The more progressive faction of the city’s Democratic Party is strategizing against leading mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, aiming to bolster socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani’s support among minority voters, according to insights gathered.
Leaders from the American democratic socialist movement seem to see a pathway for Mamdani’s success in the June 24 primary, focusing efforts on “older, non-white, working-class voters in the outer boroughs.”
Sources indicate they plan to specifically appeal to older liberals who have concerns about President Trump.
Mamdani, who is 33, is currently trailing Cuomo, who is 67, in recent polls.
During a recent meeting, DSA leaders pointed fingers at “the most troublesome parts of the Democrats,” identifying groups like AIPAC and certain wealthy political action committees.
They criticized what they termed the “shameless machine Democrats,” noting that they previously pressured Cuomo to resign as governor in 2021 over sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. Despite this, they believe his victory is likely and note that some donors are apprehensive about Mamdani.
A strategy has started to take shape. Shortly after the DSA meeting, Mamdani received endorsements from the Bronx’s Jamal Bowman, a former council member, as they aim to engage his constituents.
Progressive Bronx senator Gustavo Rivera has also thrown his support behind Mamdani.
On Monday, Mamdani shared a video on social media asking for contributions to the mayoral campaign of city council speaker Adrian Adams. However, this last-minute appeal did not provide a significant boost for Adams, and her relationship with Mayor Eric Adams remains unclear.
Adams, despite having limited resources, has garnered support from 14% of Black voters, as noted in the latest Marist polls, while Cuomo maintains a strong 50% following his campaign entry in March.
Mamdani, notably, isn’t leading in most polls.
His campaign also announced that over 20,000 volunteers have engaged in grassroots efforts, knocking on more than 500,000 doors across the five boroughs, aiming to reach over a million households by Election Day.
However, Cuomo’s team dismissed the DSA’s tactics, questioning whether they genuinely believe they can sway the electorate.
Democratic campaign strategist Basil Smikle remarked that separating Black and Latino voters, especially the older demographic, from Cuomo will be challenging.
The former governor has been actively connecting with Black and Latino community leaders, visiting churches, and working on his image post-scandal, trying to cultivate support.
Smikle mentioned, “Many older voters witnessed his leadership during the Covid-19 crisis,” comparing Cuomo’s influence to that of Rudy Giuliani after the September 11 attacks.
Cuomo supporter, Rep. Richie Torres, asserted that the Bronx firmly backs Cuomo, predicting, “Andrew Cuomo is poised to become New York City’s next mayor, planning to secure a substantial victory in the Bronx.”
