Mamdani rails against rivals’ ‘Islamophobic’ attacks as NYC mayoral race enters final stretch

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani denounced “racist, baseless attacks” from his opponents during a speech, just one day before early voting begins in a race he is widely projected to win.

Speaking outside a mosque in the Bronx on Friday, Mamdani slammed his rivals for “bringing hatred to the forefront,” saying their Islamophobic rhetoric targets not only him but also the city’s nearly one million Muslim residents.

“To be Muslim in New York is to expect indignity, but indignity does not make us distinct. There are many New Yorkers who face it. It is the tolerance of that indignity that does,” Mamdani said, less than two weeks before the November 4 general election.

His remarks followed a controversial exchange on a radio show Thursday, during which his chief rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, laughed after host Sid Rosenberg claimed Mamdani “would be cheering” if another September 11 attack occurred. Cuomo responded, “That’s another problem,” prompting widespread outrage.

Mamdani said that while he had tried to focus his election campaign on his core message of affordability, his opponents in recent days had shown that “Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement.”

Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Muslim advocacy group CAIR Action, also slammed Cuomo’s comments as “despicable, dangerous, and disqualifying.”

“By agreeing with a racist radio host who suggested a Muslim elected official would ‘cheer’ another 9/11, Cuomo has crossed a moral line,” Elkarra said. “Cuomo’s willingness to engage in this kind of hate speech shows exactly the kind of leader he is — someone who would rather stoke fear than bring people together.”

Earlier on Friday, Mamdani secured a major endorsement from Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democratic Party in the US House of Representatives and representative of New York’s 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Brooklyn such as East Flatbush, Coney Island, and Brownsville.

A new poll by AARP and Gotham Polling & Analytics places Mamdani far ahead of his opponents with 43.2 percent support, followed by Cuomo at 28.9 percent and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa at 19.4 percent. About 8.4 percent of respondents said they were undecided or preferred another candidate.

Zohran Mamdani secures NYC mayoral bid, faces backlash over Palestine position

While many in New York consider Zohran Mamdani’s nomination for mayor a win for the working class, many others hold reservations regarding his position on Palestine.

Mamdani has said publicly that he condemns the Israeli regime for committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested.

He has also said that there is no room for anti-Semitism in New York City, adding that if he were elected, he would increase funding to combat hate crimes.

On the other hand, pro-Tel Aviv Cuomo has described himself as a “hyper supporter of Israel and proud of it.”

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump weighed in on the race, calling Mamdani a “pure communist” during an interview with Fox News and threatening to cut off federal funding for New York City if the Democratic nominee wins.

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