The comments Mamdani offered about being the “alternative” to Trump came alongside criticism of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Recently, Trump reluctantly gave his nod to Cuomo over Mamdani.
“Today, the morning before Election Day, we have not only come so far — we stand on the verge of ushering in a new day for our city,” Mamdani said in a statement shared with the Washington Examiner.
“And so what we are here to show is that the answer to a Donald Trump presidency is not to create its mirror image here in City Hall. It is to create an alternative that can speak to what New Yorkers are so desperate to see in their own city and what they find in themselves and their neighbors every day — a city that believes in the dignity of everyone who calls this place home,” he added.
The socialist candidate, who has promised a vision starkly different from Trump’s, wants New York to have fast and free buses, no-cost childcare, and a rent freeze. On Monday morning, he led his movement across the Brooklyn Bridge, walking alongside city comptroller Brad Lander, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and a menagerie of other elected officials.
Mamdani said the walk was meant to signify a “new era” for New York City Hall. The 34-year-old also carried a sign with James and Lander that read, “Our Time Is Now,” as supporters chanted, “Mayor Zohran.”
In his speech at City Hall, Mamdani explained that the walk, which started with a handful of people and grew as he crossed the bridge, symbolized his rise from just 1% polling support earlier this year to defeating Cuomo in the primary.
“As the first signs of light began to emerge over the horizon, more and more people joined us. It was still cold, and it reminded me of the cold months of last winter, when this campaign first started to reach New Yorkers,” he said.
“In December, and January, and February, hundreds and then thousands of New Yorkers began to see their dreams and anxieties reflected in this campaign, and wrapped themselves in down jackets and scarves and gloves to solicit petition signatures and knock on doors,” Mamdani added.
“And it reminded me of June, as this movement began to resonate across New York.”
He noted that the sunrise at the midpoint of the bridge represented his movement’s win over Cuomo — a moment when “everything grew brighter and warmer.”
Mamdani promised leadership that New Yorkers could truly feel.
“When I am mayor, I don’t want City Hall to only be a beacon of light once the sun has risen and illuminated it from the exterior. I want to make city government a light of its own, that people across this city feel at all hours of the day,” he said.
“Let them feel the light of City Hall when their late-night bus home is faster and freer, and safer too,” he added, referencing one of his prime campaign promises.
He also said he wanted New Yorkers to “feel the light” of his leadership when they pay their rent or worry about childcare.
Standing alongside James, Mamdani expressed that he believed her criminal case and the work of immigration officials in New York represent a “moment of grave political darkness.”
Mamdani suggested that any votes against him would be choosing the night over the morning.
“Every voter will consider something different, but ultimately the question before us all is very simple: morning versus night. Do we want it to be morning in New York again, where we feel the warmth of the sun on our skin and the possibility inherent to every new day?” he asked.
“Or do we want to shiver in the night cast by a politics of fear and self-enrichment? Our time has come, New York. Our time is now,” he concluded.
Mamdani’s vision for his “alternative” leadership comes after he repeatedly attacked Cuomo on the campaign trail for his association with Trump.
That association became stronger Sunday after the president said he’d rather vote for the “bad Democrat” than the “communist.”
“I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or another, but if it’s going to be between a bad Democrat and a communist,” Trump said, “I’m going to pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.”
Mamdani mocked Cuomo for receiving Trump’s endorsement.
“Congratulations, Andrew Cuomo,” he wrote on social media. “I know how hard you worked for this.”
If Mamdani wins, it is likely his leadership vision will clash directly with Trump’s.
The president also said during a “60 Minutes” interview that because Mamdani is a “communist,” “it’s gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York.”
“Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,” he added.
Mamdani has also said he would resist immigration enforcement efforts and oppose any National Guard deployments to New York City — actions the Trump administration has suggested pursuing.
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**Mamdani Mobilizes Volunteer Army to Break Door-Knocking Record in Early Voting Finale**
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/3872759/zohran-mamdani-final-campaign-pitch-new-york-mayoral-race/
