After Mamdani admitted he would rank Sliwa second in the spin room following Wednesday’s debate, Fox News Digital asked Sliwa if he would be willing to collaborate with Mamdani and help his administration if the 34-year-old assemblyman is elected mayor in less than two weeks.

“The only thing I would do if, God forbid, Zohran Mandami was the choice of the people, and we will leave it up to them, is I will organize resistance because I will improve. I will not move. Zohran Mamdani could bet that I will be his worst nightmare,” Sliwa said.

Sliwa said that unlike former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June, the founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, isn’t going anywhere.

TRADING BARBS FROM LIGHT-HEARTED TO VICIOUS, MAYORAL CANDIDATES MAKE FINAL APPEAL TO NEW YORKERS

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa have found unlikely common ground with less than two weeks until Election Day. (Fox News Digital/Getty)

“Because, unlike Andrew Cuomo with his billionaire friends in the Hamptons, who said, ‘Oh, if Zohran’s elected, I’m fleeing to Florida,’ I’m not going anywhere. I was born in New York. They tried to kill me in New York. I’ll die in New York. I’ll be buried in New York,” Sliwa confirmed.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’

“If somehow Zohran Mandami is elected by the people, boy, he is gonna regret ever knowing the name of Curtis Sliwa because I’m gonna be on his case 24 hours a day,” Sliwa said.

Sliwa also compared Mamdani to Pinocchio, but instead of his nose growing, “his smile just gets bigger and bigger and bigger.”

“That’s how you know that Zohran Mamdani is telling another lie, another whopper, fantasy, rather than reality,” Sliwa said, referencing Mamdani’s near-constant smile.

When asked if Mamdani regretted his answer about ranking Sliwa second if the general election had ranked-choice voting, the Democratic socialist doubled down on his response.

Supporters for New York City Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City ahead of the final debate on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

“I believe it’s important to rank those who actually love New York City, and there was only one other candidate on that stage who seems to love this city,” Mamdani said, in an apparent jab at Cuomo.

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Mamdani and Sliwa have landed on unlikely common ground by rejecting billionaire influence in the New York City mayoral election.

Two billionaires, Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman, have called on Sliwa to drop out of the mayoral race in order to clear a pathway to victory for Cuomo.

“The billionaires can conspire to pick their candidate,” Sliwa said during a press conference in Manhattan on Monday. “I trust the people. They will make the decision. I will not drop out.”

Several blocks downtown at his own press conference Monday morning, Mamdani admitted his surprise at agreeing with Sliwa.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani answers reporter questions after the final debate on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, ahead of Election Day.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

“I never thought I would say this, but here we are, where the only candidates who agree that billionaires shouldn’t control the future of this city are the Republican nominee and the Democratic nominee,” Mamdani said.

A recent Fox News survey of the mayoral race, conducted Oct. 10–14, asked voters about their second-choice candidate. If both Adams and Sliwa are out, the results show Mamdani keeping a significant lead, even as support for Cuomo increases.

With Sliwa out, the poll found Mamdani would pick up 50% compared to 37% for Cuomo. But Sliwa has maintained for weeks that he has no intention of ending his mayoral campaign.

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New York City mayoral contenders relentlessly criticized their opponents as they made their final pitch to voters Wednesday night in the last debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City before early voting starts Saturday.

Election Day is coming up on Nov. 4, and with Mayor Eric Adams suspending his re-election campaign last month, New Yorkers are set to elect a new mayor to lead the city.

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. 

The post Curtis Sliwa vows to be Zohran Mamdani's 'worst nightmare' if the Democratic socialist wins NYC mayoral race appeared first on My Blog.

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, Independent candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa once again traded barbs on the debate stage, meeting for the second time in less than a week.

Wednesday’s debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City came as billionaires called for Sliwa to drop out of the mayoral race this week to consolidate support for Cuomo against Mamdani and as more than 650 rabbis nationwide, including those from the largest New York City synagogues, signed an open letter condemning Mamdani for what they said was anti-Israel rhetoric.

‘TIME FOR A CHANGE’: OUTSIDE 30 ROCK, NEW YORKERS TRADE CHANTS AND ARGUMENTS DURING TENSE MAYORAL SHOWDOWN

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York City, Oct. 22, 2025.  (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Both issues were on full display Wednesday night as Mamdani fielded questions about his support for Israel. When asked if Mamdani has any regrets about his “longstanding” anti-Israel views, the democratic socialist affirmed his commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’

“You won’t denounce ‘globalize the intifada,’ which means, ‘Kill Jews.’ There’s unprecedented fear in New York. It was not several rabbis. It was 650 rabbis who signed the letter, not several,” Cuomo said. While Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during the primary, he has since said he would “discourage” others from using the slogan.

