Zohran’s Mayoral Race to Lose?

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor at Large

“With early voting underway, it’s important for all of us to vote for my friend Zohran Mamdani for Mayor. He wants to make New York a more affordable city for all of us, and keep our communities safe and growing,” New York Attorney General Letitia James told Our Times Press, as she fends off what supporters call President Donald Trump’s retaliatory fraud indictment. She noted the Obama-esque energy surrounding the campaign.

“Zohran has generated enthusiasm I have not seen since what then-candidate Barack Obama did in 2008. Zohran’s campaign is one of joy and hope, of community and humanity, of power and purpose. He is going to be a mayor for all of us, so I am humbly asking for you to vote for Zohran Mamdani during early voting or on Election Day, Tuesday November 4.”

Democrat Mamdani is 10 points ahead of Independent line former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 34 percent, with Republican Curtis Sliwa at 11 percent.
There are several other races on the General Election ballot: Public Advocate, District Attorneys, judges, and then the 6 proposals.

Specific Black issues are not on the ballot. Mamdani touts affordability across the everyday living gamut, Cuomo spouts something similar. Bringing up the rear, Sliwa is talking about being the realest public safety candidate.

Yet, some Black folks’ conversations focus on the glaring absence of a ratio-equivalent Black people presence at any of Zohran’s big events.
Even at the 13,000 person Forest Hill event on Sunday night, there was only a smattering of Black folks, but not enough to instill confidence in certain areas that Mamdani has a concern, understanding, or even curiosity about what even a minimal Black Agenda might be.
That being understood, there is perhaps no alternative for some. Cuomo and Sliwa may split the angry, or slightly perturbed white, and Black right-of-center vote.

CUNY Professor Rosemari Mealy told Our Time Press, “Mamdani has a lot of support amongst the youth, and also rising support in the Black community.”
As for the Black agenda, or his lack thereof, Mealy continued that Mamdani “needs to raise this issue around what’s happening where slave labor is occurring in the prisons in New York State, he needs to address that question.

He needs to address the educational system in this country, about what’s happening and how so many of our young Black kids do not have access to the more ‘advanced’ public school systems. He needs to look at the issue of charter schools and how they are taking over public schools spaces. Of course the question is around healthcare, and what’s happening with the aging population.”

Early voting began on Saturday, March 25th, 2025, 220,000 folks had voted by Monday – 22,105 in Brooklyn, second in the City to Manhattan’s 24,046.
With Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, 50-somethings casting most of the votes, Cuomo, 67, and Sliwa, 71, may feel they have an edge over Mamdani, 34, and his relatively young squad of 50,000 volunteers and active supporters.
Meanwhile, Trump’s border control czar Tom Homan has threatened to flood New York with ICE agents should Mamdani win.

“What I find troubling is the lengths people are going to go to steer the way people will vote,” artist Danny Simmons told Our Time Press. “While I’m not a NYC resident any longer, what happens in the city I still love is important to me, and the ability to make up one’s mind without the spread of outright lies and misinformation–attempting to misdirect the voters is vitally important.”

The former Bed Stuy resident, and brother of Run DMC Rev. Run, and former music executive Russell Simmons continued, “I’m hoping the people of New York see past this, and really look at the candidates positions on the issues and let that inform their voting.

I hope that the fear tactics being used, like if this person is elected we will punish the city in various ways, is a dangerous precedent to set if it is successful. Whoever you vote for shouldn’t be guided by the fear of revenge for your vote.”

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said that the Suffolk University polls “shows exactly what we’re seeing on the ground: This is a two-man race, momentum is on our side, and the more New Yorkers learn about how dangerously inexperienced Zohran Mamdani is–and about his extremist agenda, the less they like what they see.”

Azzopardi continued, “In just a month, Andrew Cuomo has cut Mamdani’s lead in half, and the early voting is going our way. This is exactly where Mamdani was at this point in the primary, and it’s clear that Andrew Cuomo’s message of competent leadership–along with his agenda to increase public safety, end the housing and affordability crisis, and strengthen our economy and education system–is resonating.”

With his “vote, vote,vote,” mantra Cuomo says that he is confident that he “will not stop fighting for every vote in every corner of this great city between now and Election Day. Together, we can and will win the fight to save the city.”

The Constitutional Law professor, and Civil rights attorney Professor Gloria Jene Browne-Marshall told Our Time Press, “I work at CUNY, and CUNY was not treated well under the Cuomo administration….Also, do you want a politician that is so strong-willed in their own mind, that they are not going to listen to the will of the people?”

As for Mamdani? The educator replied, “I think he’s right now, he’s a bit of a wild card. But…I think there are a lot of people who are willing to take the chance on a wild card.”
Meanwhile, the outsider coming in hot on the inside track “Curtis Sliwa is running to be the People’s Mayor because he’s the only candidate in this race who actually puts New Yorkers first, not special interests,” Sliwa spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna, told Our Time Press. “Unlike Mamdani and Cuomo, he isn’t bought and paid for — he’s powered by the people, and we’re going to shock the world on November 4th.”

There is less than a week for folk to get to their decision–even less if they intend to take advantage of early voting until Sunday.
General Election Day is on November 4th, 2025.

Black Solidarity Day traditionally occurs on the first Monday of November, and every four years it coincides with heralding in election day. This Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, the December 12th Movement will be hosting their traditional rally at Bed Stuy’s Bethany Baptist Church. Omowale Chairman Clay told Our Time Press that a collective of Black organizations determined that as a united front they agreed on their tentative support for Mamdani despite
“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.”

Clay added, “We encourage all Our Time Press readers to attend the Pre-Black Solidarity Day Citywide Rally on Sunday, November 2nd at 3 pm, at the historic Bethany Baptist Church, 460 Marcus Garvey Boulevard, in the People’s Republic of Brooklyn.”