New York City’s mayoral race has become a battleground with national significance, drawing attention far beyond the five boroughs. Early voting has already surpassed 735,000: Four times the turnout of the last mayoral contest. At the centre is 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and state assemblymember who could become New York’s first Muslim mayor.Former governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, warns that Mamdani’s “socialist” agenda would “turn New York into Venezuela.” Republican Curtis Sliwa has focused on policing and public safety. But perhaps the loudest voice comes from Washington: Donald Trump. The 47th POTUS president, New York-born and once the city’s most visible developer, has urged voters to back Cuomo to block Mamdani, calling him a “Communist lunatic” and warning that federal funding could be at risk if the “socialist” candidate wins.
Why New York matters to Trump
For Trump, the fight is ideological as much as personal. A billionaire who champions free markets, real estate, and private enterprise is now watching his hometown rally behind a candidate he brands a “socialist” — someone pushing rent freezes, public transport subsidies, and wealth redistribution. New York City made Donald Trump, the real estate developer, businessman who would later become the 45th and 47th POTUS. From demolishing the Bonwit Teller building in 1980 to construct Trump Tower to taking over the stalled Wollman Rink project in Central Park, the city shaped the path that would define his public persona.Also read: Why Zohran Mamdani will find it hard to be another Barack ObamaTrump weighed in with a post on Truth Social urging voters to back Cuomo to block Mamdani’s victory. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice,” Trump wrote. “You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job.” He warned that if Mamdani wins, federal funds to New York could be at risk.The message showed how personal the city’s politics remain for Trump. Though he no longer dominates its skyline or political circles as he once did, New York is still his birthplace and the symbolic heart of his brand. Once a fixture in the city’s tabloids, Trump’s influence has diminished over time. Yet the prospect of a left-wing mayor in his hometown, one who has called him a “threat to the fabric of the city,” appears to have rekindled his sense of ownership over New York.
Trump has repeatedly referred to Mamdani as a “Communist lunatic” and a “disaster waiting to happen.” Mamdani, for his part, told The Good Liars in a recent interview that he would “work with the president for the sake of New Yorkers” but “not be cowed.” “If you want to make life more difficult for New Yorkers,” he said, “then I’ll be there to fight you.”
Why New York matters
New York City, spanning Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — is home to over 8 million people and stands as one of the world’s most influential urban centres. Its cultural and economic reach extends far beyond the United States, making it a global capital of finance, technology, and the arts.The mayor’s role is therefore of immense importance. With an annual budget of around $116 billion, the mayor oversees services from policing to education in a city visited by 65 million people a year. The position carries both domestic and global weight, with previous mayors using it as a platform for presidential ambitions.The city also leads in artificial intelligence, hosting over 2,000 AI startups and a skilled workforce of 40,000.
How Mamdani came to the front
Just months ago, Zohran Mamdani was a familiar name only in progressive circles. Today, the 34-year-old is on the cusp of becoming New York’s youngest mayor in more than a century — and the first Muslim and South Asian leader of America’s biggest city. His rise has been fuelled not by the Democratic establishment, but by an insurgent, digitally-driven campaign that connected with voters left cold by traditional politics.The turning point came after Mamdani stunned former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Overnight, the quiet housing counsellor-turned-Assemblyman became the face of New York’s left. Viral campaign videos, TikTok explainers, and a relentless ground operation helped turn him into a minor celebrity: crowds stopped him on the Upper East Side for selfies, cab drivers leaned out of windows to shout their support, and campaign events began to feel like street rallies.But Mamdani’s path to the front has not been without bruises. Since the primary, he has been forced into the national spotlight, facing intense scrutiny from business leaders, national media, pro-Israel groups and conservative influencers. What was once a local contest has become a symbolic battle that could shape the future of the democratic party.(With inputs from agencies)
