NYC Democratic mayoral candidates make last push ahead of primary as early voting ends
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Sunday was the final day for early voting ahead of Tuesday's primary election in New York.
According to the NYC Board of Elections, nearly 385,000 people have cast a ballot in the eight days of early voting.
While New Yorkers cast their ballots over the weekend, leading Democratic candidates were out making their final pitch to voters.
Crown Heights was fired up on Sunday night at the Get Out The Vote rally. There were big cheers for up-and-coming 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist.
"This city can actually be affordable. This city deserves a mayor who will freeze the rent, make buses fast and free and make universal healthcare," Mamdani said.
He is also campaigning on free childcare and non-profit grocery stores. It is not clear who will pay for all of this, but his message is resonating.
Mamdani polled at 1% when he first entered the race as a little-known state assemblyman. Now, he's on the heels of the front runner: Former Governor Andrew Cuomo
"We lost 500,000 people in New York City since COVID, 500,000 disproportionately the wealthiest, because they left because of the taxes," Cuomo said.
Except the exodus started under his watch. The 67-year-old lifelong politician had to step down from Albany in disgrace after numerous women accused him of sexual harassment. Plus, there was his scandalous handling of COVID.
The New York Working Families Party determined Cuomo does make a comeback. They are supporting progressives like Mamdani and City Comptroller Brad Lander
"We've got a City Hall so corrupt it's going to need to be cleaned out with a power washer. Working families bring a power washer. Andrew Cuomo just brings in more corruption," Lander said.
"I live for working families because I come from a working family," she said.
So how can one progressive party support so many candidates? It's because of ranked voting for the primary. New Yorkers can choose up to five candidates and rank them in order of preference.
No fewer than four mayoral candidates appeared at the National Action Network in Harlem on Saturday morning, posing with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Also there was Spike Lee, telling everyone to vote regardless of the weather.
"I know it's gonna be 100 degrees Tuesday. That's do the right thing, hot," he said.
It was Council Speaker Adrienne Adams' only appearance of the day.
"I know what it feels like to be a mother. I know what it feels like to be a mother in pain, and I know what it feels like to want more for your children than the city is offering right now," she said.
Still in his suit, Queens Assemblyman Councilman Zohran Mamdani hit the streets to meet voters and get the endorsement of several politicians in his home borough.
"He has been our assembly member fighting for land use projects, fighting for historical amounts of affordable housing," Councilwoman Julia Wan said.
"This is an ever-expanding movement. This is a coalition," Mamdani said.
Comptroller Brad Lander, who has aligned himself with Mamdani, appeared with one of Andrew Cuomo's accusers, Lindsay Boylan.
"I often talk about Andrew Cuomo's abuse of women as a symptom of his deeper abuse of power," Boylan said.
"He wants to redeem himself by pounding his fist," Lander added.
Cuomo appeared with the mother of teen murder victim, Junior Feliz Guzmanan.
"We need more police. New Yorkers don't feel safe now. It's time for leadership with experience," she said.
"One of the top priorities has to be public safety. That, in my mind, is the foundation," Cuomo said.
NYC PRIMARY ELECTION RESOURCES
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