NEW YORK (AP) — New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani rallied supporters Sunday with heavyweight backing from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the race entered its final stretch.
Addressing a raucous crowd at a small stadium in Queens, Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, called his campaign a “movement of the masses.” He and two of the nation’s leading progressives pitched his candidacy as a force ready to take on billionaires and “oligarchs” who have thrown money and support behind his opponents.
“When you insist on building a coalition with room for every New Yorker, that is exactly what you create: a tremendous force,” Mamdani said. “This, my friends, was your movement, and it always will be.”
As the crowd chanted his name, Mamdani outlined key priorities for his potential administration. These include hiring thousands of new teachers, renegotiating city contracts, freezing rent for low-income residents, building more affordable housing, and providing universal child care.
With early voting underway ahead of Election Day on Nov. 4, Mamdani, a democratic socialist and 34-year-old state assemblymember, is locked in an increasingly caustic race. His opponents include former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who campaigned Sunday in Queens.
Cuomo has sought to portray Mamdani as a naive candidate whose agenda would harm the city. In a radio interview Sunday morning, Cuomo argued that he is the real Democrat in the race and warned that Mamdani’s democratic socialism would prompt an exodus of residents and businesses.
“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party. That’s what Bernie Sanders is all about. That’s what AOC is all about,” Cuomo said. He added, “He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 following multiple sexual harassment allegations that he denies. Mamdani has frequently challenged Cuomo on these allegations, and on Sunday told supporters it is time to leave behind the former governor’s “playbook of the past.”
However, Mamdani cautioned his supporters not to take his lead in the polls for granted.
“We cannot allow complacency to infiltrate this movement,” he said, urging them to turn out and vote.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have supported Mamdani’s campaign for months, including before the Democratic primary in June. On Sunday, they framed Mamdani as an antidote to what they described as the creeping authoritarianism of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ocasio-Cortez, whose district includes Queens, emphasized that a Mamdani victory would send a powerful national message.
“It is not a coincidence that the very forces that Zohran is up against in this race mirror what we are up against nationally — an authoritarian, criminal presidency fueled by corruption and bigotry, and an ascendant right-wing extremist movement,” she said.
Sanders underscored Mamdani’s commitment to working families rather than the billionaire class.
“In the year 2025, when the people on top have never, ever had so much economic and political power, is it possible for ordinary people, for working class people, to come together and defeat those oligarchs?” Sanders asked. “You’re damn right we can.”
The rally, held under the slogan “New York Is Not For Sale,” featured stirring speeches from religious and labor leaders as well as state elected officials including Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. The event was emceed by Sarah Sherman of “Saturday Night Live.”
Recently, Mamdani received an endorsement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a moderate New York Democrat. Jeffries acknowledged policy disagreements but expressed support for Mamdani as the party nominee, stressing the need for party unity against Republicans and Trump.
Meanwhile, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams abandoned his reelection campaign and endorsed Cuomo.
https://wtop.com/national/2025/10/new-york-mayoral-candidate-zohran-mamdani-rallies-voters-with-support-from-bernie-sanders-and-aoc/