ALBANY – Mamdani Misses Key Vote

Zohran Mamdani, a state legislator, recently missed a crucial vote concerning his own bill this year.

After the approval of New York’s budget in May, Mamdani seemed unbothered by his regular absences and showed up at the state capitol.

However, he was absent when the vote occurred on June 13th regarding the only law he passed. This story was first highlighted by the Albany Times Union.

Instead of focusing on his legislative duties, Mamdani was engaged in his campaign for mayor in New York City, competing against Brad Lander in the primary race.

On the following day, he held a meeting with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent figure in the socialist movement.

The legislation, known as the Mandani Act, aims to enhance public input for specific regulatory decisions by state bodies. It barely passed, with a single vote in both the Legislature and the state Senate.

Interestingly, Mamdani is not alone in his voting patterns; he missed over half of Congress’ roll call votes this year, a situation exacerbated by the option for legislators to vote remotely for various valid reasons—like illness or caregiving obligations.

The Mandani Act was supported in the state Senate by Deputy Premier Michael Janalis from Queens.

As of now, Mamdani’s campaign has not responded to inquiries regarding his absence during the vote.

One spokesperson for his mayoral campaign insisted that “Zohran became a top-tier candidate for NYC mayor, with a nearly perfect attendance record leading up to the approval of the New York State budget, which had been delayed for weeks.” This statement raises some questions about his voting consistency in Albany earlier this year.