New York City is on the cusp of an election in which what once looked impossible has begun to seem inevitable. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist member of the New York State Assembly, is heavily favored to beat Andrew Cuomo, New York’s onetime Democratic governor and former party establishment icon, in a mayoral race that has become one of the most-watched in the nation.
Cuomo and Mamdani articulate two vastly different visions for New York City and the overall direction of the Democratic Party. This week on *The Intercept Briefing*, Akela Lacy speaks to people hoping to see each of those two visions fulfilled.
“Traditionally, we’ve thought about politics as left, right, and center,” says Alyssa Cass, a Democratic strategist who has worked on local and national campaigns. “Zohran offered a message that was less about ideology and more about disrupting a failed status quo that is working for almost no one.”
Cass, who worked on Andrew Yang’s 2021 mayoral campaign, isn’t working for Mamdani but says his candidacy indicates “that Democrats can win when we have ideas.”
Jim Walden, a former mayoral candidate now backing Cuomo, views Mamdani’s ideas as “dangerous and radical policies.” He suggests Mamdani’s popularity signals “a flirtation with socialism and maybe some populist push” among Democrats but predicts, “Ultimately, the party will come back closer to the center.”
Chi Ossé, a City Council member who endorsed Mamdani, disagrees. “We could have gone back to or continued this trend of electing centrist, moderate Democrats,” Ossé says. Instead, he believes New Yorkers want “someone who ran as a loud and proud democratic socialist who has always fought on the left.”
While New York City prepares for the general election, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa is unlikely to win, effectively turning the race into a second Democratic primary.
“The party is now confronted with a choice,” said Lacy, “between a nominee who has become the new face of generational change in politics and a former governor fighting for his political comeback. The results could reveal where the party’s headed in next year’s midterms and beyond.”
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### Transcript
**Akela Lacy:** Welcome to *The Intercept Briefing*. I’m Akela Lacy. There are less than two weeks left before New Yorkers elect their next mayor. The race has drawn national attention, including from President Donald Trump, and observers see it as a reckoning over the future of the Democratic Party.
**PIX11 News:** Zohran Mamdani continues to hold an insurmountable lead over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the race for New York City mayor, so long as Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa stays in it.
**Akela Lacy:** Even though Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani decisively won the Democratic primary in June, the general election has essentially boiled down to a contest between two candidates vying for the Democratic mantle. There’s Mamdani, the party’s nominee, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations he denies. Cuomo is running on an independent line called “Fight and Deliver,” still pitching himself as a Democrat.
Also in the race is Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and Republican candidate, who many want out of the race to clear a right-wing lane for Cuomo. This includes billionaires like John Catsimatidis and Bill Ackman who have pushed for Sliwa’s withdrawal.
**Curtis Sliwa:** Come on, Ackman, stay in your lane. Does he know anything about politics? No. Does he live in New York City? No. He lives in Chappaqua, the whitest suburb of America, where even the lawn jockeys are white.
**Akela Lacy:** The position is also shared by President Trump.
**Donald Trump:** We don’t need a communist in this country. But if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully, on behalf of the nation.
**Akela Lacy:** The Trump administration got its wish when Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the race last month. The conventional wisdom was Adams supporters would flock to Cuomo. But after a federal corruption indictment—which vanished when Trump took office—Adams’s support was already plummeting. And with Sliwa unlikely to win himself, the race is widely seen as a Contest between Mamdani and Cuomo.
Mamdani and Cuomo represent two possible paths for the Democratic Party: a democratic socialist once considered too far left to win a primary and now favored to win, or a former governor with Republican support aiming for a political comeback.
What does this say about the state of Democratic politics nationwide, especially after recent losses and crises? In New York — the state that gave us insurgent leader Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries — Democrats face a choice between generational change and establishment comeback.
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Today, we talk to people hoping to see each vision fulfilled. First, City Council Member Chi Ossé, who endorses Mamdani, and Alyssa Cass, a Democratic strategist following the race but unaffiliated. Later, former mayoral candidate Jim Walden joins us—he dropped out to endorse Cuomo.
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**Akela Lacy:** Chi, why has Mamdani’s campaign become a national story? Fox News is running nonstop coverage, Trump is calling to deport him. What’s driving this?
