Five boroughs. One mayor. Mad drama.

Summary

Today, Explained – Episode Summary: "Five Boroughs. One Mayor. Mad Drama."
Release Date: June 18, 2025

Hosted by Noel King and featuring insights from Brian Lehrer, this episode delves deep into the tumultuous New York City Democratic mayoral primary. With nine candidates vying for the top spot, the race has particularly intensified between two frontrunners: Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo. The episode examines the complexities introduced by ranked choice voting, the candidates' contrasting backgrounds and policies, and the broader implications for the Democratic Party both locally and nationally.

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1. Introduction to the Mayoral Primary

The episode opens with Noel King highlighting the crowded field of nine candidates in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. He humorously critiques the city's "deranged ranked choice voting" system, which allows voters to rank up to five candidates. A notable incident mentioned early on is the arrest of candidate Brad Lander by ICE, setting a dramatic tone for the race.

Noel King [00:02]: "There are nine people credibly running in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. The city's deranged ranked choice voting ensures every New Yorker gets to vote for five of them."

2. Spotlight on Frontrunners: Zohran Mamdani vs. Andrew Cuomo

Zohran Mamdani: The Young Progressive

Mamdani emerges as a youthful, progressive candidate inspired by figures like Bernie Sanders. At 33, he is a state assembly member from Queens with endorsements from prominent figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His platform focuses on making NYC affordable through measures such as freezing rents, improving public transit, offering universal childcare, and funding these initiatives by taxing the wealthiest 1%.

Zohran Mamdani [04:06]: "I am running to be your next mayor to make this city affordable. I will do so by freezing the rent for more than 2 million rent stabilized tenants, by making the slowest buses in the country fast and free, and by delivering universal childcare."

Mamdani positions himself as a progressive Muslim immigrant committed to fighting for equitable policies without relying on billionaire donors, contrasting sharply with his opponent.

Zohran Mamdani [04:30]: "I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in."

Andrew Cuomo: The Experienced Politician

Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor of New York, leverages his extensive political experience. Despite resigning in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal, Cuomo emphasizes his accomplishments, such as banning fracking, assault weapons, and legalizing gay marriage in New York. He campaigns on restoring order and addressing city-wide issues like homelessness and subway inefficiencies.

Andrew Cuomo [05:48]: "That's the power and the beauty of New York. The other states looked to New York for the progressive direction."

Cuomo's campaign also touches on his ability to stand up against national figures like Donald Trump, portraying himself as a unifying figure capable of navigating the city through troubled times.

3. The Role of Ranked Choice Voting

Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a central theme, depicted as both a tool for greater voter expression and a source of strategic complexity. RCV allows voters to rank up to five candidates, which can influence endorsements and alliances within the race.

Noel King [09:58]: "You have to block your main rival somehow. And I think it's this complexity that is causing it to be controversial."

A significant development was Mamdani’s cross-endorsement of Brad Lander, the third-place candidate, indicating strategic maneuvering within the RCV system to consolidate progressive votes against Cuomo.

Zohran Mamdani [10:47]: "Brad and I are officially telling our supporters, Rank number one, Zoran number two."

4. Key Issues and Debates

Policy Proposals

Mamdani and Cuomo propose differing solutions to NYC's challenges. While Mamdani advocates for expansive social programs and economic reforms to enhance affordability, Cuomo emphasizes law and order, infrastructure improvements, and leveraging his experience to restore stability.

Andrew Cuomo [06:14]: "Today, our New York City is in trouble. You feel it when you walk down the street and try not to make eye contact with a mentally ill homeless person..."

Scandals and Backgrounds

Cuomo's past scandals, including his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations, are a focal point of Mamdani’s campaign rhetoric. Mamdani contrasts his unblemished record with Cuomo’s troubled history.

Zohran Mamdani [07:37]: "I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA..."

Stances on Israel and Gaza

The candidates also address international issues, particularly the Israel-Gaza conflict. Mamdani adopts a stance aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, advocating for Israel to be a pluralistic democracy with equal rights for all, which contrasts with Cuomo's unambiguously supportive position towards Israel as a Jewish state.

