Three months ago, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani was a little-known mayoral “wannabe” who stared up with the rest of the pack at former Governor Andrew Cuomo, whose numbers were polling in the mid-thirties. By the end of Tuesday’s Democratic primary, however, Mamdani may practically be able to start measuring the mayor’s office in City Hall for the drapes. Early voting seems to be in Mamdani’s favor, and the hot weather may keep some of Cuomo’s older supporters home on Primary Day. J.C. Polanco is a political analyst and assistant professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. He appeared on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program to handicap the two-man race that suddenly has the makings of a one-man upset.
“It really is all going to depend on turnout,” Polanco advised host Larry Mendte. “I know that there was a lot of excitement behind the large number of early votes that we had, but that still means that 95% of Democrats stayed home, and we’re hoping that they come out and vote today. You know, we’re looking at possible- and I believe I will put my money on- former governor Cuomo winning this election.”
But Polanco sees greater effects for the Democrats beyond simply Cuomo versus Mamdani. “This is for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. This has national implications; this is huge. Is the Democratic party going to be the party of socialism, or is it going to be the party of pragmatic progressivism? I think that’s where this is going to really have an impact. A Mamdani victory all but guarantees the Republicans the House in the mid-term election, because immediately he’ll become a national figure and the national boogeyman for every Republican commercial across the country.”
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