Michael Rapaport Plans to Run for New York City Mayor

Michael Rapaport is reaffirming his intention to run for mayor of New York City.

On Tuesday, the 60-year-old actor and comedian expressed his plans to enter the race in 2029, adopting a “New York City street fighting spirit” to challenge Mayor Zoran Mamdani, who is known for his democratic socialist policies.

“I’ve never considered running for mayor of New York City before,” Rapaport told Chris Cuomo during a segment on News Nation. “I’m going into this with the best intentions, and I intend to do things differently than past politicians.”

“The only way to beat him is to engage in a real New York City street fight,” he added.

“You can’t outsmart him. I think he’s the greatest cattle butcher in political history, and that’s saying something,” he remarked.

“But New York City really needs a change. With 2029 approaching, we have to start preparing now. So yes, I’m running for mayor, and I’ll step back only when I find someone more capable of defeating Zoran, who, quite frankly, isn’t the brightest,” he continued.

Rapaport emphasized that his approach will be aggressive. “My bark is much louder than my bite,” he noted, insisting that dealing with this opponent requires grit. “It’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be tough—that’s how I plan to approach the campaign.”

The outspoken comedian has been critical of Democratic mayors and first announced his mayoral ambitions in January.

“I’m Michael Rapaport, aka Mayor Rapaport,” he declared on his podcast, “I Am Rapaport.”

“Let me tell you, 2025 was wild, and I don’t expect 2026 to be any calmer when things kick off. That’s why I’m stepping up for mayor,” he explained.

In addition to his podcast announcement, Rapaport also shared his intentions on Instagram, emphasizing his New York City roots.

“Born and raised in New York. Nothing is handed to you. No nonsense. No phony smiles,” he wrote in the post. “I’m going to own my mistakes, apologize when I mess up, and work hard to keep this city safe, affordable, and prosperous. Get ready—Mayor Rapaport is coming. How about an apple?”

Recently, Rapaport called for New York’s governor to resign after protests outside a synagogue escalated.

“It’s like Halloween spring here, with crazies outside in Halloween costumes. You’d think we were at a New York synagogue,” he commented on X, sharing a video of the protest.

“@KathyHochul, you’ve had three years to implement a mask mandate to see if this would curb the issue, and you did nothing. Shame on you—resign,” he concluded.

Representatives for both Rapaport and Mayor Mamdani were unavailable for immediate comments.