Zohran Mamdani [08:37]: "I believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state, as a state with equal rights."

Andrew Cuomo [08:43]: "I believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state."

5. Strategic Endorsements and Party Dynamics

The episode explores the strategic alliances within the RCV framework, highlighting Mamdani's endorsement of Brad Lander to consolidate the progressive vote against Cuomo. Additionally, Cuomo’s decision to form a third party, the Fight and Deliver Party, ensures his presence on the ballot regardless of the primary outcome. The Working Families Party's potential nomination of Mamdani if Cuomo secures the Democratic nomination further illustrates the intricate party dynamics at play.

Noel King [13:08]: "Governor Cuomo... is forming a third party, the Fight and Deliver Party, so he can be on the ballot whether or not he wins a Democratic primary."

6. Implications for the Democratic Party and National Politics

Brian Lehrer draws parallels between the NYC mayoral race and broader national Democratic Party trends, questioning whether the party should embrace the youthful, social media-savvy energy exemplified by Mamdani or stick with the established, experienced figures like Cuomo.

Brian Lehrer [16:22]: "Is it fair to map New York's mayor's race onto national politics? I mean, it is and it isn't..."

The conversation touches upon the Democratic Party's struggles in recent elections, particularly the surprising trend of voters supporting down-ballot Democrats while also voting for Republican presidential candidates like Donald Trump.

Noel King [16:22]: "A number of voters cast their ballot for both Trump and one of the House's most progressive Democrats, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez."

7. Voter Behavior and Trends

The episode examines shifting voter behaviors, including the rise of young, college-educated voters supporting Mamdani, while Cuomo maintains strength among working-class demographics. Additionally, there is concern over Democrats losing ground in traditionally strong areas like the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

Brian Lehrer [17:07]: "Mamdani, like, he sort of rose in this race really by social media and by some eye-popping ads. I think that really caught the public's attention and imagination."

8. Conclusions and Future Prospects

As the primary progresses, both Mamdani and Cuomo may appear on the general election ballot, each supported by various party lines. Lehrer posits that the outcome will significantly influence the Democratic Party's direction, either leaning towards youthful dynamism and social media engagement or maintaining its traditional, experience-based approach.

Brian Lehrer [21:13]: "Whether or not the party is going to like skew younger, embrace social media, embrace kind of virality and embrace the enthusiasm of the young, or whether or not it's a kind of more like brute force march to the middle to win over voters who maybe Trump curious..."

The episode concludes with reflections on the mayoral race as a microcosm of larger political shifts, emphasizing the critical nature of upcoming elections in shaping the Democratic Party's future trajectory.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Noel King [00:02]: "There are nine people credibly running in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. The city's deranged ranked choice voting ensures every New Yorker gets to vote for five of them."

• Zohran Mamdani [04:06]: "I am running to be your next mayor to make this city affordable..."

• Andrew Cuomo [05:48]: "That's the power and the beauty of New York. The other states looked to New York for the progressive direction."

• Zohran Mamdani [07:37]: "I have never had to resign in disgrace..."

• Brian Lehrer [16:22]: "Is it fair to map New York's mayor's race onto national politics? I mean, it is and it isn't..."

---

Conclusion

This episode of Today, Explained provides an insightful analysis of the high-stakes New York City mayoral primary, highlighting the clash between youthful progressivism and seasoned political experience. Through detailed discussions on ranked choice voting, candidate profiles, and the interplay with national politics, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics shaping one of the most closely watched races in urban America.

Transcript

[Noel King]

There are nine people credibly running in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary. The city's deranged ranked choice voting ensures every New Yorker gets to vote for five of them. Yesterday, candidate Brad Lander briefly made headlines when he got arrested by ice.

[Brian Lehrer]

You don't have the authority to arrest.

[Noel King]

US Citizens, but the smart money says this race comes down to two Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani. Let's see what the tabs are saying.

[Zohran Mamdani]

The Post Ziran Mamdani has barely ever.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Had a job with just three years.

