation.
Trump gained solely 27% of the Bronx vote in 2024, however that was up from 16% in 2020.
Ennen Gaynauth is a painter within the physique store, an worker for 25 years now and a Trump supporter.
“I’m going to Cuomo because he is more experienced,” Gaynauth mentioned.
He mentioned Mamdani appears good, however he worries he’s too younger and inexperienced for such an enormous job.
“We don’t want people messing around with the city, you know?”
Jose Hernandez is one other Trump voter within the store. Hernandez is a 47-year auto physique veteran, engaged on a white Mercedes as he mentioned the mayor’s race. He additionally helps Cuomo.
“Mamdani — he talks too much,” Hernandez mentioned. “I don’t believe it when the people talk too much. Promises too many things.”
Staten Island is by far the smallest of the boroughs, with a inhabitants simply shy of 500,000. It is second to Manhattan when it comes to annual median earnings. It is town’s conservative outpost – carried by Trump in all three of his presidential runs. The anguish of New York City Republicans is most palpable right here, particularly the sturdy Trump supporters.
Most don’t imagine Sliwa has a prayer, however voting for a Cuomo is an particularly powerful capsule to swallow.
Matthew Dreisch “would love to see Sliwa” however is aware of his odds in New York City are slim. Dreisch sees Cuomo as “the lesser of two evils” in contrast with Mamdani.
Public security is his prime challenge.
Ditto for Kevin Marshall, a retired corrections officer who, like Dreisch, is a Trump voter and longtime Republican. But Marshall is having a tougher time deciding.
Marshall mentioned he fears the influence of a Mamdani win.
“This guy is talking about emptying the prisons,” Marshall mentioned. “It is frightening to a lot of people to think this guy could become our mayor.”
Marshall agrees with Dreisch. “I don’t think Curtis Sliwa’s got a shot,” Marshall mentioned. But he by no means voted for Mario Cuomo throughout his future in New York politics, and now he’s tormented on the thought of voting for Andrew Cuomo.
“I’m just stuck. I’m stuck in purgatory.… I have never voted for a Democrat.”
Joe Rinaldo is normally on the counter on the Island Coffee Shop, a Staten Island landmark.
He, too, is a Republican and Trump supporter. But he holds out hope for Sliwa; and holds out hope that sufficient New Yorkers undertake his check for the subsequent mayor.
“Midnight, you are on a train,” Rinaldo mentioned. “Three thugs get on the train. You want (Mamdani) with you on the other car? Or do you want the Guardian Angels? Tell me who you want.”
Abelardo Alemin and his spouse, Elizabeth, are seated at a window desk.
They are voting for Mamdani and say unity is their most vital challenge. Alemin hopes his vote sends an enormous message to Trump.
“If Mamdani wins, it would probably be a relief for our immigration, immigrant community,” Alemin mentioned. “It would give us hope to continue here.”
Alemin seems to be round on the breakfast crowd as a customer poses a query about Mamdani supporters: “Do you think you are outnumbered here on Staten Island?”
Alemin cracks a smile, and solutions with out hesitation: “Yes, we are.”