Mamdani and New York's Mayoral Future (2025)

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're jumping right into
the political scene heating up in New York City. We're
talking about the twenty twenty five mayoral.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Election, right, and this is shaping up to be more
than just a standard election cycle.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Absolutely, it feels like it could really change the direction,
maybe even the identity of the city.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
It definitely could.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
So we've gathered a bunch of sources, articles, some research,
our notes, and the plan is to cut through all
the noise.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Give you the essential takeaways exactly.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
A shortcut to getting up to speed on what really
matters in this race. We want to pull out the
key insights, maybe some surprising facts.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Sounds good.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Okay, So the incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, everyone pretty much
expects him to run.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Again, that's the general assumption.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yes, but there's another name creating a lot of buzz.
Assembly Member Zoran Mamdani.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
A very interesting figure.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, so that's our focus today. Who is he? What's
this progressive vision people talk about? And like, how could
his potential run and shake things up? Ok let's start
right there. Who is Zoran Mumdani. What's his story?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, Zoron Mumdanni has a really fascinating background, quite unique. Actually,
she was born in Kampala, Uganda, and then moved to
the US later on. Okay Ganda and his parents are
well pretty well known. His father is Mahmoud Mumdani, the
Ugandan American academic.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
You know, author, Oh wow, Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
And his mother is Mirenaire, the Indian American filmmaker.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
The filmmaker Arannaire.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Really yes, so you can imagine that kind of heritage
gives him this really rich mix of global perspectives, intellectual influences.
It's not your typical political backstory.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Definitely not. You can just picture the dinner table conversations, right,
an academic and a filmmaker exactly. So how did that
translate into actual politics in New York? How did he
rise up?

Speaker 2 (01:51):
It seems it was really through grassroots organizing, like boots
on the groundwork. He didn't just appear out of nowhere.
He actually challenged and unseated a long time incumbent Assembly
member back in twenty twenty, right in the story of
Queen's Yeah, I remember that Yeah. Representing Astoria and that victory.
It was seen as part of this wider progressive wave
happening in New York politics around that time.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Okay, And ideologically where does he fit? People throw terms around.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
He identifies pretty clearly as a socialist or maybe more
specifically a democratic socialist, often you know, in the same
vein as someone like Alexandria Cosio Cortes, AOC who uses
similar labels.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
And just to be clear, when we say democratic socialist.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Here, right, it generally means advocating for democracy alongside socialist
economic ideas, things like more public control over essential services,
maybe wealth redistribution, but all achieved through elections, through the
democratic process.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Got it. So not authoritarian socialist, but working within the democratic.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
System precisely, And that identity is really central to his appeal,
especially for a certain segment of democratic primary voters in NYC.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Okay, that makes sense, So be on the label. What
about the actual policies, the Mamdani platform as some call it,
What does he stand for?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Oh, it's quite specific. He's pushing for some pretty big
structural changes housing, for example, obviously huge in New York.
Always he's advocating for universal rent control, social housing initiatives,
really strong protections for tenants, you know, against evictions, against
predatory landlords.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Universal rent control. Yeah, Wow, that's a big departure from
the status quo.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
It is, it would be a fundamental shift, moving much
more towards public control or heavy regulation rather than just say,
incentivizing private developers.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
And does that boldness carry over into other areas like
the economy.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Absolutely. Economic justice is another core pillar. He supports policies
aimed at wealth redistribution, so higher taxes on the wealthy,
strengthening workers' rights, think higher minimum wage, strong union protections,
also universal health care access. He's talked about wanting a
single payer system.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
A lot of big progressive goals there.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Definitely, and climate change two, pushing for ambitious green programs
investing in renewables. And childcare is.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Another big one for sount care, how so.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Emphasizing the need for affordable, accessible childcare for basically all
New York families. He sees it as really critical for
economic equity.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Right, because if you can't afford childcare, it's hard.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
To work exactly. It has huge knock on effects.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
So what really strikes me is how different these policies
sound compared to let's say, more traditional Democrats or the
current administration.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
That's the key point really understanding these policies matters because
they represent such a stark contrast. It's a potential blueprint
for a very different kind of governance in the city.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
A transformative shift, potentially, that's the idea behind it. Guess OK,
so we have mom Donnie's vision. Now let's zoom out
to the bigger picture, the twenty twenty five mayoral election itself.
How does he or someone like him fit into that landscape.
Let's start with the incumbent, Eric.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Adams, right, So, Mayor Adams, he's eligible for a second term,
and as you said, every one expects him to run,
and his platform has been generally more centrist, particularly compared
to Mom Donnie. The focus has been heavily on public safety,
tackling crime, economic recovery post pandemic, and quality of life
issues like sanitation, homelessness, visibility.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
So his campaign will likely be about his track record
on those things.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Almost certainly he'll run on what he's done in his
first term.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
And in New York City, the Democratic primary is well,
it's usually the main event, right.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Oh, absolutely, Given the city's voter registration, winning the Democratic
primary is pretty much the pathway to city Hall. The
general election is often less competitive.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
So that twenty twenty five primary is where the real
fight will be.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
That's the battleground.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Okay, and this is where things get maybe a little complicated,
but really interesting. Ranked choice voting RCV RCV crucial factor.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Can you just quickly break down how that works again
for anyone who might not be familiar.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
Sure, so, instead of just picking one candidate, you rank
them your first choice, your second choice, third, and so on,
as many as you want.