[Noel King]

In the workforce, including his rap career.

[Zohran Mamdani]

And a gig for his mom.

[Noel King]

The Times Mamdani narrows Cuomo's lead in New York City mayor's race New poll finds the Daily News Accused New Jersey.

[Brian Lehrer]

Killer used fake police lights to pull over wife's lover Cops say it's New.

[Noel King]

York's most exciting vote since Jimmy Fallon asked Robert De Niro to pick a movie. Coming up on Today explained the old guard versus Young Cardamom.

[Zohran Mamdani]

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[Noel King]

Today Today.

[Brian Lehrer]

I'm Brian Lehrer. I host the Brian Lehrer show on WNYC New York Public Radio. From 10am to noon Eastern time Monday.

[Noel King]

Through Friday, everybody in New York City calls into your show. What's the wildest call you've taken about the mayoral race?

[Brian Lehrer]

Just this morning, it's the Brian Lehrer show on wnyc. Good Monday morning everyone. I opened the phones just for people who call themselves late deciders and I had no trouble finding people who have voted for any of the top four candidates.

I think it's gotta be Cuomo for me, Brad Lander.

I did Adrian Adams, because I'm from Queens. I did even had somebody call who I was wondering if they were a unicorn because one of my callers said.

[Noel King]

I was team Cuomo for the longest and I was going with his experience and all what he did for New York State. But then I saw Mandani on the debate stage. So I voted and I ranked Mandani first and then Cuomo second because I'll be fine with Cuomo.

[Brian Lehrer]

And those are the two bitter competitors who you would think nobody in this ranked choice voting system would rank both of them. But it's a crazy election, especially with this ranked choice voting system where you can list up to five in your order of preference.

[Noel King]

Okay, so as you alluded Brian, the two candidates who everybody sort of seems to think it will come down to are Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo. Tell us about these two men.

[Brian Lehrer]

So Mamdani, thank young Bernie Sanders. As a starting point, I am once.

Again asking for your financial support.

He's a 33 year old state assembly member from Queens.

[Zohran Mamdani]

The name is Mamdani. M A M D A N I. You should learn how to say it.

[Brian Lehrer]

His assembly district over with the Congressional district of Alexandria, Ocasio Cortez, who has endorsed him. He is a democratic socialist promising a lot of free stuff to make life more affordable for the working class.

[Zohran Mamdani]

I am running to be your next mayor to make this city affordable. I will do so by freezing the rent for more than 2 million rent stabilized tenants, by making the slowest buses in the country fast and free, and by delivering universal childcare. And I will pay for this by taxing the 1%.

[Brian Lehrer]

As a young progressive, Mamdani also shows the fight that many Democrats have said lacking in the party since the reelection of Donald Trump.

[Zohran Mamdani]

I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in. And the difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put.

[Brian Lehrer]

Donald Trump in D.C. and some people may know that Mamdani's mother is the renowned Indian American filmmaker Mira Nair.

[Noel King]

Andrew Cuomo also doesn't exactly come from an unknown family. Tell us about him.

[Brian Lehrer]

Well, his father was a three term governor.

[Zohran Mamdani]

Governor Mario Cuomo, rebuilding New York for the future.

[Brian Lehrer]

So he grew up in this. And many listeners may remember he resigned in a sexual harassment scandal After 10 years in office in 2021, Governor Cuomo.

[Noel King]

Resigns under escalating political pressure after the Bombshell report accusing him of sexual misconduct.

[Andrew Cuomo]

The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing.

[Brian Lehrer]

At 67, he is more than twice Mamdani's age, and he did both liberal and conservative things in office. You know, he banned fracking and assault weapons and helped legalize gay marriage in New York with a bill passed in Albany. The Capitol before the Supreme Court did it for the nation.

[Andrew Cuomo]

That's the power and the beauty of New York. The other states looked to New York for the progressive direction.

