Mamdani moves to widen his tent ahead of New York City election

Moderate Democrats have been wary of progressive upstart-turned-party-nominee Zohran Mamdani since before he secured the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor in June.

But Mamdani, the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist, has made efforts to widen his tent in recent weeks.

On Monday, he met with business leaders and gave a speech at an African Methodist Church, seeking to appeal to demographics that have been lukewarm, and even outright resistant, toward him.

Last month, he agreed to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” something that angered moderate parts of the New York electorate. And, a day earlier, he said he was open to keeping Jessica Tisch as police commissioner, a move that could upset his far-left base.

Political observers say there’s evidence Mamdani’s efforts to consolidate support with a move toward the center are succeeding.

“He’s getting more endorsements slowly. He’s getting more meetings. And people and industries are looking to gear up for a Mamdani administration,” said New-York based Republican strategist Susan Del Percio, who worked for former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an opponent of Mamdani’s, as a special adviser in 2014. “It’s just a recognition of, ‘This is who I'm probably going to be working with in six months.’”

“They're giving it to Mamdani or they're not supporting anyone else, which is by default, giving it to Mamdani,” Del Percio added.

A Siena College poll out Tuesday showed Mamdani leading the field of candidates for New York City’s mayorship with 44 percent of the vote. Cuomo, who is running as an independent, trailed with 25 percent of the vote, followed by Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa with 12 percent. Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent, had 7 percent.

Despite Mamdani’s hefty lead, Cuomo is still putting up a fight.

Last week, Cuomo went after Mamdani in a viral statement on the social platform X, lambasting his rival for living in a rent-controlled apartment. 

“Somewhere last night in New York City, a single mother and her children slept at a homeless shelter because you, assemblyman @ZohranKMamdani, are occupying her rent controlled apartment,” the statement read. “You grew up rich and married an even wealthier woman. You’ve had weddings on 3 continents. You own property in LGTBQIA+ murderous Uganda. You make $142,000 a year plus stipends, and your wife works too, meaning you together likely make well over $200,000.”

“We are in the middle of a historic affordability crisis. Millions of low income New Yorkers need this apartment and an apartment like it. Yet your apartment remains rented to rich people who don’t need it,” Cuomo’s statement continued. “Today, I am calling on you to move out immediately and give your affordable housing back to an unhoused family who need it. Leaders must show moral clarity. Time to move out.”

Cuomo’s attacks come as Democratic party leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (N.Y.) and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, have notably withheld endorsements from Mamdani — their party’s nominee.

Political observers say that up until his victory in June’s Democratic primary, Mamdani’s brand diverged from establishment figures — like Schumer, Jefferies and Hochul — and was centered on resisting big money interests.

With the general election in November inching closer, they say he has to open himself up.

“Because it’s New York City, he'll have to talk to corporate America, and he'll have to talk to real estate because that is part of the economic foundation of our city,” said Democratic strategist Basil Smikle, who served as executive director of the New York State Democratic Party.

“He's going to have to find some common ground that gives them the opportunity to say that he's a fair broker, and he would be able to say that he's delivering for the voters with and staying true to his main base.”

Strategists say Mamdani is making these efforts both to steer endorsements away from his competitors and to lay the groundwork for operational success as mayor. 

At the same time, some strategists say he will also have to make political inroads with his weakest demographics to secure a victory in November.

“Just by definition, you have to … do addition to win elections, and I’d be surprised if he wasn't doing that,” Democratic strategist Joel Payne said. “The one part of the electorate that he could do a market improvement with would be working class, particularly African American, voters, who are a more traditional Democratic constituency.”

“The pitch might sound a little different, but the notes are going to be the same,” Payne added. “Those folks care about bottom line economic issues, just like the people that boosted him and his primary campaign.”

Some political observers say Mamdani can get away with his current base because enough voters want new blood — and the rest of the electorate remains divided over the three other candidates in this race.

“He’s being helped by a somewhat crowded field with other legitimate candidates,” said Grant Reeher, the director of Syracuse University’s Campbell Public Affairs Institute. “In addition, there’s no question that most voters are dissatisfied with the status quo, and he is definitely a change candidate.”

Reeher added that any new traction Mamdani manages to gain “probably boils down to how unpalatable Andrew Cuomo seems to the more mainstream Democrats.”

And while Mamdani has begun talking to the more moderate Democratic establishment and is trying to expand his base — regardless of whether he needs to — strategists say a long and bumpy road awaits the mayoral hopeful.

“He's not ready for prime time. He’s got to be doing everything he can to get ready for it, and it's going to be really hard,” Del Percio said. “He will … be a topic for national scrutiny.”

“You've never seen a president go after a city, and then add that it's Donald Trump and New York City with an inexperienced unknown,” Del Percio added. “That gives me the chills.”