The Media Got NYC’s Mayoral Election Wrong
#69 And I Can Tell You Why
Watching the NYC Mayoral Primary Election this season from afar might seem to be a bit confusing to non-New Yorkers, and sport for policy wonks.
For New Yorkers, it is–quite literally–a determining factor of our future. We take it personally. Especially this one. We, the working class of New York City, pay as much as 50% of our income in taxes, tickets, and tolls (nearly 50% of households in New York City have a car–despite its reputation, public transit does not serve everyone's needs). Thirty percent of New Yorkers pay more than 50% of pre-tax income on rent. And yes: A dozen eggs can cost as much as $13. We pay a lot to survive here. And the Mayor is who we look to, well, fix some of this stuff.
And, we know: Being Mayor of the City of New York is, perhaps, the most thankless job in politics. There is nowhere to go from that position (historically). But, for Mayors loved by New Yorkers, that might be the best: To be loved by New Yorkers is a powerful thing.
The primary in New York City is where offices are won. Since most of the City identifies as Democrat, the primary is where the real horse race happens. The winner of the Democratic primary almost always wins the seat. People who aren’t Democrats register as Democrats just to have a say in the primary.
If you’ve followed the mainstream media about the current mayoral primary, Cuomo was the clear-cut winner until about 2 weeks before the election, when the media simply reported Zohran Mamdani was gaining on him.
That was the story. Cuomo kept up appearances, cool and calm and confident.
Mamdani hit the streets. He was all over the City, meeting people on the subway, social media team in tow, feeding attention’s devouring beast with a zealous, constant devotion.
But mainstream media still missed the story, despite seeing the world through their screens.
Here’s why: Had the political reporters actually been on the streets of New York City, watching Mamdani in action, listening to New Yorkers talk about the race, his win would not have been “stunning.” His win could have been, dare I say, prognosticated—or at least been more astutely considered.
Either they weren’t listening, or they were desperately trying to shore up Cuomo, the establishment darling. Perhaps it was both.
If they’d been listening, they’d know there was a moment when Mamdani won over New Yorkers, three weeks before the election (and two weeks before the mainstream media started to report he was rising in the polls):
“I would stay in New York City.”
That is the moment Mamdani won over New Yorkers.
New Yorkers are New Yorkers first.
New Yorkers do not support war. We do not want genocide. We want peace. We have enough problems here–and we worry about our loved ones in countries around the world. War is not good for us at home in NYC–and it’s not good for our loved ones in other countries.
We want a Mayor that will put the City and New Yorkers first.
There was also another moment, perhaps, when Cuomo actually lost.
It wasn’t the accusations of sexual harassment or nursing home deaths or his funders. No.
It was the moment he was asked by the New York Times what his favorite breakfast sandwich is and he said “Bacon, cheese and egg on an English muffin.”
Had anyone from the mainstream media—or Cuomo’s campaign—been listening to the New Yorkers on the street–and I’m not talking about the transplants from Ohio, I’m talking about the people born in Middle Village, Queens–if the elite mainstream media folks had listened to those folks, they’d’ve known that there was a palatable disgust with Cuomo for that order.
“Can you even get English muffin at the deli?” and “Bacon, cheese, and egg? That’s not a thing,” New Yorkers grumbled, holding their pinkie fingers in the air to physically reference Cuomo as an elitist.
Every New Yorker knows, the order starts with, “bacon egg and cheese” specifically said, like that. Cuomo’s disconnect showed he wasn’t a New Yorker–he’s been Upstate for too long.
But Mamdani is a New Yorker–from his rap song for his Nani:
to his filmmaker mother to his swagger, he oozes New York City.
To New Yorkers, Mamdani’s win isn’t a stunning upset–It’s a relief. A cause of celebration.
Monumentally, Mamdani’s win symbolizes just how disconnected the Democratic Party and mainstream media are. It symbolizes that politics as usual–especially for the Democratic Party Machine and mainstream media that have ruled New York City for generations–is over.
“The worst part about his win is that the Democratic Party will spend the rest of the election trying to defeat him,” my Jewish, Mamdani-voting friend told me yesterday.
The Democratic Party has become increasingly known for being cannibalistic.
Their machine is old and falling apart. It was built for the 20th century. It cannot last much longer.
With Mamdani, New Yorkers today feel a sense of relief, and hope.
And sure, people talked Mamdani’s policies and Cuomo’s funders and other candidate’s steps and missteps. And those certainly played a role in the vote, too.
But in the age of reduction and short attention spans, is it any wonder that the race really boiled down to two moments: A bad breakfast sandwich and a commitment to staying in NYC?
Mamdani will face current Mayor Eric Adams, a former Democrat who is now an Independent, in November.
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What I’m Watching
The Namesake
What I’m Listening to
What I’m Reading
Kiss Me Deadly, by Mickey Spillane
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