NYC mayoral primary becomes de facto “Take‑On‑Trump” campaign
June 24, 2025 | New York —
On the final day of the Democratic primary, frontrunners Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani delivered stark closing arguments, each casting themselves as the candidate best suited to counter a potential second Trump presidency.
Cuomo: “Trump has declared war on New York”
At a Juneteenth rally in the Bronx, former Governor Andrew Cuomo painted a dire vision: "We’re in the middle of a war … when you turn on the TV news and you see a president named Mr. Trump," he told supporters, later declaring, "Trump has declared war on Democratic cities… New York City and New York State".
Cuomo emphasized his leadership credentials during a national crisis, underscoring that he “managed a state and managed crises, from COVID to Trump”. He vowed to mount a “national campaign” from City Hall to resist Trump-era policies and promised to use legal and fiscal tools to protect the city.
Mamdani: “Twin crises—affordability and federal authoritarianism”
Meanwhile in Astoria, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani called his campaign the "final line against authoritarianism from the outside and affordability crisis from the inside" .
He positioned the primary as a referendum on billionaire-backed politics versus grassroots progressive leadership, stating: "This is a referendum on whether billionaires and corporations can buy yet another election… or if we opt for a new generation of leadership … able to stand up and fight for working‑class New Yorkers" .
His platform continues to focus on rent freezes, universal childcare, and increased taxation on the wealthy — policies he says prepare the city for both internal strain and external threats.
The backdrop: ranked‑choice voting, heat, and national politics
Ranked‑choice voting plays a pivotal role: neither candidate likely to secure a first-round majority, meaning transfer votes—and alliances—will shape the result.
Scorching 100°F heat is expected Tuesday; election officials are equipping polling places with fans, water, and backup power.
The war in the Middle East and a recent U.S. bombing campaign in Iran have sharpened the focus on national security and presidential power. Both Cuomo and Mamdani criticized the strikes, but Cuomo cautiously supported congressional oversight, while Mamdani denounced them as unconstitutional and symptomatic of a Trump-like executive overreach.
High stakes for both local voters and the national political narrative
Voters and strategists see the outcome as a litmus test for the Democratic Party’s direction: a win for Cuomo could signal centrist consolidation, while a Mamdani victory would cement the party’s progressive tilt.
Abroad, the November general election looms with New York’s Democrat nominee expected to face incumbent Eric Adams (running as an independent after abandoning the Democratic primary) and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
What’s at stake
Democratic unity vs. new movements: Will the party back a seasoned figure with crisis experience, or a youthful progressive championing structural change?
Resistance to Trump’s second term: Both crumb of candidates make being “anti‑Trump” central to their campaigns — but they offer radically different strategies.
Local vs. federal power: This race shows how city politics and federal policy are intertwining, with both contenders promising to protect New York from overreach in Washington.
Polling ends at 9 p.m. tonight. With ranked‑choice rules in play and national headlines swirling, the result may not be clear until days later. But one thing is certain: the winner will step into November as the chief bulwark of New York’s resistance to Trump-era policies.
