Mamdani Wins With Students, And Yet Some Won’t Vote

“Mamdani is appealing to younger voters, and his policies sound ideal, but I need to look into them myself.” said Samantha Floyd-Tucker a political science major at The City College of New York (CCNY). “I have actually heard people say, ‘If you don’t know who to vote for, vote Mamdani. That didn’t sit right with me. It wouldn’t make sense for me to vote blindly. I would rather not vote at all.” 

As autumn settles over The City College Campus, students discuss the upcoming November 4 New York City mayoral election. Some students say they won’t vote, and others say that their votes will go to Zohran Mamdami. Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, faces former Governor Andrew Cuomo running as the Independent candidate.

Mamdani’s social media presence and his relatable style has made him popular among young voters on the CCNY campus and across the city. “I don’t necessarily look for politics but I see Zorhan on my social media,” said Wanda Luís, a senior at CCNY, “I see Mamdani, on the floor, with the people showing up.” 

Other students on campus also talked about the way Mamdani relates to younger voters. “Zohran is appealing to young people,” said Nhat-Dinh Nguyen, a Moynihan fellow at CCNY, “Yet some of his goals seem unrealistic.”

 Mamdani’s campaign focuses on lowering the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers, with proposals that include free citywide bus service, sweeping housing reforms, and free childcare for all children from six weeks to five years old. Yet, that hasn’t quite convinced Nhat Dinh and others.  “It’s not that I don’t like Zohran,” she said, “It’s that I don’t know who he is.”

Daisy Luis, a freshman civil engineer, also recognized Zohran’s appeal to young voters. “Zohran is good for New York. The younger generation often goes unheard and Zohran sees that. He sees the struggles of the working class people that bring the culture and vibe to New York.” said Daisy. 

 It was difficult to find students who felt inspired by one of the other candidates, or would share their opinions. Adian Tanner, a sophomore chemistry major at CCNY, said she was “not willing to talk about it.”  For some the mention of former Governor Cuomo draws negative responses. The accusations of bullying, and the unproven allegations of sexual harassment that led to his resignation as governor of New York in 2021 trail him.

 “Cuomo should pay attention that the people don’t want to align with him,” Farhana Rahman, a freshman civil engineer at CCNY said, “His past actions have shown what kind of person he is.” 

 Adam Vogel, a senior majoring in history at CCNY said he was surprised that Mamdani won the popular vote. “I think people get him wrong, I see Zohran on an Ivory tower a bit.” he said. “But I don’t like Cuomo at all.” Then Vogel said that he doesn’t plan to vote this year. “The lesser of two evils is still evil,” he said. “I don’t like the other candidates and I don’t think you should vote for someone who you don’t agree with.”

Even though voting is an important and necessary part of our democracy, many students we spoke with don’t plan to vote. Some said they don’t like the candidates, some students said it was because they only vote during the presidential election, and many students said it was because they felt it doesn’t make a difference. “No matter who wins an election we’re never getting the full picture,” said Wanda Luís.  “So many people don’t vote and so many people feel like their vote doesn’t matter.”