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New Yorkers will find out the identity of their next mayor this election day, in a contest that will determine who governs and protects the nation's most populous metropolis at a moment when Donald Trump has threatened to send military troops to the city.

In this context, New York has experienced a mayoral election that has pitted two very different Democratic figures against one another. The election has become an acrimonious face-off, laced with accusations of racial bias and Islamophobia, but it is the ideological divide between the two main contenders that could have significant consequences for how the Democratic party performs in next year's congressional races.

The Rising Progressive

On the left side is Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist whose rapid ascent and people-powered movement has attracted international attention. Representing the old guard is the former governor, the ex- Democratic New York governor now running as an independent – and enjoying the support of ultra-rich donors and big business.

As the election approaches, it is the progressive, the one-time underdog who beat Cuomo in the Democratic primary who is solidly positioned as the leading candidate. The candidate, who has run on a agenda of affordability and pledged to halt rent increases for about 2 million New Yorkers, has outpaced his rival by significant margins across all surveys conducted in the fall, and it is very much the younger man's election to throw away.

A Bitter Contest

However, Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid accusations of sexual harassment, has stated clearly he will fight to the finish, and not necessarily in an above-the-belt fashion. He has criticized his opponent's goals as unachievable, and in the final stretch laughed as a radio host made anti-Muslim comments about the candidate, who is a Muslim. Two weeks ago, the independent was strongly criticized as racist after sharing an AI-generated ad that featured a series of racist stereotypes and showed Mamdani freeing a group of criminals.

This represents a particularly ugly conclusion to an race that could be key to the direction that the Democratic party, struggling in its response to the former president's authoritarian grabs, takes in the near future.

National Implications

If Mamdani wins convincingly, the establishment party leaders who have declined to support his bid will be forced to reckon with a message that has appealed to Americans' anger at inequality, soaring price rises and the political elite. It would be difficult for Chuck Schumer and the House leader not to embrace at least a portion of Mamdani's ambitious ideas about affordability, given the newcomer has created an enthusiasm within the Democratic ranks perhaps not seen since Bernie Sanders ran for president eight years ago.

Conversely, if Cuomo, who had been expected to sail to victory in the June primary, complete a remarkable comeback victory, it could cement national Democrats' current model of considered, uninspiring opposition – a strategy that has angered grassroots members. A NYC defeat of the progressive's optimistic platform could convince Schumer and Jeffries that the wisest course is to stick to the political center – even as polls show the present version of the party is deeply unpopular nationwide.

Campaign Energy

Residents of the city appear to favor the progressive agenda. Polls show that Mamdani supporters are much more excited about their choice than his opponent's supporters, something that has been apparent during the race. Mamdani's snappy videos on digital platforms, his optimistic vision for New York and his readiness to actually get out and meet people in the metropolis has attracted an army of over fifty thousand supporters, many of them youth or new participants.

Negative Tactics

However, Cuomo, 67, isn't giving up. And with the risks stacked against him, the former governor has resorted to ugly messaging in the final days.

After spending months throwing basically everything at his opponent to see what might resonate, the independent has concentrated on attacking Mamdani directly. He has called Mamdani, who was of Ugandan origin to South Asian heritage, an "radical", and appeared on Fox Business for an discussion with Maria Bartiromo, where the candidate asserted New York “will not survive” Mamdani as city leader. It reached a nadir last week, when the former governor chuckled and said “that’s another problem” after a broadcaster said the candidate would “cheer” another terrorist attack.

Campaign Dynamics

The line of attack echoes much of what the former president, who has sent the national guard to the capital and warned to do the same to New York, has said about the progressive, and perhaps that is expected. A group of billionaire New Yorkers, including some who donated to the Republican in the last presidential race, have pumped millions into trying to elect Cuomo into office, as other powerful voices have pressured Curtis Sliwa to drop out from the contest.

Candidate Backgrounds

As far as the Cuomo camp, and his billionaire supporters, are worried, it should not have reached to this point. When the assemblyman, one of one hundred fifty New York state assembly members, launched his mayoral bid in October 2024, not many had known him, and in reality, barely anyone even paid attention.

The former governor, by comparison, eased his way into the race in this year and became the immediate frontrunner. He was the big beast who apparently held every edge. The quintessential establishment figure, he had wed a Kennedy and served in a Democratic presidency. He assumed office as the state's leader in 2011, seventeen years after his parent, Mario Cuomo, left office from the identical role.

The progressive, who was elected to the state legislature in 2020, does not have the comparable background. But his dedication to providing free buses and free childcare – along with the rent control promise – offer a brighter outlook of the future than Cuomo’s pessimistic predictions about “mayhem” and rising criminal activity, and his promise to increase police presence.

Recent Challenges

Still, Mamdani has faced some challenges in recent days, after footage emerged suggesting him implying the New York police department and the Israel Defense Forces were connected.

“We have to make clear that when the boot of the police is on your throat, it’s been influenced by the Israeli military,” Mamdani said in the recording, filmed at a DSA gathering in 2023. The progressive, a vocal opponent of the Israeli government who has said the country is engaging in atrocities in Gaza, suggested he was criticizing joint training exercises between the city police and Israeli forces.

Emotional Response

As the race closes, Mamdani appears to have won empathy and backing, however, for his response to his opponent's escalating attacks.

Mamdani addressed Cuomo’s terrorism comments in an heartfelt recording. In it, Mamdani remembered how, when he first ran for the legislature, a family member advised to him that he did not have to tell people about his Muslim faith. It was a realization, Mamdani said, that many local Muslims had been told “again and again”: “That safety could only be found in the margins of our community. That it is in those shadows alone where followers of Islam could express their true selves, and that if we were to emerge from those shadows, then it is in those silence that we must set aside our faith.”

Speaking to the actions of his opponents, who has claimed Mamd