The Gist – August 19, 2025

Episode Title: Rent-Stabilized and City-Run: Mamdani Rises as Rivals Flail
Host: Mike Pesca
Guest: Harry Siegel (Editor at The City; co-host, FAQ NYC)

Overview

In this richly political episode, Mike Pesca and guest Harry Siegel delve into the dramatic landscape of the New York City mayoral race. They analyze the rise of frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, the struggles and egos of his rivals, and the broader context of city politics, including the impact of national policies, campaign strategies, and how city governance may change under new leadership. The discussion spotlights issues like rent stabilization, campaign messaging, the myth of food deserts, and New York’s ever-turbulent political machinery.

Main Discussion Themes

1. Trump’s Long-Range Policies and Concerns for Democracy

[00:29–11:45]

• Pesca expresses concern that Donald Trump’s central policies (tariffs, civil service purges, NATO realignment) are designed for effects that wouldn’t materialize until well after his term.
  • “His whole theory of tariffs is ... I’m going to impose them and they’ll hurt us both, but I can outlast you. ... Even if Trump's theory is right, it's going to take eight to eleven years for ... any positive result.” – Mike Pesca [01:40]
• Worry about the integrity of upcoming elections:
  • “All along I've said there are really two thresholds. Will we have fair and honest midterms? Will we have a fair and honest presidential election in 2028?” – Mike Pesca [05:24]
• Stresses the crucial importance of maintaining true, functioning elections over any policy pursuit.

2. Zohran Mamdani as Mayoral Frontrunner: Strengths, Vulnerabilities, and the Unfolding Campaign

[11:45–22:12]

• Mamdani’s Status:

  • Mamdani is the clear favorite; Siegel calls him “near certain” to win unless the field consolidates unexpectedly.
    • “He is the presumptive next mayor at this point.” – Harry Siegel [12:38]

• The Rent-Stabilization “Scandal”:

  • Discussion of Mamdani living in a rent-stabilized apartment—a point raised by Cuomo’s campaign but seen as a weak attack.
    • “Cuomo has revived [the rent-stabilized] issue… which feels to me a little desperate and flailing.” – Harry Siegel [14:46]

• Lack of Real Contest:

  • Mamdani is described as largely “untested” due to a fractured and ineffective centrist opposition. The split among Adams, Cuomo, Sliwa, and Walden leaves no credible threat.
    • “He’s trying not to look ahead but sadly he's not getting really stress tested in this general, in healthy ways.” – Harry Siegel [12:44]

• Opposition’s Failures:

  • Centrist/conservative opponents (Cuomo, Adams, Sliwa) are mired in ego and division, making them unable to present an effective challenge—even in hypothetical “head-to-head” matchups.
    • “These are very well-known people, who most New Yorkers have pretty fixed opinions about, and a lot of New Yorkers don't like.” – Harry Siegel [16:52]

3. The Stress Test: Scandal, Social Media, and Answering Critics

[17:32–22:12]

• Siegel notes that Mamdani has begun to address problematic old tweets only belatedly, indicating he hasn’t been put under sustained media or voter scrutiny.

  • “He has now because he said, I disavow my old tweets and it took him forever to do that.” – Harry Siegel [17:58]

• Both hosts worry that Mamdani, as likely next mayor, has offered little on core governance questions—especially in the face of federal threats or crises—focusing instead on campaign optics.

  • “What bothers me is I don't know what you're going to do when ICE is marching through Sunset Park like they marched through MacArthur Park…” – Harry Siegel [19:02]

• The challenge for Mamdani: transforming campaign strengths (“a really talented messenger") into competent city governance.

  • “Campaigns are a lot different from gigantic organizations where not everyone is super motivated to work for free for you.” – Mike Pesca [20:33]

4. Why Mamdani Is Winning: NYC Politics, Primary Quirks, and Institutional Weaknesses

[22:12–29:07]

• New York’s system—low-turnout primaries, ranked-choice voting, summer elections—favours organized, energized minorities.

  • “When we've gone back to regular Democratic rule... it's always half a fluke what happens late in a primary, like Anthony Weiner, like very strange things." – Harry Siegel [25:14]

• Siegel and Pesca discuss the recurring phenomenon of mayors who secure the office on a tiny fraction of possible votes, calling it “deeply unhealthy.”

  • “It's a little dispiriting that we just seem to be drifting this way." – Harry Siegel [24:51]

• The system, they argue, is shaped as much by accident, ego, and inertia as by actual policy or voter engagement.

  • "There's ranked choice, there's moving the primary from September to June... This is literally politicians choosing voters rather than the other way around." – Harry Siegel [26:28]

5. Adams’ Tenure Revisited: Successes, Failures, and Why He Lost the City

[30:02–34:10]

• Pesca challenges the common narrative, noting that under Adams, murder and pedestrian deaths are down, and reading scores are up.

  • “Wouldn't he... be in a position to do maybe pretty well based on his actual measurable accomplishments?” – Mike Pesca [30:58]

• Siegel pushes back, insisting Adams’ dishonesty and penchant for “shifty shell games” destroyed his credibility, even as statistics improved.

  • "When things were not going as well he kept insisting everything was the best ever... and he's [now] just lost public confidence." – Harry Siegel [31:27]

• They discuss Adams' initial political biography—“the ex-cop who also sued the cops”—and his skill as a retail politician.

