Some Voters Still Uncertain About Mayoral Pick

“I feel uncertain,” said Samantha Demander, a senior at the City College of New York majoring in political science, when asked about who she might vote for in the November 4 mayoral election. That feeling was shared by many people on the CCNY campus.

The Trump administration’s combative attitude towards the front-runner, Democrat Zohran Mamdani, seems to cause this uncertainty. Ever since his victory against Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic primary election, people have wondered whether Mamdani will face retaliation from the Trump administration if he wins.

Trump has threatened to withhold funding from New York City.  “He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City,” said Trump on Truth Social. “Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him?” 

This and Trump’s other threats to deploy federal troops into the city and even arrest Mamdani has people worried. Luna Hernandez was on the CCNY campus, distributing flyers for the No Kings protest held on October 18th. She’s a Member of the Revcom Corps, a political activist group based in Chicago. “Elections won’t matter as long as Trump is in office,” said Luna Hernandez.  

 Regardless of Trump’s opposition, Mamdani’s huge lead in the polls makes it seem that he is likely to become the next mayor of New York City. 

His popularity stems from his policies, which include universal childcare, free transit, city-owned grocery stores, and rent freezes.“It feels like he’s considering the actual residents of NY and not just the rich,” said Iris Chon, another member of the Revcom corps. “He is proof that the city can change for the better,” said Daniel Green,  a CCNY freshman who is undeclared. These policies have people feeling hopeful about the future of New York. But they are also the reason why Mamdani has attracted the ire of  Republicans, who believe that his policies have no chance of success.

Mamdani has not taken Trump’s threats lying down and said during a mayoral forum at the Apollo Theater that he plans to “employ every tool of the law, ensuring we have the lawyers.”  He said that he will hire 200 more lawyers to staff the city’s Law Department and noted that California successfully managed to restore at least $168 billion in federal funding for transportation, public health education, and more, according to Governor Gavin Newsom.   

“The most effective response to Donald Trump is an exhibition of strength, not an exhibition of surrender,” Mamdani said.