Speaker 2 (06:02):
Usually ranking them. Then if no single candidate gets more
than fifty percent of the first choice votes right off
the bat, which often happens in crowded primaries exactly, then
the candidate with the fewest first choice votes gets eliminated.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Okay, they're out.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
And if you voted for that eliminated candidate as your
first choice, your vote doesn't just disappear, it goes to
your second choice. Ah okay, your vote transfers, right, and
this process repeats eliminate the lowest candidate, redistribute their votes
based on the next choice on those ballots, until one
candidate finally crosses that fifty percent threshold.

Speaker 1 (06:35):
Got it? So why is this such a big deal strategically?

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Well, it completely changes the game for candidates. You can't
just focus on firing up your base and ignoring everyone else.
You need to be palatable, you know, acceptable as a
second or third choice to voters who might prefer someone.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
Else initially, So negative campaigning might backfire.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
It certainly can. If you attack another candidate too harshly,
their supporters might be less likely to rank you second
or third. So it encourages, or at least is supposed
to encourage, broader coalition vading appealing more widely.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
And for someone like Mom Donnie with potentially strong support
but maybe from a specific progressive wing, how does RCV
play out.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's interesting. It could be an advantage or maybe a challenge.
The advantage is if he energizes his base enough to
get a lot of first place votes, he's in a
good starting position, right. The challenge is he also needs
to convince enough moderate voters or supporters of other candidates
to rank him second or third to actually get over
that fifty percent line if he doesn't win outright, So.

Speaker 1 (07:38):
He needs that broader appeal beyond just the hardcore progressive exactly.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
Those second and third place rankings can be absolutely crucial.
It's not just about being number one for your own voters.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
Fascinating. Okay, so that's the Democratic primary dynamic. What about
the other side, Is there a Republican challenge expected?

Speaker 2 (07:54):
Well, there will certainly be a Republican candidate, figures like
Tom Homan have been mentioned, though it's early. Historically in NYC, right,
it's a very tough climb for a Republican mayoral candidate.
The city is overwhelmingly Democratic.

Speaker 1 (08:07):
So their strategy would likely.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Be probably focus on perceived failures of the Democratic mayor
whoever that is, hammering on issues like crime, maybe quality
of life, trying to offer a distinct alternative vision. But
realistically it's an.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Uphill battle, understood. So let's circle back to the big
question then, Mom, Donnie for mayor? Is he actually going
to run?

Speaker 2 (08:30):
That is the million dollar question, isn't it. He hasn't
made any definitive announcement, not yet, but the speculation is intense,
very intense. His profile, his consistent advocacy on these issues,
it makes him a really anticipated potential candidate.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
And if he does jump in, what role would he
likely play in that primary?

Speaker 2 (08:47):
He'd almost certainly become the main standard bearer for the
socialist or democratic socialist wing of the party. You'd expect
groups like the Working Families Party other progressive organizations to
rally around him. His platform would be centered on those
big structural changes we talked about.

Speaker 1 (09:03):
But running for mayor is a whole different beast than
running for assembly. Right, what are the big hurdles.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
Oh, huge hurdles. It's a massive undertaking. First, fundraising merrill
campaigns in New York cost enormous amounts of money millions
and millions exactly. And then there's name recognition. While he's
well known in Astoria and in progressive circles citywide, becoming
a household name across all five boroughs that takes a

(09:29):
lot of work, a lot of resources. So scaling up
is the big challenge. Definitely. We'd obviously watch early polls,
you know, NYC mayor polls, zoron Mom Donnie polls to
see what his initial citywide standing might even look like.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
Okay, now you mentioned something earlier, a potential point of
confusion we should clear up.

Speaker 2 (09:47):
Ah. Yes, it's something we've seen floating around a bit,
this idea of Cuomo versus Mom Donnie.