“I’ve heard from Jewish New Yorkers about their fears about antisemitism in this city, and what they deserve is a leader who takes it seriously, who roots it out of these five boroughs, not one who weaponizes it as a means by which to score political points on a debate stage,” Mamdani fired back in a fiery moment.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa participated in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, on Oct. 22, 2025, in New York City. (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/Getty Images)

Sliwa also chimed in, telling Mamdani that Jewish New Yorkers are “frightened” and “scared.”

“They view you as the arsonist who fanned the flames of antisemitism,” Sliwa charged, accusing him of being in support of a “global jihad.” New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand issued an apology earlier this year for “mischaracterizing Mamdani’s record” when she made the same suggestion.

“I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad,” Mamdani said. “That is not something that I have said and that continues to be ascribed to me. And, frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.”

Moderators for the final New York City mayoral debate were Spectrum News NY1 Political Anchor Errol Louis, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and The City’s Katie Honan.

The first question posed to candidates during Wednesday’s debate focused on the federal raid in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood on Tuesday that led to the arrest of nine migrants from West Africa who were in the United States illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s supporters gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City in New York City Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

All three candidates agreed that the Trump administration was beyond its jurisdiction on Tuesday. Cuomo called the raid “dangerous.”

“You don’t send ICE in without coordinating with our police,” Cuomo said, arguing he would have personally called President Donald Trump if he was mayor to tell him the administration was “way out of bounds.” Sliwa agreed that the matter should have been left up to the NYPD.

Mamdani took the criticism a step further, calling ICE a “reckless entity that cares little for the law and even less for the people that they’re supposed to serve,” urging an “end to the chapter of collaboration between City Hall and the federal government, which we’ve seen under” Mayor Eric Adams. Adams is no longer seeking re-election after he built a reputation for his willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration on immigration reform.

At one point, candidates were allowed to ask their opponents a question, sparking a tense moment between Cuomo and Mamdani. Cuomo asked how Mamdani could pose for a photo with an anti-LGBTQ advocate. Mamdani said had he known, he wouldn’t have agreed to take the picture.

Mamdani clapped back, asking Cuomo, “What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?” Cuomo has continued to deny the allegations and said the cases were dropped.

The latest Fox News survey, conducted Oct. 10-14, ahead of the first general election debate last week, revealed that Mamdani has gained a substantial lead in the race because voters see him as the best candidate to tackle the city’s top problems.

According to the poll, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among New York City registered voters with 49% of voters backing Mamdani, while 28% go for Cuomo and 13% favor Sliwa. Mamdani also rose above the 50% threshold among likely voters, garnering 52% support, while Cuomo picked up 28%, and Sliwa received just 14%.

Supporters for New York City Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City ahead of the final debate Wednesday, Oct. 22.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

But as Mamdani, ever the social media-savvy candidate, warned his followers on Wednesday, it was Cuomo who was the favorite to win the nomination just weeks before the Democratic primary. By consolidating support with New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, cross-endorsing each other to topple Cuomo through ranked-choice voting, Mamdani pulled the political upset that has since landed him on the national stage.

Since winning the primary, Trump has labeled Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and “my little Communist.” Mamdani has rejected that moniker, affirming he is a democratic socialist.

Nevertheless, the odd-year election has captivated a national audience at a time when Democrats are still grappling with devastating losses last year. And with Trump back in the White House, Democrats nationwide are seeking to capitalize on growing discontent over his sweeping, second-term agenda.

Less than two hours before candidates took the stage Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Mamdani intends to keep New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch on as his police commissioner if elected in November, citing two senior campaign aides and two more sources who were briefed on the plans.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani answers reporter questions after the final debate on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, ahead of Election Day.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

“I can confirm that reporting,” Mamdani said on the debate stage. “My administration will be relentless in its pursuit of safety and affordability for every New Yorker, and the delivery of that will require us to put together a team of the best and the brightest.”

Mamdani applauded Tisch for taking on a “broken status quo charter to deliver accountability, rooting out corruption and reducing crime across the five boroughs.” Cuomo and Sliwa also confirmed they would keep her on as commissioner if elected.

The Democratic nominee has faced a slew of criticism on the campaign trial for his past comments, including calling the NYPD “racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety” in 2020, among other insults. Mamdani made a public apology to the NYPD during a Fox News interview last week.

Ahead of those competitive midterm elections expected next year, Republicans have already seized on Mamdani’s progressive politics, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considering a run for governor. Her campaign said in a recent statement, “Kathy Hochul literally has endorsed a full blown jihadist pro-terrorism Mayor of New York City.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., endorsed Mamdani last month after previously withholding her support. Fellow New York Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have still yet to coalesce behind the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, although Jeffries indicated this week that a decision is imminent.

This week, Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman urged Sliwa to drop out of the race, arguing that a vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. The New York Post editorial board even joined the calls for Sliwa to drop out, but the Republican nominee has maintained he is staying in the race.

Fox News’ Kirill Clark contributed to this report.

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. 

The post Trading barbs from light-hearted to vicious, mayoral candidates make final appeal to New Yorkers appeared first on My Blog.

Mamdani and Sliwa took the opportunity during Wednesday’s debate to drill down on past sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo, the former governor of New York, ahead of an impeachment inquiry that preceded Cuomo’s 2021 resignation. Cuomo was also hit by Mamdani over accusations he has – while in public office – failed to meet with Muslim constituents and only began doing so amid pressure from his mayoral campaign, and over his alleged poor handling of the COVID-19 virus in New York after Cuomo was party to issuing guidance forcing nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit COVID-19 positive patients.

Meanwhile, Cuomo did not hold back on targeting Mamdani over alleged controversies that have embattled his campaign. Cuomo blasted the self-proclaimed socialist over his lack of experience, ties to radical politics, and past radical comments about law enforcement, Israel and the situation in Gaza.

FBI AGENTS FROM ’93 WTC ATTACK BLAST MAMDANI FOR EMBRACING RADICAL IMAM

All three candidates for New York City governor debated Wednesday night. From left to right: Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and Zohran Mamdani. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis-Pool/Getty Images)

“My main opponent has no new ideas. He has no new plan. … He’s never run anything, managed anything. He’s never had a real job,” Cuomo said of Mamdani during the debate. Cuomo also branded Mamdani as someone who has proven to be “a divisive force in New York,” pointing to past incidents that have garnered Mamdani heat from critics.

One of those incidents included a picture he took with a hard-lined Ugandan lawmaker who has pushed policies of imprisoning people for being gay, which Mamdani took while taking a break from the campaign trail to visit his home country of Uganda for a wedding. Cuomo also hit the controversy over whether Mamdani supports Jewish New Yorkers, as his critics have claimed he is anti-Israel pointing to statements he has made, like “globalize the intifada.”

Cuomo also accused Mamdani of disrespecting Italian Americans after a video of him surfaced giving the middle finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus, while also pointing to criticism the self-proclaimed socialist candidate has garnered from 9/11 first-responders after posting a photo with a Muslim cleric who served as a character witness for the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) shakes hands on the debate stage with Democratic Party candidate for New York City mayor (right) Zohran Mamdani. Cuomo is running as an Independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary election. (Photographer: Angelina Katsanis/AP)

“You have been a divisive force in New York, and I believe that’s toxic energy for New York. It’s with the Jewish community. It’s with the Italian American community – when you give the Columbus statue the finger. It’s with the Sunni Muslims when you say decriminalize prostitution, which is Haram. It’s the Hindus,” Cuomo continued. “Then, you take a picture with Rebecca Kadaga, deputy prime minister of Uganda. … She’s known as Rebecca ‘Gay Killer.’ … You’re a citizen of Uganda. You took the picture. You said you didn’t know who she was. It turns out you did. How do you not renounce your citizenship or demand BDS against Uganda for imprisoning people who are gay just by their sexual orientation? Isn’t that a basic violation of human rights?”

Mamdani shot back that his politics have remained “consistent” and that they are built on a belief in human rights for all people, including LGBTQ+ folks. Had he known Kadga’s role in drafting legislation to imprison gay folks, Mamdani said, he never would have taken the picture.

“This constant attempt to smear and slander me is an attempt to also distract from the fact that, unlike myself, you do not actually have a platform or a set of policies,” Mamdani shot back at Cuomo before introducing his own claims about the former governor regarding past accusations of sexual harassment.

MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo slammed his democratic socialist opponent Zohran Mamdani during Wednesday’s debate for a variety of alleged scandals he has been involved in. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty; Angelina Katsanis/Getty)

“Mr. Cuomo. In 2021, 13 different women who worked in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment. Since then, you have spent more than $20 million in taxpayer funds to defend yourself, all while describing these allegations as entirely political,” Mamdani said while attacking Cuomo Wednesday night.

“You have even gone so far as to legally go after these women. One of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening. You sought to access her private gynecological records. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. I, however, can speak. What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?”

Cuomo, in 2021, was accused of multiple incidents of sexual harassment that preceded his resignation as governor that year. A subsequent report from New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women from 2013 through 2020,” while in January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had reached a nearly $500,000 settlement with Cuomo’s executive office over one of the claims. However, no criminal charges were ever filed against Cuomo, with some district attorneys citing insufficient evidence.

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Cuomo defended himself against Mamdani’s accusations, noting the cases were eventually dropped, before returning to questions about Mamdani’s alleged past.

Meanwhile, Sliwa didn’t skip an opportunity to slam Cuomo over the sexual assault allegations either, saying early in the debate during a discussion about homelessness that Cuomo “fled” the governor’s office amid an impeachment inquiry that was investigating him.

“Andrew, you didn’t ‘leave.’ You fled from being impeached by the Democrats in the state legislature,” Sliwa began before getting into the homelessness issue, earning him a round of applause from the audience.

“‘Leave?’ You fled!” Sliwa continued to applause. “But let’s get back on topic.”

The post Sparks fly as Cuomo, Mamdani tear into each other during fiery debate: 'Toxic energy' appeared first on My Blog.

Fox News Digital compiled key deadlines for early in-person voting as it comes to a close.

The 2025 election season is mild compared to the whirlwind federal election cycle of 2024, but will feature major races, including statewide elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and New York City’s high-profile mayoral election, the ballot proposition over congressional redistricting in California, and three state Supreme Court contests in Pennsylvania.

VOTING UNDERWAY IN 2025 ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN 2026 MIDTERMS

Voters cast their ballots on the first day of early voting at the polling place at the Western Government Center on Sept. 19, 2025, in Henrico, Virginia.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The races have seen a handful of political surprises in recent weeks as key races hit hot water — from Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones’s leaked text scandal to controversy over military records in New Jersey’s governor’s race, and backlash against Zohran Mamdani’s left-wing policies as the self-identified Democratic socialist works to secure Gracie Mansion.

Voter enthusiasm is high across the country — and there’s still time for people to cast their ballots early.

Here’s when in-person early voting ends in each high-profile 2025 election:

New Jersey

New Jersey’s in-person early voting began Saturday and will conclude Nov. 2. Early in-person voting is held from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday hours running from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Appointments are not necessary to vote early.

FIVE RACES TO WATCH WITH 5 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2025

A campaign volunteer hands out sample ballots outside an early voting location on the first day of early voting, at the Loudon County Office of Elections and Voter Registration in Leesburg, Virginia. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

New York City

Big Apple residents began early in-person voting Saturday and will have until Nov. 2 to cast early in-person votes.

TRUMP’S SHADOW LOOMS LARGE OVER HEATED RACES ONE MONTH BEFORE ELECTION DAY

“I Voted” stickers are stacked at a polling place. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Virginia

Early in-person voting kicked off in the Old Dominion State Sept. 19 and will run until Nov. 1. All localities in the state offer early voting.

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California

The Golden State is holding a special election in 2025 to decide ballot proposition 50, which would redraw state congressional district maps in response to efforts in Republican states to redraw congressional districts ahead of the midterms. Early in-person voting begins Saturday and will run through Election Day.

Pennsylvania 

Pennsylvanians can vote early and in-person by returning mail ballots to their local election offices until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must apply for a mail-in ballot by Tuesday or vote on Election Day.

Kiera McDonald is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.

The post Here's when 2025 Election Day early in-person voting comes to a close across the US appeared first on My Blog.

Outside the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx on Friday afternoon, Mamdani seized on the latest campaign trail controversy as an opportunity to condemn what his campaign described as the “renewed wave of Islamophobic rhetoric and fear-mongering.”

“While my opponents in this race have brought hatred to the forefront, this is just a glimpse of what so many have to endure every day across the city,” Mamdani said. “And while it would be easy for us to say that this is not who we are as a city, we know the truth. This is who we have allowed ourselves to become.”

During an appearance on WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on Thursday, Cuomo questioned Mamdani’s ability to lead the city through a crisis situation, if elected. When host Sid Rosenberg implied that Mamdani would be “cheering.”

SPARKS FLY AS CUOMO, MAMDANI TEAR INTO EACH OTHER DURING FIERY DEBATE: ‘TOXIC ENERGY’

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani (left) criticized independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (right) for his “Islamophobic rhetoric” on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.  (Richard Drew/AP Photo; Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

“Any given moment, there’s a crisis, and people’s lives are at stake. God forbid, there’s another 9/11. Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?” Cuomo asked the host.

NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI’S LEAD IS SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC SHOWDOWN

“He’d be cheering,” Rosenberg retorted.

“That’s another problem,” said Cuomo, before returning to his hypothetical question: “But could you imagine that?”

During a Mamdani campaign event in Manhattan later on Thursday, a reporter asked the leading mayoral candidate if Cuomo’s comments were Islamophobic.

“Yes, I believe that they were,” Mamdani said, before adding, “We’re speaking about a former governor who, in his final moments in public life, is engaging in rhetoric that is not only Islamophobic, not only racist, it’s also disgusting.”

Video

That afternoon, Cuomo was endorsed by Mayor Eric Adams, who told reporters that his reason for doing so, in part, was to fight “Islamic extremism” in New York City.

“I don’t know what is wrong with people. You see what’s playing out in other countries because of Islamic extremism. Not Muslims, let’s not mix this up. But those Islamic extremisms that are burning churches in Nigeria, that are destroying communities in Germany, that have taken over the logical thinking, and that’s what I’m fighting for,” Adams said Thursday.

The Mamdani campaign called Adams’ remarks “Islamophobic reasoning.”

In response to both comments, the leading mayoral candidate wiped tears on Friday, while flanked by members of the Islamic Cultural Center, as he told the story of Muslims, like his aunt, whom Mamdani said stopped riding the subway after Sept. 11, 2001, because she “did not feel safe in her hijab.”

Video

“We know that in less than two weeks we will say goodbye to a disgraced former governor and our current indicted mayor,” Mamdani said. “The bigger question is whether we are willing to say goodbye to something much larger than either of these two men,” Mamdani said.

“It is whether we are willing to say goodbye to anti-Muslim sentiment that has grown so endemic in our city that when we hear it, we know not whether the words were spoken by a Republican or a Democrat,” Mamdani continued. “We know only that it was spoken in the language of the politics of the city. In an era of ever diminishing bipartisanship, it seems that Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement.”

With less than two weeks until Election Day, Mamdani on Thursday criticized Cuomo for his “closing argument.”

“Andrew Cuomo’s message is to smear and slander the first Muslim candidate on the verge of leading this city, to look at a city where 1 in 8 New Yorkers are Muslim and say that, by virtue of your faith, you are worthy of suspicion,” Mamdani added.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani delivers remarks in the Bronx, New York City, on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

When pressed by reporters during the endorsement event Thursday, Cuomo clarified that he was not the one who made the comment that Mamdani would be “cheering” if there was another terrorist attack like Sept. 11, 2001.

Cuomo hosted a press conference days before the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, where speakers criticized Mamdani for associating with a Twitch streamer, Hasan Piker, who once declared, “America deserved 9/11.”

“I have a problem with the fact that Zohran pals around with Hasan Piker,” Cuomo clarified Thursday.

The latest Fox News survey, conducted Oct. 10-14, revealed that Mamdani has a substantial lead in the race. According to the poll, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among New York City registered voters with 49% of voters backing Mamdani, while 28% go for Cuomo and 13% favor Sliwa.

Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a mayoral debate, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York City.  (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)

Mamdani also rose above the 50% threshold among likely voters, garnering 52% support, while Cuomo picked up 28%, and Sliwa received just 14%.

If Mamdani wins the mayoral election on Nov. 4, he will become the first Muslim mayor of New York City.

Religion has become a defining issue in the mayoral race, as Jewish New Yorkers have rejected Mamdani’s positions on Israel, including calling the war in Gaza a “genocide” and his refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

This week, prominent New York City rabbisjoined more than 650 rabbis to sign “A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,” declaring their position that Jewish Americans “cannot remain silent” on discrimination against Jewish people.

Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson, Temple Emanu-El’s senior rabbi, told Fox News Digital that his concern about Mamdani’s candidacy “is absolutely not about Islamophobia.”

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“It is about legitimate alarm over Assemblymember Mamdani’s positions, and I think it’s important to draw that distinction,” Davidson said. “New York is the most culturally diverse city in the world, and we pride ourselves on that diversity. And as I wrote, I think it would be an extraordinary achievement for New York to elect a Muslim mayor. But Mr. Mamdani causes me great concern, and he has caused many in the Jewish community great fear.”

Rosenberg and Cuomo did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s comment request.

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. 

