Zoran Mamdani Faces Criticism in Mayoral Race
Zoran Mamdani shook things up in the mayoral race on Thursday by sidestepping questions about his background. His competitors have pointed out his limited resume and underwhelming achievements in Congress.
“I spent 90 minutes on stage with Andrew Cuomo. Like many here, I could certainly discuss his critiques of me and Curtis Sliwa, but I couldn’t really talk about what he was trying to do for this city,” Mamdani remarked at a news conference in Murray Hill that followed Wednesday’s debate.
However, when a Post reporter pressed him, Mamdani avoided answering and seemed reluctant to challenge the sharp criticisms aimed at him from both Cuomo, an independent candidate, and Sliwa, who runs as a Republican.
Cuomo didn’t hold back during the final debate, arguing, “This man has never proposed a bill on housing or education. He’s never even proposed a bill.” At another point, he lambasted Mamdani: “You have accomplished nothing. There’s no reason for you to feel entitled to the lives of 8.5 million people.”
He continued, “You don’t know how to run a government. You don’t know how to manage an emergency…”
“You had the worst attendance in Congress… Too bad!” Cuomo continued.
The three-term socialist state lawmaker faces ongoing criticism, especially for passing only four bills in five years in Congress.
Mamdani, 34, also left Albany shortly after the state budget passed in April and hasn’t returned since. Reports indicated he garnered just 50% of the vote during his New York mayoral campaign in June.
During the debate, he responded directly to Cuomo’s long-standing political record by stating, “A former governor just admitted that the state is doing a disservice to the city.” Addressing Cuomo directly, he added, “Who led the country? It’s you!” which drew laughter from his supporters.
Things got heated when Sliwa claimed, “Your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin.”
Cuomo also took aim at Mamdani when he complained about the lack of funding for programs aimed at juvenile offenders, under the contentious Raise the Age Act. Cuomo retorted, “If Zoran thought there was money tied up in Albany, he should’ve gone to Albany and proposed a bill to release it.”
It was previously reported that Mamdani managed to pass every bill this year since his election in 2020, even though he was absent when his bill was voted on.
This equaled the performance of 88-year-old Rep. David McDonough, who was also absent due to health issues. Even Rep. Chris Tague, a Republican critic of Gov. Kathy Hochul, managed to pass nine bills on local matters this year.
“I show up! I’m there every day, working,” Tague remarked.
He then suggested that Mamdani might be better suited for a career in acting, saying, “It’s all about theater and acting with him.”
Mamdani did achieve a victory by getting a free bus pilot program included in the 2023 budget, but it was later scrapped after he declined to vote on the state budget the following year.
Despite criticisms, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who recently endorsed Mamdani, defended him against claims of ineffectiveness as a lawmaker.
“When I tried to be a speaker, you were all on my case, saying I didn’t pass as many bills as others,” Heastie stated to reporters over the summer.
Last week, Mamdani missed a congressional hearing in Albany that focused on key issues he champions, such as tenant protections and safeguarding consumers from rising electricity prices.
On Thursday, a note was found on the door of Mamdani’s closed office in Albany, stating, “Thank you for stopping by,” and instructing visitors to email for appointments.
