(AFP) – New Yorkers have a stark choice for their new mayor at the polls on Tuesday: a young leftist, a scandal-tainted former governor, and a Republican outsider. AFP looks at each candidate vying to run the most populous US city ahead of a vote being closely watched by President Donald Trump.
– **Zohran Mamdani: surprise favorite**
The 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani was barely known to the public before his shock victory in the Democratic primary in June, which made him a firm favorite to become mayor. A self-proclaimed democratic socialist from an elite family, Mamdani was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent and has lived in the United States since he was seven, becoming a naturalized US citizen in 2018. He would be New York’s first-ever Muslim mayor if elected.
Mamdani boasts a strong base of young and immigrant voters thanks largely to a campaign focused on the soaring cost of living in the city of some 8.5 million residents. He has promised more rent control, free day care and buses, and city-run neighborhood grocery stores. Mamdani has attracted scorn from President Donald Trump, who calls him a “little communist,” but the New York State assemblyman has brushed off the criticism. He is a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause but has also made a point of vocally denouncing antisemitism in recent months. Before entering politics, Mamdani had a brief venture into the world of rap: performing under the alias “Young Cardamom.”
– **Andrew Cuomo: old hand**
A former governor of New York state, Andrew Cuomo is hoping for a comeback from sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation in 2021. The 67-year-old Democrat running as an independent has led a centrist campaign for mayor, drawing on his decades of experience in politics, including a stint as New York attorney general and in president Bill Clinton’s administration. He has prioritized public safety with a pledge to hire 5,000 new officers for the New York Police Department.
Cuomo has also proposed building new housing for residents of differing income levels, smaller classroom sizes, and more access to affordable health care. Many New Yorkers will recall his ten-year spell as governor, which covered the Covid-19 pandemic, during which his leadership was initially praised before he faced criticism for understating the number of deaths in state nursing homes. Cuomo was married to Kerry Kennedy, a scion of the famed US political family.
– **Curtis Sliwa: the outsider**
As a Republican running in an avowedly Democratic megacity, Curtis Sliwa has virtually no chance of winning the mayoral seat. But the 71-year-old could still tip ballots for Mamdani or Cuomo given his sway with a small but significant proportion of voters. Sliwa, once a night manager of a McDonald’s restaurant in New York, made his name with the Guardian Angels subway patrol group, which still sees him routinely sport a red beret. He ran for mayor in 2021 but lost to the incumbent Eric Adams, who is not seeking reelection.
Despite being the Republican nominee, Sliwa has refused to fall in line with Trump and has opposed elements of the US president’s immigration crackdown. This year, his campaign has focused on the cost of living, dismantling bureaucracy, more safety in public spaces, as well as support for the homeless and even animal welfare. Sliwa is reported to share his home with 16 cats.
– **Raphaëlle PELTIER**
© 2024 AFP
