The exaltation, the partying, the backslapping lasted for about two days!
An in-depth interview in the N.Y. An in-depth interview in the NY Times, Brian Lehrer on Public Radio, and off and running … The November General Election beckons.
Micheal Lange, an early Mamdani supporters, writes,
Taken for granted by the political establishment, deeply dissatisfied with the status quo, Mamdani reached voters in a way no one else had before, not only earning their trust, but inspiring them to knock down the house. Now, Zohran Mamdani will be the next Mayor of New York City. Mr. Mamdani’s coalition , “the unlikely voters and the energized young people of New York City — is not only here to stay, but growing by the day.”
The public is fickle and political coitus may be shortlived.
Mamdani on the Democratic line, Curtis Sliwa on the Republican, Eric Adams as an independent, and, will Cuomo continue to run on his independent line? “In the room where it happens” is smoke filled as the self-appointed “mover and shakers” try and control the November plurality election, no Ranked Choice, most votes wins.
If you are a politics nerd you can listen to a detailed, very detailed discussion of why Mandani won the primary, why he will win the November election and why the politics in the city has been radically changed.
Can the Republicans replace Sliwa with either Adams or Cuomo? There is an obscure rarely used law, called a Wilson – Pikula which may allow it.
The members of the party committee representing the political subdivision of the office for which a designation or nomination is to be made, unless the rules of the party provide for another committee, in which case the members of such other committee, and except as hereinafter in this subdivision provided with respect to certain offices in the city of New York, may, by a majority vote of those present at such meeting provided a quorum is present, authorize the designation or nomination of a person as candidate for any office who is not enrolled as a member of such party as provided in this section
June to September romances tend to fade as the days get shorter, will the voter romance with Zohran fade, or as Lange predicts “is here to stay?”
Since the days of Boss Tweed the city has been run by the powerful, the “party bosses,” the real estate establishment, the shadowy “movers and shakers” who controlled access to the mayor. Back in my days as a local union rep Tony Genovese was the local Assemblyman who vetted the pathway to the Speaker of the Assembly. My district had one Title 1 school and a state-funded pre-K in every school.
The lawyer for the Kings County Democratic Committee, Frank Carone, was Adams chief of staff for his first year in office,
The “room where it happens” may not have a name on the door, you better know how to find the room.
Critics of Mamdani, and there are many, abjure his campaign, “he has no control over buses, the MTA is controlled by a gubernatorial appointed board,” “freezing the rent” will result in landlords abandoning building and city-run supermarkets competing with other markets impacts the economy negatively: Unwritten rule # 1 – win the election first, implementing your promises are the challenge once you’re in office.
The NY Times explores each of Zohran’s campaign promises, “From Free Buses to Billions in New Taxes: Can Mamdami Achieve his Plans” and finds them possible, however, a heavy lift, they would need the support of the governor, the state legislatures and the city council. Raising taxes in an election year (2026: the legislature and the governor on the ballot when the Republicans are breathing down your neck is unlikely).
Education, aside from childcare, was not high on any candidate’s agenda.
Mamdani was the only candidate to oppose mayoral control and referred to “partnerships,” without any further discussion. BTW, who is his education advisor? Is Zohran referring to the Affinity District? Six not-for-profits “manage” about 150 schools. Norm Fruchter wrote a detailed study of the origins and functioning of the Affinity District, If so, a major step forward, moving school level decision-making to the school level under the guidance of highly accomplished school leaders would be a massive step away from the current paramilitary top down structure.
Does Mamdani support, oppose or waffle on charter schools? A well-funded charter school in Sunset Park is constructing their own building and will be drawing students away from high functioning neighborhood schools, the entire community is opposing the move, Read here. Hopefully the media will raise the question.
Shortly after election day the winner usually chooses a transition team to assist in selecting his team, i.e., commissioners and a chancellor, too early for a public announcement, however, currently, who are Mamdani’s closest advisors?
The election is four months away, in politics a lifetime,
Stay tuned! I’ll keep my ear to the political ground.
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 