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Report nowZohran Mamdani is shaking up the New York mayoral election with a Bollywood campaign and radical demands. The socialist is not only challenging Donald Trump, but also the Democrat elite around Andrew Cuomo.
A political showdown is brewing in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City: Former governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, is running against 33-year-old socialist assemblyman Zohran Mamdani - and is losing ground according to the latest polls.
As "Politico" reports, Mamdani is just ahead of Cuomo in a recent survey with 35 to 31 percent. This means that an avowed Trump opponent and political outsider could shake up the Democrats' center of power in the largest US city. The primary begins on June 14 and lasts ten days.
The election campaign between the two is a duel of opposites - and a reflection of the deep rifts within the Democratic Party: Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 due to sexual harassment allegations, is relying on experience, law-and-order rhetoric and close ties to business circles.
Mamdani, on the other hand, wants to use new taxes on the rich to fund social programs such as free buses, city grocery stores and 200,000 new apartments. As the "New York Times" writes, Mamdani is campaigning with a clear message: "I have never had to resign in disgrace - I am not Andrew Cuomo."
The election campaign is increasingly personal and polarized - also along religious and ethnic lines. In the last TV debate, the two candidates clashed violently. Cuomo criticized Mamdani's lack of experience, while Mamdani accused Cuomo of pursuing policies in the interests of corporations such as DoorDash.
The debate became particularly heated when Cuomo called Mamdani an "anti-Semite". Mamdani, a Muslim of Indian-Ugandan descent, countered during the TV debate: "I will protect Jewish New Yorkers. And I will fight for all New Yorkers."
The controversy reached as far as India. As reported by "India Today", Mamdani called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "war criminal" in a forum, which earned him accusations of anti-Hinduism. Mamdani responded with humor and attack: in a Bollywood-inspired election video, he countered with a Shahrukh Khan pose and the phrase "Aap" - I have the people.
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Despite everything, Cuomo remains dangerous. His TV ads show protests in Los Angeles and warn against a return of Trump: "Trump is at the gates of the city," they say. "We need someone with experience to close them."
But polls suggest that Mamdani's populism is working - especially among young and multicultural voter groups. His campaign in Urdu, Spanish and Hindi shows: Mamdani sees himself as the mouthpiece of the working majority.
The outcome of the election on 24 June could therefore be groundbreaking for the Democrats nationwide, as a signal as to whether pragmatism or radical change will win the race within the party.
