On Tuesday, New Yorkers are expected to elect the leftist Zohran Mamdani as mayor, which would open a new front in opposition to Donald Trump and raise the possibility that the president will retaliate against the city where he made his name.
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AFP reports: While Mamdani’s rise is dominating headlines, the off-year elections for governor in Virginia and New Jersey are seen as even more critical indicators of the U.S. political mood nearly ten months into Trump’s divisive right-wing presidency.
Democratic victories in these states will be seen as signs that the beleaguered opposition is gaining strength ahead of next year's midterm elections, which will determine congressional control.
Mamdani, who openly describes himself as a socialist and campaigned on reducing costs for ordinary New Yorkers, led by seven points with 41 percent in the latest AtlasIntel poll.
The 34-year-old was followed by former state governor Andrew Cuomo with 34 percent.
Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizen crime patrol group, trailed behind with 24 percent — a margin that could sway the vote if enough of his supporters shifted to Cuomo.
Polls opened at 6:00 a.m. (11:00 GMT) and closed at 9:00 p.m. Early voting, which ended Sunday, saw more than 735,000 people cast ballots, according to election officials—the highest number ever.
In 2021, a total of 1.14 million votes were cast, electing current Mayor Eric Adams, who bowed out after his reelection campaign struggled to build momentum amid scandals and corruption allegations. He endorsed Cuomo, 67.
“Are you ready to win?”
In a final push for votes, Mamdani toured nightclubs over the Halloween weekend, stopping at an event called "Papi Juice" without leaving his trademark dark suit behind.
If elected, he would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, a prospect that has drawn scorn from far-right Republicans, who criticized a video he issued in Arabic to supporters in the famously diverse city.
On Monday, Cuomo visited all five city boroughs, while Sliwa crisscrossed the city, promoting his “tough on crime” message.
The race has centered on the cost of living, crime, and how each candidate would handle Trump, who has threatened to withhold federal funds from the city.
Trump wrote on social media, “If Communist Candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election for mayor of New York City, it is highly unlikely that I will contribute federal funds, other than the minimum required, to my beloved first home.”
Mamdani responded during a canvassing event in Queens on Monday.
"What was rumored and feared has become apparent — the 'MAGA' movement's embrace of Andrew Cuomo," he said.
Grant Reeher, a Syracuse University political science professor, said a Mamdani win would set up a “showdown” with Trump.
"Trump will treat New York City more aggressively," Reeher said. “There will be some kind of political showdown.”
Mamdani’s unlikely rise to the brink of leading America’s largest city has also sent shock waves through the Democratic Party, which is struggling to decide whether to embrace a centrist or populist, leftist path.
“This has to be a party that allows Americans to see themselves in it, not just a mirror image of a few engaged politicians,” Mamdani said at a dance event with the elderly on Friday.
— Big test of US mood —
On Tuesday, voters in New Jersey and Virginia will elect a new governor.
Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, is facing off against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman backed by Trump. According to polling, the two are neck-and-neck.
In Virginia’s gubernatorial race, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger has been polling comfortably ahead of Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears.
Both sides have brought out the big guns. Former President Barack Obama rallied support for Spanberger and Sherrill at two separate events over the weekend, while Trump scheduled tele-rallies for Virginia and New Jersey on the eve of the election.
Obama reportedly spoke with Mamdani over the weekend, but held off on endorsing him, reflecting the internal party debate.