  • “He had the right biography and that was huge I think in that cycle.” – Harry Siegel [34:10]

6. The Mamdani Phenomenon: Can It Be Nationalized? Will It Work?

[34:10–37:14]

• While Mamdani’s supporters and the Democratic establishment are excited, Siegel stresses his appeal is very local and may not translate beyond NYC.

  • “So much is sui generis to New York and very particular to his run." – Mike Pesca [34:32]
  • "This is a signal election... the Democrats are panicked. They don't know what they're doing... and all sorts of frustrated people are pivoting in different directions." – Harry Siegel [34:55]

• Skepticism abounds about whether national Democrats should read too much into his victory.

  • "They're desperate for a talking point. Plus, this guy is exciting... they assume he's going to resonate outside the base, which I don't see evidence of." – Mike Pesca [36:24]

7. Policy and Governance: Rich Flight, Affordability, Food Deserts, and City-Run Grocery Stores

[37:14–46:18]

• Elite “flight” from NYC if Mamdani wins is dismissed as mostly hollow posturing.

  • "It seems extremely unserious to me as a starting point." – Harry Siegel [38:02]

• “Affordability” is recognized as the core issue correctly identified by Mamdani—regardless of proposed solutions.

  • "I don’t like Mamdani’s solutions, but his just pointing... to 'this is unaffordable' is really a healthy starting point." – Harry Siegel [39:52]

• Food Deserts:

  • Both hosts question the narrative of widespread food deserts and city-run grocery stores as a meaningful solution.

    • "Short answer is no. [Food deserts are] a myth and it goes into some of the worst ways in which the left identifies fake problems to demand elaborate solutions." – Harry Siegel [40:52]
    • "Proposing city run grocery in each borough is smart politics because it strikes people as, oh yeah, who wouldn’t like that? Or do you think it’s more that that’s what a socialist would propose?" – Mike Pesca [44:16]

  • Siegel argues that pivoting away from such policies is wise, as their practical necessity and impact are questionable.

    • “I think pivoting away from it now as quickly as he can would actually be the smart politics.” – Harry Siegel [44:29]
    • “It would be terrible policy to implement.” – Harry Siegel [44:49]

• Mamdani’s campaign focus on affordability and tangible daily struggles is credited for his success.

  • “Mamdani... was like, no, the problem is affordability. And that’s all he’s really wanted to talk about.” – Harry Siegel [46:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the fractured moderate/centrist lane:
  “These are three egotistical men who've been players in New York since the 80s in different fashions, none of whom want to give way to the others.” – Harry Siegel [22:44]

• On the cyclical weirdness of NYC mayoral politics:
  “Since Bloomberg, when we've gone back to regular Democratic rule... it's always half a fluke what happens late in a primary... Bill de Blasio gets a quarter million votes. He gets to be mayor for eight years, spend the better part of a trillion dollars in public resources.” – Harry Siegel [25:14]

• On Adams’ public persona:
  “The difference between an entertainer and a spectacle… he's become more of a spectacle.” – Mike Pesca [32:39]
  “He knows how to talk, whether he's saying anything or not.” – Harry Siegel [34:10]

• On the city’s woes:
  “It's really unaffordable. It's hard to pay rent, it's hard to get a mortgage... The distribution is not super healthy. There's obviously weird AI stuff happening with this… but his just pointing... to 'this is unaffordable' is really a healthy starting point.” – Harry Siegel [39:50]

• On Mamdani’s approach:
  “Great politicians know how to describe the problem. That's the main thing they do. Great leaders know how to solve the problem. But those are two different things.” – Mike Pesca [40:24]

• On city-run groceries:
  “Proposing city run grocery in each borough is smart politics because it strikes people as, oh yeah, who wouldn't like that? Or do you think it's more that that's what a socialist would propose?” – Mike Pesca [44:16]
  “I think pivoting away from it now as quickly as he can would actually be the smart politics.” – Harry Siegel [44:29]

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• Trump policy concerns: [00:29–11:45]
• NYC mayoral race overview & Mamdani’s status: [11:45–16:09]
• Rent-stabilized apartment controversy: [12:46–14:46]
• Centrist opposition failures / Primary mechanics: [16:52–22:44]
• Lack of stress-test for Mamdani: [17:32–20:33]
• Adams' record and legacy: [30:02–34:10]
• Nationalization of Mamdani's appeal / Democratic panic: [34:10–37:14]
• Policy deep dive: Rich flight, affordability, food deserts, city groceries: [37:14–46:18]

Conclusion and Tone

The episode is probing, witty, and slightly world-weary in its view of New York City politics. Both Pesca and Siegel combine sharp, well-argued analysis with local knowledge and a lived-in sense of the city's political ecosystem. Their skepticism about all sides—left, right, establishment, and insurgent—gives the conversation its characteristic Gist flavor: provocative, questioning, but always grounded in pragmatism.

Final takeaway: NYC stands at the edge of another “fluke” political moment, with Mamdani’s victory looking likely but his actual ability and plans to govern—especially in the face of federal antagonism and urban challenges—remaining open questions. The city’s politics are both a microcosm and a cautionary tale for broader American democracy.

Relevant Links:

• FAQ NYC podcast
• The City (NYC nonprofit newsroom)

For listeners and newcomers alike, this episode offers a crash course in the quirks, personalities, and future challenges of New York’s powerful but perilous mayoralty.