**Chi Ossé:** First off, this is one of the biggest races post-2024 presidential midterms. After Republicans gained ground nationally, people are watching how Democrats respond—particularly with this NYC mayoral race.
We could have elected another centrist Democrat, but instead, Zohran ran as a loud and proud democratic socialist who has consistently fought on the left and advocated for Palestinian rights. He ran a creative, grassroots campaign focused on affordability without ties to the usual financial institutions backing NYC mayors. His campaign galvanized voters and made history in how it was run.
**Akela Lacy:** Alyssa, you worked on the 2021 mayoral race and national campaigns. What’s your take on why this resonates outside NYC?
**Alyssa Cass:** It’s interesting because Zohran’s message disrupted the old left-right ideological frame. The real fault line now is that the status quo isn’t working for almost anyone, and if we don’t change it, it may break.
Zohran’s approach wasn’t pure ideology but disrupting the failed status quo impacting everyday people — working class, middle class, those using public services, public transit, public schools — life in NYC is hard for most. He built a broad coalition, generally excluding only the very wealthy, and offered an optimistic vision uniting people around shared struggles.
This offers Democrats a powerful path forward: winning by focusing on real issues people face, not just ideological purity or focus group messaging.
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**Akela Lacy:** Speaking of current events, there was a major immigration raid in Chinatown recently. NYC’s sanctuary laws forbid cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Both Cuomo and Mamdani condemned the raid, but how should a NYC mayor respond in situations like these?
**Chi Ossé:** I don’t believe Eric Adams’s denials. He’s acting like an accomplice or lapdog to Trump. The next mayor should firmly uphold sanctuary laws and use their authority to protect all NYC residents, regardless of immigration status, from federal overreach.
**Alyssa Cass:** Trump is coming after NYC regardless of who’s mayor. Voters want someone principled who will firmly tell Trump “hands off.” Cuomo’s approach to negotiate with Trump hasn’t worked and never would. The best way to fight Trump and rebuild the Democratic Party is through steadfast adherence to principles — not compromises.
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**Akela Lacy:** How does this parallel national Democratic politics?
**Alyssa Cass:** Early in Trump’s term, many Democrats thought negotiating with him was possible, but it became clear that wasn’t true. That frustrated voters. Democrats have to present bold ideas—no more “no ideas.” Zohran’s candidacy is proof Democrats can win with new ideas. The future mayor must prepare for possible escalations in federal interference, including National Guard movements, and coordinate city agencies accordingly.
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**Akela Lacy:** Going back, early in the year, Cuomo was considered a shoe-in for mayor. Why?
**Chi Ossé:** Cuomo created a “paper tiger” effect, gaining union endorsements and relying on name recognition, especially among older Black and Latino voters. The political press latched onto Cuomo as unstoppable. What they underestimated was Zohran’s movement and energized new voters, many of whom historically don’t turn out in NYC mayoral races.
**Alyssa Cass:** Zohran ran the most unabashedly democratic campaign of all candidates, directly addressing what people care about—making NYC livable for all. Others overcomplicated things or moderated their messages, opening the door for an insurgent like Mamdani.
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**Akela Lacy:** Cuomo faced strong pushback from NYC’s wealthiest business leaders, who even encouraged Adams to drop out or floated other candidates. Yet JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently said he’d support Mamdani if he won. How can that be?
**Alyssa Cass:** Mamdani has worked to charm the business community—not by betraying his agenda but recognizing it’s easier than expected to pacify business elites. For example, NYC mayors don’t directly control tax rates, so engaging with business leaders to smooth the path is savvy, not a compromise.
**Akela Lacy:** Chi, how will elites react to a Cuomo win?
**Chi Ossé:** The elites want Cuomo to win because they want leaders easy to control, usually tethered to financial institutions. Mamdani winning without that backing threatens that power dynamic.
**Alyssa Cass:** When billionaires like Ackman throw tantrums, it pushes people toward Mamdani. The status quo elites fear is exactly what voters are sick of: massive wealth inequality, tax avoidance, and political influence.
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**Akela Lacy:** Turning to the City Council, some members lost roles after backing Cuomo. What’s the mood toward Cuomo among councilors?
