ALBANY – Zoran Mamdani’s Voting Record and Mayoral Campaign

Socialist Democrat Zoran Mamdani has been notably absent from the state capitol, missing over 50% of Congressional votes while he campaigns for the mayor of New York City.

Reports indicate that Mamdani has missed 231 roll call votes this year alone, which is more than half of the votes conducted in the House of Representatives as of Tuesday.

Since announcing his candidacy for the Democratic mayoral nomination in late October, Mamdani hasn’t participated in any roll-call voting since the state budget was passed on May 8th. The Chamber of Commerce has held 11 voting days during this time, yet Mamdani’s voice was notably absent.

“Some lawmakers take their duties seriously,” remarked one Democratic legislator who preferred to stay anonymous.

Several other state lawmakers running for the Democratic nomination have also missed a considerable number of votes, but none as many as Mamdani. For instance, Sen. Zellnor Myrie from Brooklyn missed around 49% of the votes.

Interestingly, Sen. Jessica Ramos from Queens is noted for her significant absenteeism as well, with a 27% miss rate.

Mamdani’s situation is particularly striking, given that lawmakers have had the option to vote remotely due to COVID-19 measures. He did utilize this option previously, such as for a controversial suicide assistance vote in April, but it remains unclear how many votes he participated in via remote access.

Members have stated that remote voting is permissible under circumstances like “disability, illness, caregiving responsibilities, or other unexpected factors.”

A spokesperson for Mamdani asserted that despite his absence from votes, he is actively pushing for legislation, including a new bill aimed at requiring utility companies to inform customers of fee changes. They also emphasized that he has been engaged in community events, helping asylum seekers, and meeting with various groups from his district.

Campaign spokesman Andrew Epstein pointed out that Mamdani maintained a strong attendance record until the budget negotiations and has since been focusing on engaging voters across the five boroughs while managing a fully operational district office.

In a show of support, State Sen. Michael Gianaris, whose district overlaps with Mamdani’s, defended him, claiming that Mamdani continues to work diligently for their shared constituents even amidst his mayoral campaign. “My office frequently interacts with him about important issues, and that hasn’t slowed down at all,” Gianaris noted.

On the flip side, Congressman Ed Ra, who boasts perfect attendance, expressed surprise at Mamdani’s absence, saying, “I didn’t realize he wasn’t there, honestly.”