NYC Mayoral Race Heating Up: New Yorkers set to Make Early Voting Choices, United on “No Kings”

NYC EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY, OCT 25.

By Nayaba Arinde
For those who vote, Saturday, March 25th, 2025, begins early voting for the November 4th, NYC General Election.
“Black people are in some of the most dangerous times we have faced in many years,” Omowale Clay, Chairman of the December 12th Movement, told Our Time Press. “The outcome of the upcoming Mayoral election will play an important role in determining our ability to resist and survive these times.”

Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries has still not endorsed his party’s nominee Zohran Mamdani. He told ABC News, “I expect to have a conversation with him at some point this week in advance of early voting, which begins next weekend in New York City. And we’ll certainly have more to say about the mayor’s race and about our Democratic nominee prior to early voting beginning.”

Jeffries did not respond to an Our Time Press request for a response. Meanwhile, Queens-own President Donald Trump has threatened to slash federal funding to his hometown if Queens Assemblyman Mamdani is elected mayor.
All these political theatrics as this past weekend saw the no tangible demands-asking, 7-million strong, national anti-Trump agenda, reported 2,700 No Kings rallies in New York City and cities countrywide.

There were no mayoral candidates at the rally. While different groups brought different issues, placards, posters and chants, there was not a cohesive ask for the well-publicized, well-organized, some say big money-funded event. Reminiscent in some regards, to the relatively short-lived Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter campaigns, from observations the attendees seemed to be mostly white. There were pockets of Black groups.
With cheerful hue and cry, and even folk songs, thousands thronged down Seventh Avenue and other streets to yell displeasure for 10 months of deliberately manufactured chaos and disruption.
Online, Jaribu Hill asked, “So, does ‘No Kings’ also mean no settler Colonial Powers? No genocide and no white supremacy? Just asking.”

The NYC multi-block gatherings No Kings rally had no solution put forth per se, but an amalgamation of grievances were aired. Many of the participants, who possibly voted for the very president that they are now publicly protesting, had catchy phrases, quirky signs, demonstrative posters, and t-shirts opposing everything from Trump’s domestic and international policies, from his deployment of troops in US cities, to his use of ICE agents, and his immigration policies, to canceling in-progress transit infrastructure projects, to the vengeful persecution of his perceived political enemies, like New York Attorney General Letitia James.

There were groups of Black and Brown protesters present with purpose, however.
Charles Jenkins, President of the New York Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unions, said that at the No Kings, marching rally “over 100 thousand activist community leaders and, workers assembled in the heart of Time Square, while organized labor assembled in lower Manhattan on Canal Street and 6th Avenue joined by 1199, DC 37, CWA, TWU, Laborers 79, Teamster’s, CSEA, PSC Cuny, 32BJ, UFT, AFGE and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Million Man March joined in solidarity with the No kings March to send a united message in this Nation we are not ruled by Kings.

We have a democracy and branches of government guided by our constitution, which is that of We The People, For The People, came out in historic numbers to defend our democracy, demonstrating to all ethnic groups’ demographics around this nation that we the people remain united.”

“I went to the No Kings rally in Manhattan, with my union brothers, after reconnecting with CBTU, after we had a Zoom meeting the night before to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Million Man March,” Brownsville Men Elevating Leadership community organizer Daniel Goodine told Our Time Press. “I can recall back in 1995, as a Black man returning to Brownsville, that Mo Better Jaguars football team was started by Chris Legree and Herb Robinson, two co-founders of Pop Warner football…My community heard the call and we answered. Some of those players are teachers, coaches, business people, and brothers who were able to come back and build a bond.”

But, described as “rallies not protests,” and not being an organic or authentic movement, critics like Amanda Seales queried the intent, saying folk should not be “tricked into thinking you are actually resisting. You are actually a part of controlled opposition, not organized opposition…Who’s controlling? When it’s organized, you know who it is and what the goal is.”
She said of the two-hour, 10 am-12 pm, registration-required rally, “There are no clear demands being made, and there are no clear actions that are being asked for…protest is meant to demonstrate the might of the people to the ruling class, to the powers that be…to make them shook.”

But, described as “rallies not protests,” and not being an organic or authentic movement, critics like Amanda Seales queried the intent, saying folk should not be “tricked into thinking you are actually resisting. You are actually a part of controlled opposition, not organized opposition…Who’s controlling? When it’s organized, you know who it is and what the goal is.”
Reports say that some rally attendees were paid like ‘compensated activists’ $200, like hired Crowds on Demand’ to show up.

The controversial media pundit continued, “It’s very important to know the difference so that we actually know the expected efficacy of our efforts…rallying folks around an idea, a team…a concerted celebration or concerted information sharing.”

Citing the historical resilience of Harriet Tubman and Nat Turner, speaking at a “No Kings” rally in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson riled against Trump “tyranny,” and called for a general strike, “If my ancestors, as slaves, can lead the greatest general strike in the history of this country, taking it to the ultra-rich and big corporations, we can do it too.”

Johnson called on everybody “from around this country to stand up…We are going to make them pay their fair share in taxes to fund our school, to fund jobs, to fund healthcare, to fund transportation. Democracy will live on because of this generation. Are you ready to take it to the courts and to the streets?”

Back in NYC, as of press time, there are still three main candidates vying for the attention of the city electorate. Mamdani, now 34, is still the Democratic frontrunner. Despite Independent Andrew Cuomo and GOP heads demanding that Curtis Sliwa, the perceived “spoiler” drop out, the Brownsville-born, controversial Republican maintains that he will not pull out of the race
With the December 12th Movement planning to host their traditional pre-General Election Pre-Black Solidarity Day Citywide Rally at Bed Stuy’s Bethany Baptist Church on Sunday, November 2nd, Chairman Clay said, “U.S. racial capitalism is disintegrating, a fact which makes it more rather than less dangerous. Trump–and the class he represents is rapidly putting in place the legal and militarized superstructure that they think will be needed to deal with the resistance that people will have to the destruction of the quality of their lives- healthcare, housing, jobs, transportation, education.”

The decades-long activist added, “This is why the next mayor must be someone who, like Chicago’s Mayor, is prepared to fight the Trump escalating attack on New York City. That mayor must also be someone whose policies address our communities’ needs.

Zohran Mamdani’s stated policies, which won him the Democratic primary, speak to issues important to our community. However, we do have reservations about other parts of his platform, which temper our support. Our position is that it is important for all registered voters to vote and that no one should vote for Cuomo or Sliwa”