NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani wants to charm his way to a broader coalition.
The Democratic nominee for New York City mayor is in the midst of a whirlwind of meet-and-greets in territories both friendly and hostile as he seeks to build general-election support — and prepare to govern a city that encompasses a population far more diverse than his young, progressive base.
On Monday, Mamdani gathered with Jewish elected officials concerned about his defense of the phrase “globalize the intifada.” He met Tuesday with more than a hundred big-business CEOs worried about his vow to hike taxes on the wealthy. And on Wednesday, he began with a breakfast in Washington with House progressives, who fawned over his election strategy, and then returned to New York where he held court with tech industry leaders hoping to influence City Hall. His Thursday schedule includes still more closed-door meetings.
The work-week push will culminate Friday when he meets with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New York Democrat who commended Mamdani’s focus on affordability after his stunning primary win but has yet to bless his general election run.
“Get to know him!” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told reporters after the Washington meeting she organized for him and left-leaning House Democrats. “If anybody is skeptical, I would say get to know him. And once you get into a room with him, kick the tires yourself and make your own assessment.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblymember, is the heavy favorite to become the next mayor of the country’s largest city. But while he and his fleet of volunteers turned out new voters who handily boosted him over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June’s primary, he now faces a larger-scale challenge in winning over dubious powerbrokers.
His stops this week included opportunities for those elites to pose questions to the democratic socialist, who rocketed last month from being a largely unknown Queens legislator to a nationally recognized progressive darling. Mamdani, a charismatic speaker with a megawatt smile, has been more than happy to answer.
“He’s incredibly dynamic, but it’s not just that he’s dynamic,” said Julie Samuels, president and CEO of Tech:NYC, which cohosted Wednesday’s gathering. “People are so curious. They want to know what all the fuss is about.”
Mamdani has taken the proactive approach this week to addressing their criticisms head-on. Some have said he’s a little too smooth. Others simply want to hear from the fresh-faced Democrat who shocked the political world with his primary victory.
Holdouts within the top echelons of the Democratic Party, at the helm of major corporations and in New York’s vibrant Jewish community have outstanding concerns about Mamdani’s lack of executive leadership, his proposals to freeze rent and tax the rich, and his record of criticism of Israel.
Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has also been hesitant to endorse Mamdani, have both taken issue with the candidate declining to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani is trying to clarify his approach to the slogan, which many Jews have said they hear as a call to violence against them, POLITICO has reported. He told attendees at the Partnership for New York City business event Tuesday that he would “discourage” the use of the slogan, and he is expected to further soften his stance more publicly.
More broadly, the Democratic nominee for mayor has signaled a willingness to make some concessions as he listens and learns.
“At the core of my politics is not just a sincerity, but also a desire for partnership,” he told reporters Tuesday.
Business executives from the meeting later that day appeared appreciative of Mamdani’s outreach.
“The meeting was a net positive,” one told the Financial Times. “He was genuinely wanting to engage and ultimately gave most people present a sense that he cares about New York and wants to be the mayor of all New Yorkers.”
Mamdani is facing Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent business leader Jim Walden in the general election.
New York City’s most influential unions are with Mamdani, as are some local leaders who endorsed Cuomo in the primary. He has support from New York’s most progressive House members. But several top Democrats have thus far withheld their endorsements, including Jeffries, Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Jeffries cited lack of familiarity as an obstacle to Mamdani earning his support but appeared this week to soften his view on the candidate.
“I look forward to sitting down and talking to him,” the top House Democrat told MSNBC on Tuesday night. “I didn’t get involved in that primary election, and I don’t know him well.”
Schumer is also set to meet with Mamdani in New York City, but their sitdown hasn’t been scheduled yet.
Mamdani is working through a packed meeting schedule as Adams and Cuomo face their own challenges: A new lawsuit from Adams’ former NYPD commissioner alleges the agency is rife with corruption. And Cuomo is attempting to recalibrate his approach to voters in his independent bid for mayor after losing by more than 12 points.
from Politics, Policy, Political News Top Stories https://ift.tt/rSRAQXa
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment