'He's just on it': New Yorkers laud Mamdani's energy and progressive politics on election day

The morning of the New York City mayoral elections in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, was a muted affair.

Despite the warm, bright October day, people crossing Fulton Street at the Bedford Ave intersection did not seem caught up in a local election that has grabbed headlines all over the world, though turnout has been high. 

More than 700,000 people voted during the early election voting period, which closed on Monday. At the time of writing, more than 1.2 million people had voted, including early voters, surpassing the total turnout in the previous mayoral election, which stood at 1.15 million.

In what is being seen as a high-stakes election, underdog and Democratic nominee for mayor Zohran Mamdani is taking on the old-guard political elite, represented by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Both have starkly different visions for the city, with Cuomo relying on his family name and experience to see him through, while Mamdani's progressive politics and charisma have shaped him into a rising political star.

Mamdani is a Muslim and a Democratic Socialist, and one of the youngest candidates ever to run for mayor, at 34 years old.

In Brooklynn's BedStuy neighbourhood, the colloquial name for Bedford-Stuyvesant, Mamdani's socialist-leaning policies to construct a more inclusive and affordable city are what people on the streets of the historically black neighbourhood, which has been hit hard by gentrification, resonate with. 

Lifelong BedStuy resident Nesby, who did not want to share his last name, was excited to share that he had voted for Mamdani. “We need a change,” he said. “We need a younger mayor. We need someone who understands what's going on - the current [cost of living] crisis, and what New Yorkers need. He’s something special. We've had all the rest!”

Nesby added that Mamdani was special because “he's young. He's very smart and he's just on it. He's thinking about everybody,” he added.

A city that prioritises all its residents is the reason that Crown Heights resident Memeshwarie Hardy voted for Mamdani.

“I just like what he's offering for the people, and what he's going to be fighting for, and hopefully, from what he’s offering, some type of betterment,” Hardy told Middle East Eye.

Mamdani's campaign has been unique in its outreach to diverse groups (often in their native languages) across the city, which have not traditionally been courted by political candidates. His campaign has been laser-focused on affordability, including promises to freeze rent prices, provide free and fast buses, and implement universal childcare, as well as raise the corporate tax rate, among several other measures.

'Psyched'

Sarah Jaffe, a writer who lives in BedStuy, says she has lived in New York City for 16 years. She voted for Mamdani during the early voting period, saying that this is the most excited she has been about a mayoral candidate since she has lived here. 

“I think people would be psyched about him regardless, but I think right now, given what our federal government looks like, it feels really good to vote for somebody on the local level where it's really gonna impact your life - where you actually feel like they are trustworthy, which is a very rare feeling to feel about a politician.” 

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She said she felt that a lot of the energy surrounding Zohran was very similar to the energy surrounding former US President Barack Obama in the early days. 

“People really respond to a politician who seems like a real person rather than someone who's constantly trying to give soundbites. Obviously, that's part of campaigning, but some people do it more skillfully than others. It feels like kind of a welcome antidote to the federal energy right now.” 

BedStuy resident Khadija, who did not give her surname or explicitly name who she was voting for, said she was voting “for the one that's gonna help the people”. 

She added that “everybody is making promises", and while she wasn’t sure if they would be able to deliver, she figured, “I guess we just have to give them a chance to see.”

Others were concerned with having a mayor who represented particular values and could stand up against US President Donald Trump, who has been targeting Democratic cities.

Elton Garcia Sosa, who lives on the borders of BedStuy and Clinton Hill, said he had canvassed for Mamdani during the primary elections in June and voted for him in part because of his opposition to Israel's policies. He said it revealed a great deal about the candidate.

“I voted for him because he was the only politician, in general, that went against Israel, went against the grain. I thought that really showed a lot of his values," Sosa told MEE.

“I think it's really hard to trust a lot of politicians, especially as a Native American; it's really hard to trust the government in general. But Zohran, he seems like a different kind of leader than the status quo, predominantly white politicians. So I was really happy to vote for him.”

BedStuy resident Natalie, who only wanted to use her first name, voted for Mamdani because she believes that Mamdani will stand up to Trump.

“I think he's the only one who will protect our city from federal issues, like Trump taking down other cities,” she said. “I think Cuomo will not stand against him (Trump), and I'm scared for what that'll look like. Also, I think he'll make life here better for a lot of people who don't have it too great right now.”

On Bedford Ave in BedStuy, the energy seemed more upbeat, and some people walked by with an "I Voted" sticker and a post-election swagger.

BedStuy resident Jasmine, who only wanted to use her first name, said she related to Mamdani.

“He's an advocate for people that look like me, I think. He's done a really good job of busting down doors. He had a more localised approach. I feel like he actually makes sure we feel heard and seen. I think the initiatives that he will address or solve kind of appealed to what I was hoping to optimise and reconcile over the next 20 to 26 years. His policies were made very clear.”

The Mamdani campaign estimates that it knocked on three million doors during canvassing from the primaries until the general election, including 156,000 on the final day before election day.

Giving Muslims a voice in the city

Donna Cleary, fresh from voting in BedStuy, brandished an "I Voted" sticker after voting for Mamdani. 

She said that she voted for him because she likes that he's “outspoken".

"I like that he's very liberal. I like that he's addressing the housing crisis. I like the way he stands up for himself, but also for the people he will represent," Cleary told MEE.

She also said it was important for somebody Muslim “to have a voice in New York City, especially post 9/11, where people were treated so poorly".

“It's fascinating to me to see this pattern of disrespect and labelling and putting people into categories based on skin colour, ethnicity, religion, whether they have a Spanish accent or not, and that continues to be the norm. It drives me absolutely batty, and I'm delighted to see a shift away from that, which is important.”

There are at least 750,000 Muslims in New York City, with some estimates putting that number as high as 1 million. There are 1.2 million Muslims in the entire New York Metropolitan area, giving the community a significant voting bloc.

Cleary said Mamdani did a great job of taking on Cuomo and performed “really well” against him in debates, adding that Mamdani’s ability to “stand up to him (Cuomo) and whatever he had to say is a reflection of how he's going to handle Trump".

"I've heard that he's (Trump's) coming for him if he wins, and I think he's a strong individual who can help us here.” 

For some New Yorkers, none of the choices were appealing. Christian Jay Smith, a Forex trader and entrepreneur who lives in BedStuy, said, “I guess it doesn't affect me directly. I just do my trading in the markets and go about my life freely. That's it. It doesn't really matter either or.”

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In the adjacent neighbourhood of Clinton Hill, a group of four Pratt students walks into Clementine Bakery on Classon Avenue to buy lunch after having voted. They said that fellow students were going out in groups to vote and grab lunch. 

At the election site, the Clinton Hill School, there was no line on Tuesday morning. A land management clerk outside the site said there had been a couple of people waiting outside when they opened at six am. She said there had been “a pretty steady flow of people coming”, and they were anticipating more people after work hours.

Howard, a BedStuy and Clinton Hill borders resident who did not wish to give his surname, was waiting outside the polling station with his dog while he and his partner took turns voting. 

He proudly displayed his Arsenal shirt to indicate who he was voting for - Mamdani is an Arsenal fan. 

Howard said he was voting for Mamdani because “New York needs change and needs new energy. It needs somebody who we know has not been corrupt in the past, and as we've seen already, is shown to be untrustworthy in many different ways.

“Mamdani’s energy, and that love that you can see he has for NYC, will hopefully spread throughout, even for the people that don't believe in what he may or may not be able to do right now.”