With Election Day set for November 4, 2025, Democrat Zohran Mamdani leads independent Andrew Cuomo in most public polls as the New York City mayoral race turns combative over religion, rhetoric, and money. Cuomo is under fire for comments invoking 9/11 and for a briefly posted AI video, while Mamdani has used personal stories of post‑9/11 discrimination to counter the attacks and press an economic populist message.
— The race and the calendar
New York City voters head to the polls on November 4, 2025, in a general election featuring Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani has held a consistent lead in reputable surveys this month; a Quinnipiac University poll conducted Oct. 3–7 put him at 46% to Cuomo’s 33%, with Sliwa at 15%, and subsequent polling has shown a similar advantage for Mamdani. Early voting is underway. (Quinnipiac/NY1; AP; Reuters Connect imagery from the Oct. 26 rally.)
— The Rosenberg interview and Adams’s endorsement
The contest’s tenor sharpened on Oct. 23 when Cuomo, in an interview with WABC host Sid Rosenberg, said, “God forbid another 9/11. Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?” Rosenberg replied, “Yeah, I could. He’d be cheering,” and Cuomo laughed before adding, “That’s another problem.” The exchange, widely circulated on social media, drew denunciations from Mamdani and others as Islamophobic. (Mediaite; Jewish Telegraphic Agency; Time magazine recap.)
One day later, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo and said at their joint appearance, “New York can’t be Europe, folks… You see what’s playing out in other countries because of Islamic extremism.” National and local outlets reported the remarks and noted the endorsement’s unusual timing after Adams exited the race last month. (Washington Post; AP; Reuters.)
— The AI video and donor reaction
Cuomo’s campaign also briefly posted—and then deleted—an AI‑generated video depicting “criminals for Zohran Mamdani,” including a keffiyeh‑wearing Black shoplifter and other stereotyped figures. The campaign said a junior staffer had mistakenly uploaded an unfinished draft. The ad was widely criticized as racist and Islamophobic. (amNewYork; The Wrap; The Guardian.)
Billionaire donors have poured significant sums into independent groups supporting Cuomo or opposing Mamdani. Business Insider and other outlets have documented seven‑ and eight‑figure hauls by super PACs including Fix the City and Defend NYC, with major checks from Joe Gebbia and Bill Ackman, among others. The Nation, citing Forbes, reported that at least 25 billionaires had collectively given $22 million to Cuomo’s bid; that figure could not be independently confirmed by this newsroom, though multiple outlets do show multimillion‑dollar pro‑Cuomo independent expenditures. (Business Insider; NY1; Politico; The Nation.)
— Mamdani’s platform and outreach
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and Shia Muslim, has centered his campaign on affordability and public services, including a push for fare‑free city buses alongside faster, more reliable service. He previously backed a state pilot for fare‑free routes and says the policy would be funded in part by higher taxes on the wealthy and on corporations—changes that require state approval. (AP; Religion News Service; amNewYork; The City; City & State.)
His campaign has worked across languages and communities. In July, Al Jazeera reported that Mamdani’s team deployed multilingual content—including Hindi, Urdu, Spanish and Bangla—and made gains in South Asian, Latino, and Chinese neighborhoods. More recently, the Forward reported an open letter in Yiddish aimed at Hasidic voters. (Al Jazeera; The Forward.)
— Post‑9/11 experiences and a disputed anecdote
Responding to the radio‑show exchange, Mamdani delivered an emotional speech outside a Bronx mosque around Oct. 24 describing post‑9/11 discrimination faced by Muslim New Yorkers. He said, “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab.” Conservative commentators questioned the anecdote online; the New York Post later reported that Mamdani’s campaign clarified he was using “aunt” in the familial sense for a paternal cousin, consistent with some South Asian usage. The broader thrust of Mamdani’s remarks about anti‑Muslim bias after 9/11 is consistent with contemporaneous reporting and research. (AP; New York Post.)
— Forest Hills rally and the ‘tax the rich’ chant
At the Oct. 26 “New York Is Not For Sale” rally at Queens’ Forest Hills Stadium—featuring Mamdani alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez—Gov. Kathy Hochul was met with loud chants of “Tax the rich!” The next day she told reporters she initially thought the crowd was chanting “Let’s go, Bills!” Her remark, and the chants, were documented by local and national outlets. Ocasio‑Cortez told the crowd, “We are not the crazy ones… We are sane to demand affordable and decent housing, a decent wage, the right to health care.” (AP/PBS NewsHour; Politico; NY Post; Daily Wire.)
— What each side says now
Mamdani has framed the late‑campaign attacks as evidence of religious bias and responded that he will govern for all New Yorkers. “This is Andrew Cuomo’s final moments in public life and he’s choosing to spend them making racist attacks,” Mamdani said last week, in comments first reported by The Nation. Cuomo’s team has defended the Rosenberg interview by pointing to Mamdani’s past media appearance with a controversial streamer—an explanation many outlets noted but that did not quell criticism of the 9/11 remarks. (The Nation; The Wrap.)
— The bottom line
With days to go, the campaign’s closing stretch is defined by sharp contrasts: Mamdani’s affordability‑first platform and multilingual outreach versus Cuomo’s experience‑based pitch and an aggressive, sometimes inflammatory message on security and identity. Big‑dollar super PAC spending continues to amplify those differences as voters make their final choice. (AP; NY1; Politico.)