Mamdani, Front‑Runner in NYC Mayoral Race, Vows to Fight Trump's Threat to Withhold Federal Funding

🔍 Key Facts

• Multiple recent polls in early-to-late September show Zohran Mamdani leading the NYC mayoral race, with results roughly 43–48% across outlets (Quinnipiac ~45%, NYT/Siena ~46%, Fox 45–47%, CBS 43%); Andrew Cuomo trails in the mid-20s while Curtis Sliwa and Eric Adams are in the low teens or single digits.
• Mamdani’s backers report unusually high enthusiasm (91% enthusiastic vs. Cuomo 75%), and he leads especially among younger and college-educated voters; the contest tightens among older voters and those without a college degree.
• Voter priorities driving the race include broad dissatisfaction with the city's direction and top concerns of crime (25%), cost of living (20%) and affordable housing (17%); issue framing splits the electorate—voters who favor tougher sentences back Cuomo or Sliwa, while those who prioritize social programs and community outreach overwhelmingly back Mamdani.
• By about 2-to-1, voters prefer a mayor who would oppose Donald Trump rather than work with him; Mamdani captures roughly two-thirds of those voters, and six-in-ten say they would oppose National Guard troops in the city if ordered by Trump.
• On the Israel–Palestine question, a NYT/Siena poll found 43% say Mamdani has best addressed the conflict and 46% of likely voters sympathize more with Palestinians versus 29% with Israel; activists and critics called those findings 'deeply troubling,' tied them to concerns about rising antisemitism, and pointed to Mamdani's past stances (e.g., not denouncing 'globalize the intifada' and support for economic boycotts of Israel) as context for alarm.
• Endorsement dynamics are mixed: Gov. Kathy Hochul formally endorsed Mamdani (via a New York Times op‑ed and social post), while major New York Democrats such as Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries had not publicly endorsed (Schumer said he had a 'good meeting' and will 'keep talking'); NY State Dem Chair Jay Jacobs refused to endorse, Sen. Chris Van Hollen urged Democrats to back Mamdani, and Vice President Kamala Harris gave a lukewarm on-air endorsement saying, 'I support the Democrat in the race, sure,' while name‑checking other Democratic 'stars.'
• President Trump posted on Truth Social threatening to withhold federal funding from New York City if Mamdani becomes mayor and called Mamdani's proposals 'FAKE Communist'; Mamdani said on CNN (Sept. 29) he will 'fight for every single dollar' in federal funding and cited California-style litigation strategies as a model for resisting such threats.
• Mamdani has publicly addressed past 'defund the police' rhetoric—telling ABC's The View he has been meeting individually with rank-and-file NYPD officers, framing earlier comments as part of 'growth and understanding,' and drawing public praise from co‑host Whoopi Goldberg for acknowledging personal growth.

📰 Sources (12)