New York City mayoral candidates cast ballots early, drum up support in final stretch of race
NEW YORK (WABC) -- With the June primary just five days away, some of the leading Democratic candidates are casting their ballots early and drawing in key endorsements.
At least three Democratic mayoral candidates opted to cast their early voting ballots on the Juneteenth holiday - Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander and Adrienne Adams.
While each of the candidates puts their best foot forward in the fight to the finish line, the front-runners are drumming up support in the final stretch of the race.
The projected front-runner, Andrew Cuomo, received major support from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg with a $3.3 million donation to the Super PAC Fix the City, bringing the total contributions of his campaign to $8.3 million.
The former mayor is now responsible for one third of the PAC's $24 million raised. The money is being used to blanket airways with anti-Mamdani ads in the final days of the primary.
The donation prompted Mamdani to accuse Cuomo of trying to buy the election.
"Politics is not something that can be bought by billionaires and corporations, it's something that can be won by working people and that's something on the ballot this June," Mamdani said.
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Bloomberg endorsed Cuomo last week and called him the "one candidate whose management experience and government know-how to stand above the others."
Cuomo, 67, has worked in and around government and politics his entire career.
Mamdani, 33, counters criticisms of his thin resume with reminders of the scandals that drove Cuomo from office.
Assemblyman Mamdani has been running a strong second to the ex-governor in most polls. But he is facing criticism over remarks he made where he avoided denouncing the phrase, "globalize the Intifada." The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum appeared to condemn the statement.
But on Thursday he was all smiles and energetic after voting at a polling site in Astoria alongside his wife.
"There have been difficult moments absolutely, especially as I've faced death threats and threats to the ones that I love, I've had to even hire security to that end, and that is troubling and that's also sadly an aspect of life in the Trump administration's world, and yet we know that doesn't define our city and it doesn't define this race, and what this race will ultimately be defined by is the most pressing crisis across the five boroughs, which is that of affordability," Mamdani said.
Cuomo says Mamdani's super PAC should return donations from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, saying the organization is anti-Israel. And he says Bloomberg is backing him because of experience as governor and his strong support for the Jewish community.
"He wants to make sure we have a mayor who is competent and qualified and he believes that is me," Cuomo said. "I believe Mr. Bloomberg is concerned as are many Jewish New Yorkers about statements Mr. Mamdani has made."
Meanwhile, Lander, the city comptroller, voted Thursday in Park Slope. He has been front and center the last two days after being arrested by ICE following an immigration hearing.
On Thursday, he said he would continue showing up for immigrants.
"New Yorkers need a mayor who will stand up and fight instead of selling us out to Donald Trump, like our current mayor has," Lander said. "We we need a mayor who will stand up for New York values."
A Marist College survey Wednesday found Cuomo would defeat Mamdani after seven rounds of ranked-choice voting, 55 percent to 45 percent.
Meanwhile, former mayor Bill de Blasio has not minced words against his former government colleague, but has joined the DREAM Coalition, which stands for Don't Rank Evil Andrew for Mayor.
De Blasio told 'Up Close' and other outlets that he does not plan on publicly endorsing a candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary, but has made no secret of his disapproval of Cuomo running.
According to the Board of Elections, over 168,000 people have cast ballots in the first five days of early voting, which is double the turnout in 2021.
Early voting ends June 22 and the primary is June 24.
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