**Chi Ossé:** Given Mamdani’s rising chances, many councilors want to stay on good terms with the next mayor, so many are distancing themselves from Cuomo.
**Alyssa Cass:** The political class largely views this race as uncompetitive now. Cuomo has no realistic path to win, but attention is maintained for appearances.
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**Akela Lacy:** Only five NYC Democrats in Congress have endorsed Mamdani so far. Leaders like Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are still weighing in. There are multiple endorsements for Cuomo. Are there two Democratic parties?
**Alyssa Cass:** The party leadership’s behavior looks out of touch and politically tone-deaf. Their biggest discomfort with Mamdani often relates to foreign policy issues, especially regarding Israel and Palestine, which don’t resonate with most NYC Democratic voters. This divide underscores a disconnect between party leaders and rank-and-file voters.
**Chi Ossé:** Their donors won’t let them endorse Mamdani. Big players like BlackRock, the largest landlord in the U.S., and AIPAC have outsized influence. These donors also fund Republicans, limiting Democratic leaders’ independence.
**Alyssa Cass:** The leadership is stuck in an outdated model of politics tied to major donors, even though voters want change.
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**Akela Lacy:** Mamdani has faced criticism around Palestine and Israel, especially about the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which he has never used but critics have pressed him to reject. How should Democrats handle this issue?
**Chi Ossé:** Mamdani’s support among Jewish voters is about even with Cuomo’s, roughly 38 to 42 percent. Jewish voters are scrutinizing the issue closely. A sizable group still supports his stance.
**Alyssa Cass:** Mamdani carefully avoided endorsing any flattening of Gaza, which was the right approach. The majority of Jewish Democratic voters believe a genocide is taking place and are uncomfortable with unconditional U.S. support for the current Israeli government. His position aligns with what’s both popular and morally right.
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**Akela Lacy:** Jim Walden, former mayoral candidate and Cuomo endorser, you once called Cuomo “a tired snake oil salesman on his last leg.” What has changed your mind?
**Jim Walden:** Although I disagree with many of Cuomo’s past actions, he is a free-market institutionalist who understands the private sector’s role, especially for NYC’s housing crisis. Cuomo’s plan to build housing quickly is critical as landlords of rent-stabilized units face financial distress.
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**Akela Lacy:** Can you explain Cuomo’s approach to housing compared to Mamdani’s?
**Jim Walden:** Adams added about 25,000 rent-stabilized units but lost 11,000 older ones. We likely need 50,000 new units annually. Mamdani’s plan aims for 20,000 a year. I trust Cuomo’s capacity to deliver more substantial housing relief.
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**Akela Lacy:** With the recent news that Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo, what’s your reaction?
**Jim Walden:** It’s no surprise given political realities, though Adams once called Cuomo a snake and liar. Such flip-flops frustrate voters but are typical politics.
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**Akela Lacy:** What about the criticism that Cuomo is part of the status quo?
**Jim Walden:** He’s an institutionalist committed to government and democratic institutions. He acknowledges we need bold moves amid looming budget deficits. While he talks change, his approach remains within governance structures.
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**Akela Lacy:** Mamdani says he won’t defund the police, but critics say otherwise. Your thoughts?
**Jim Walden:** Mamdani claims to maintain police levels, but due to retirements and recruitment problems, the effective force is shrinking. He proposes moves like transferring $1 billion from NYPD overtime to community safety—effectively a cut. Cops are leaving due to changing disciplinary oversight and poor conditions.
I believe Mamdani is misleading voters about his approach, which many see as defunding the police and destabilizing public safety.
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**Akela Lacy:** Thank you, Jim Walden, for joining us.
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This does it for this episode of *The Intercept Briefing*. We want to hear from you. Share your story with us at 530-POD-CAST (530-763-2278) or email [email protected].
This episode was produced by Laura Flynn and Maia Hibbett. Executive producer: Sumi Aggarwal. Edited by Ben Muessig. Social/video producer: Chelsey B. Coombs. Product/design manager: Fei Liu. Copy editor: Nara Shin. Mixing by Will Stanton. Theme music by Slip Stream.
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Until next time, I’m Akela Lacy. Thanks for listening.
https://theintercept.com/2025/10/24/briefing-podcast-nyc-mayor-zohran-cuomo/