The post Mamdani accuses Cuomo of 'Islamophobic rhetoric' as contentious NYC mayoral race comes down to the wire appeared first on My Blog.

It’s a bit strange for the Republican voters too, but having lost the Democratic primary to far-left Zohran Mamdani, Cuomo’s only chance to win is to convince those voters, who polls show are backing Curtis Sliwa, that he deserves to be mayor.

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo slammed his democratic socialist opponent Zohran Mamdani during a Fox News interview on Monday. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty; Angelina Katsanis/Getty)

So far, for Cuomo, this has mainly consisted of him saying that, unlike Mamdani, he is not a communist. Yes, that’s good, but like putting “not in prison” on your dating profile, it’s kind of the bare minimum.

Whether Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who currently polls under 20%, drops out or not, and it’s not looking likely, Cuomo is going to have to convince Gotham’s conservatives to choose him. Here are a few ways he might do it.

NEW POLL EXPOSES TROUBLE FOR RIVALS IN HEATED NYC MAYORAL RACE AS ONE CANDIDATE TAKES COMMANDING LEAD

A Seat At The Table

Cuomo should pledge that, if he is elected, Republicans will play a major role in his administration. This could look a lot of ways, including promising to make a strong GOP voice like former City Councilman Joe Borelli or current City Council member Vickie Paladino a deputy mayor. Cuomo’s original pitch in this campaign was to unite the city, but so far there is no indication that his would be anything other than a boilerplate Democrat administration. That has to change.

Support ICE

On Tuesday, Cuomo sent out an ill-advised X post criticizing Immigration Customs and Enforcement for raids in New York’s Chinatown that targeted illegal street vendors. There is no doubt the liberals in Cuomo’s war room noted the chaos on the streets and saw an opportunity to put up points against President Donald Trump. But actually, they missed an opportunity.

The reason we see this aggressive approach from ICE in Gotham is that, as a sanctuary city, the legal system will not cooperate with ICE. So, instead of a simple and safe handover of an illegal migrant with a detainer, the feds are forced to conduct raids. Cuomo, in one sentence, could pledge to end this.

Promise To Work With Trump

One of the most perplexing positions that Cuomo has staked out since he launched his independent bid is that Democrat Mamdani is too weak to effectively fight Trump, but that he’ll walk forward if the president puts his finger in his chest. Cuomo plays the tough guy role pretty well, but the problem is that the voters he needs really like Trump. A lot.

Independent candidate, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a mayoral debate, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool) (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)

NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI’S LEAD IS SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC SHOWDOWN

Cuomo can help his cause with GOP voters enormously if he would just say that Trump’s results in Washington, D.C., have been tremendous, and he is committed to working with the president to clean up New York’s parks and streets and deal with vagrancy and addiction.

Call Out His Own Party’s Cowards

Even on the Indie line, Andrew Cuomo is still a Democrat of long standing, and in an Interview with Bret Baier on Fox News Channel Tuesday night, he finally began to call out the threat that the far left poses to his party. He also said that the reason top party leaders in New York like Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries won’t endorse him over Zany Zohran is that, “If a politician doesn’t have to make a decision, they’re not going to make a decision.”

DAVID MARCUS: HOW A TRUMP-CUOMO ALLIANCE CAN SAVE NEW YORK CITY

It’s not good enough. If Mamdani really is the existential threat to New York that Cuomo and Sliwa both claim, then any Democrat who refuses to call out communism in their own party must be put on blast. Cuomo needs to call out the cowardice.

Pledge To Primary Socialists In New York

ERIC ADAMS’ ABRUPT EXIT FROM NYC MAYORAL RACE ESCALATES CLASH BETWEEN RIVALS: ‘RECORD OF DISGRACE’

One of the reasons that GOP voters are skeptical of Cuomo is that even if he won, and even if he had the best intentions in the world, the rest of the city government is overrun with Democrat Socialists who will thwart his efforts.

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Cuomo should promise that if elected, he will work to fill all of those positions with traditional, normal Democrats, to the extent he can still find any, and will oppose the vigorous Marxism overtaking the party.

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Even if Cuomo does all of these things, it’s still a long shot, but it would be a new race, a different race. Republican voters need a real choice. They don’t expect Sliwa to triumph, but right now, Cuomo looks too much like Mamdani to win them over.

Like it or not, Cuomo’s chances now rest in the hands of GOP voters. Is he capable of telling them what they want and need to hear?

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David Marcus is a columnist living in West Virginia and the author of “Charade: The COVID Lies That Crushed A Nation.”

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