Zohran Mamdani’s surprise win in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary wasn’t without its challenges. While the young democratic socialist defeated political heavyweight Andrew Cuomo, his performance in predominantly Black precincts revealed a critical vulnerability that his opponents are already leveraging.
Despite securing a decisive overall victory, Mamdani struggled in districts with over 70% Black populations, where Cuomo claimed more than half the vote. However, this narrative oversimplifies a complex political reality — there is no singular “Black vote,” especially in a city as diverse as New York. The Black electorate includes a wide spectrum of identities, ideologies, and generational divides, making it a dynamic rather than monolithic force.
Polling shows Mamdani currently leads with 35% among Black voters in the general election, outpacing Cuomo (32%) and incumbent Eric Adams (14%). Analysts attribute this to strong support from younger Black voters, with one exit poll suggesting 70% of Black voters under 50 backed Mamdani in the primary. If that trend holds and turnout increases, he may not need to win over older voters to secure victory.
Mamdani’s campaign remains centered on economic justice, focusing on issues like housing affordability, childcare, and transportation — material concerns that resonate with working-class communities, including many Black New Yorkers. Rather than relying on traditional Democratic power brokers, Mamdani is engaging in direct outreach, attending Black church events and partnering with figures like Reverend Al Sharpton.
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His opponents, however, are seizing on perceived weaknesses. The latest attack came via a New York Times report revealing Mamdani checked both “Asian” and “African American” on his 2009 Columbia University application. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to an Indian Ugandan father, explained that U.S. racial categories didn’t accurately reflect his identity. The story itself emerged from a hack of Columbia’s admissions data and was channeled to the press through controversial figures with ties to eugenics rhetoric.
While the attack seems weak, it underscores a broader effort to question Mamdani’s authenticity and undermine his appeal to Black voters. Campaigns led by Adams and Cuomo are attempting to frame him as opportunistic — someone exploiting racial identity for personal gain. But this ignores Mamdani’s consistent policy focus and the diverse coalition he’s built across the city.
More significantly, it reflects a desperate attempt to cling to an outdated political playbook — one that treats Black voters as a bloc to be won over with cultural symbolism and endorsements rather than substantive policy.
For many younger Black voters, especially those shaped by movements like Black Lives Matter and campaigns for economic equality, Mamdani’s message represents a refreshing alternative. His platform of affordability speaks directly to the challenges they face in a city increasingly unaffordable to its own residents.
If Mamdani succeeds, it may signal not just a changing of the guard, but a redefinition of how political power is earned in Black communities. It won’t be easy, but as political commentator Mychal Denzel Smith suggests, real change begins by treating Black voters as citizens with complex identities and urgent material needs — not just as a demographic to be pandered to.
