La Presse in New York | Place in the Mamdani era

(New York) New York entered a new era Tuesday by electing its first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a choice likely to put it on a collision course with Donald Trump, who has threatened to punish his hometown if it brings a “communist” to power.

Virtually unknown to New Yorkers a year ago, the Democratic Party candidate completed a meteoric political rise, scoring a convincing victory after running an electrifying campaign focused on the theme of affordability.

Aged 34, the man who will become the youngest mayor of New York in more than a century will not only have to deal with a president with authoritarian aims. He will also face the challenge of turning ambitious promises into reality, including free buses and daycare, as well as freezing around 1 million rents.

Promises which notably earned him the enthusiastic support of 75% of voters aged 18 to 29 and 52% of black voters, according to exit polls.

The outgoing mayor, Eric Adams, gave up his re-election bid on September 28 after campaigning as an independent.

At the end of a vote marked by a record participation of more than 2 million voters, Zohran Mamdani, who defines himself as a democratic socialist, won 50.4% of the votes, compared to 41.5% for the former governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, who campaigned as an independent, and 7.2% of the votes for the Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa.

“New York, this evening, you gave birth to a mandate,” declared the winner in front of his supporters gathered in Brooklyn.

Zohran Mamdani, who was born in Uganda into a family of Indian immigrants, will have galvanized the electorate not only in the beautiful neighborhoods of Brooklyn, where progressives abound, but also in the immigrant neighborhoods of the borough of Queens.

However, it sparked negative reactions among Jewish voters. Zohran Mamdani had to respond to accusations of anti-Semitism, notably due to his criticism of Israel, which he accused of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. According to exit polls, 60% of Jewish voters voted for Andrew Cuomo, compared to 31% for Zohran Mamdani and 5% for Curtis Sliwa.

“Sincere and honest”

During the day, interviews conducted outside polling stations located in two distinct neighborhoods illustrated the divisions caused by the winner.

In a corner of the Lower East Side where there is a high concentration of New Yorkers of Puerto Rican origin, voters have not hidden their hostility towards Andrew Cuomo.

“I voted for Mamdani mainly because Cuomo really gives me bad vibes,” said Andrew Castro, a 22-year-old part-time worker.

Younger voters weren’t the only ones to feel antipathy toward Andrew Cuomo.

“Mamdani is sincere and honest, which is something you cannot say about Cuomo,” said Lidia Pujado, a 70-year-old grandmother.

But Zohran Mamdani’s electorate vote wasn’t just a vote against Andrew Cuomo.

“Zohran Mamdani is a New Yorker. He wants to make New York more affordable. So it was an easy choice for me,” said Lauren Micale, who works in a bookstore. “And I think what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in empathy. He’s young and optimistic, and I think that’s what we need right now. »

“A dark time”

In the Upper East Side, the richest neighborhood in New York, the hostility of several voters was directed towards the one who will be inaugurated mayor on 1^er next January.

“I voted for Cuomo because I’m an old-school Democrat,” said Tammy Matthews, a 64-year-old interior designer.

“It’s going to be a dark time for our city. Very dark,” she added, accusing Zohran Mamdani of anti-Semitism. “And I say this as a Christian,” she clarified.

Sharon A., a Jewish voter, admitted her incomprehension regarding the political rise of Zohran Mamdani.

“I think he’s very racist,” said the 50-year-old New Yorker, who did not want to reveal her full last name. “I do not approve of any of his socialist policies, which will destroy the city. We are not a socialist country. And what did he do for Uganda, where he was born? How can he be mayor here when he wasn’t even born here? This doesn’t make any sense. None of this makes sense. »

Carl Neubardt also raised the issue of anti-Semitism to justify his vote for Andrew Cuomo. But other concerns also guided his choice.

“I believe in a safe city,” said the 31-year-old New Yorker, who works in the financial sector. “We must have law and order; so I am not in favor of defunding the police,” he added, referring to a position that Zohran Mamdani rejected during his campaign.