Speaker 1 (09:53):
Right, Andrew Cuomo. Just to be.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Crystal clear for everyone listening, Andrew Cuomo was the governor
of New York State. He resign you might remember a
mid scandal. Yes, right, He's not typically someone who runs
for New York City mayor. It's a different job, different
political arena.

Speaker 1 (10:07):
So it's highly unlikely he'd be running against Mom Donni
in a mayoral race.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Extremely unlikely. Any talk you hear about Cuomo concedes or
things like that that relates back to his resignation as
governor in twenty twenty one. It has nothing to do
with a potential NYC mayoral election against Mom Donnie or
anyone else.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
Okay, So no Cuomo versus Mom Donnie polls for mayor
exist because that matchup isn't really on the table.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
The current mayor is Eric Adams exactly. Just wanted to
clear that potential confusion up. It helps avoid misunderstandings you
sometimes see online or in discussions.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
Good clarification. So, besides Adams and potentially Mom Donnie, who
else might be in the mix for the Democrats?

Speaker 2 (10:47):
Well, the Democratic primary often gets crowded. It's possible we
could see other NYC mayoral candidates emerge, Maybe sitting borough
presidents decide to run city council members, someone like Justin
Brannon's name sometimes comes up, perhaps former city officials eyeing
the seat.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
So it could become a wide field again.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
It certainly could, which again brings RCV right back into focus.

Speaker 1 (11:07):
Right, Okay, So regardless of exactly who runs, what are
the big issues that this twenty twenty five election is
likely going to revolve around?

Speaker 2 (11:14):
Well, some are perennial but definitely critical for twenty twenty five.
Public safety is almost guaranteed to be front and center,
crime stats, how effective policing is, debates about reform versus enforcement.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
Adams has focused heavily on that he has.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
And a progressive challenger like Mom Donnie would likely offer,
you know, very different approaches, maybe focusing more on root causes,
alternative safety strategies, justice reform.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
Okay, what else?

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Housing and affordability Always it's a crisis, soaring rents, not
enough apartments exactly, so candidates will have competing solutions mam
Don's rent control and social housing versus perhaps others focusing
more on incentivizing new construction, maybe different kinds of zoning
reform A fundamental debate there, absolutely. Then there's the economy, jobs,

(12:01):
recovery from the pandemics effects, support for small businesses that's
always central and just day to day life stuff. Quality
of life definitely, things like sanitation, street cleanliness, homelessness, the
state of public transit. Those issues really resonate with voters
on a daily basis.

Speaker 1 (12:17):
Yeah, they affect everyone.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
And education too, the public school system, funding levels, curriculum debates,
school choice, parental involvement. That's often a major battleground.

Speaker 1 (12:27):
Lots of critical issues for the candidates to address.

Speaker 2 (12:30):
No shortage of challenges, that's for.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
Sure, and quickly. The timeline When does all this actually happen?

Speaker 2 (12:36):
The primary is usually in late June, but the main
election day is typically in November. November twenty twenty five, okay,
And there's early voting before that, right, there's an early
voting period and then the vote counting with ranked choice voting.
Getting the final election results Nike can sometimes take a
little longer than the old system.

Speaker 1 (12:54):
Do they have to do the elimination rounds if needed?

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Exactly so? Outlets like NY One, The New York Times,
AP News, they'll all be tracking it live, but the
official certification might take some time. People will also need
the usual info like where to vote, when do polls close?

Speaker 1 (13:09):
Standard election mechanics, but with that RCV twist, right, Okay,
So wrapping this up, the twenty twenty five NYC mayoral
election looks said to be really really significant.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
A pivotal moment, I think, and.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
The potential maybe likely entry of Zoran Mumdani bringing that
clear socialist vision, it really sets up a potentially fascinating
clash of ideologies.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
Yeah, a strong contrast with the incumbent Eric Adams and
potentially other contenders who might jump in. It forces a
debate about fundamental directions for the city.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
So while we won't know who the new Mayor of
New York is until late twenty.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
Twenty five, right, still a ways off.

Speaker 1 (13:49):
The conversation and the debates leading up to that election DAYNAC,
they're going to tell us a lot.

Speaker 2 (13:54):
Absolutely, they'll really shine a light on the incredibly diverse,
sometimes conflicting ideas about how you lead a city as
complex as vibrant as New York.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
So here's something to think about. What will New Yorkers
ultimately prioritize. Is it going to be that kind of transformative, bold,
maybe risky shift in governance that someone like Mamdani represents.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Or is it more about sticking with perhaps more familiar policies,
focusing on steady recovery, maybe tweaking things around the edges.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
What does that eventual choice really signal about, well, the
soul of the city, its identity, its future path.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
That's the big question hanging over this entire race. What
kind of city does New York want to be?

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