[Brian Lehrer]

He was also, however, not always seen as a friend of public higher education or mass transit by some critics. Cuomo is running on fewer specific policy things and more on this aura of experience and competence and strength in a troubled time.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Today, our New York City is in trouble. You feel it when you walk down the street and try not to make eye contact with a mentally ill homeless person, or when the anxiety rises up in your chest as you're walking down into the subway.

[Brian Lehrer]

Cuomo argues that he's the guy who can save New York from disorderly streets and subways, a Rudy Giuliani sort of law and order conservatism. But at the same time, he argues he would be the strongest Democrat to stand up to Trump on behalf of the city.

[Andrew Cuomo]

He sent troops into cities all across this country, but he never sent them into New York when I was there, and he never will when I am mayor. A job looks easy when you haven't done it. Experience matters.

[Noel King]

How are these two guys campaigning, both outwardly facing toward New York City residents, and then maybe even more broadly than that. And how are they approaching each other?

[Brian Lehrer]

Cuomo is saying inexperience is dangerous in this case.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Mr. Mondami has had a staff of five people. You're now going to run a staff of 3, 300,000 employees. He's never dealt with the City Council. He's never dealt with the Congress. He's never dealt with the state Legislature. He's never negotiated with a union. He's never.

[Brian Lehrer]

Mandani points out Cuomo scandals to Mr. Cuomo.

[Zohran Mamdani]

I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut Medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA. I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records. And I have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuoma. And furthermore, the name is Mamdani. M A M D A N I. You should learn how to Say it.

[Brian Lehrer]

There also are overtones in this race of what's going on in Israel and Gaza. As a member of the dsa, he also identifies with a position, and he has said this, that Israel should not exist as a Jewish state. He says it should be a pluralistic democracy. That's the DSA position. Like the United States, no religious or ethnic group should have automatic power in any country. He argues.

[Noel King]

Do you believe in a Jewish state of Israel?

[Zohran Mamdani]

I believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state, as a state with equal rights.

[Andrew Cuomo]

He won't say it has a right.

[Brian Lehrer]

To exist as a Jewish state.

[Andrew Cuomo]

Be very clear. And his answer was no, he won't visit Israel.

[Zohran Mamdani]

I said that's what he was trying to say. No, no, no. Unlike you, I answered very directly. I want to be very clear. I believe should be a state of equal rights.

[Brian Lehrer]

Obviously, that's not going to be very acceptable to many Jewish voters who at least think Israel should exist as a Jewish state, even if they think that what Netanyahu is doing in Gaza is monstrous. And Cuomo is all the way on the other side of that. He's trying to run hard on anti Semitism and paint Mamdani as somebody Jews can't trust domestically. Cuomo signed on to be a lawyer to defend Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court against charges of war crimes. So that would put him all the way on the other side of anything having to do with the Middle East. Neither of those have anything to do with running New York directly, but those things are coming up in the campaign.

[Noel King]

Is this a typical tone for the New York City mayor's race?

[Brian Lehrer]

Oh, it's a rough and tumble city in politics, but yeah, it's getting to be a rough campaign.

[Noel King]

You mentioned ranked choice voting, which I think once upon a time New York thought would really help it in elections. But right now I cannot read a single op ed without hearing that ranked choice voting is destroying New York. Explain how it works and why it has become so controversial in this race in particular.

[Brian Lehrer]

Okay. I would say ranked choice voting is simple, not simple. Okay, simple in that all you have to do is list up to five candidates in your order of preference. It's not so simple in that candidates have tough choices around who to say they might also list in ways that help their chances more than hurt. But a big piece of news on Friday was that Mamdani cross endorsed with a third place candidate in the polls, Brad Lander.

[Zohran Mamdani]

Brad and I are officially telling our supporters, Rani number one rank, Zoran number two.

[Brian Lehrer]

Let's send Andrew Cuomo back to the suburbs.

They are both progressives. They both want to defeat Cuomo, but they both want to win themselves. You know, there are multiple ways to get to 50%, but you have to block your main rival somehow. And I think it's this complexity that is causing it to be controversial. But. But, you know, there are many advocates of ranked choice voting who think that it's good for building coalitions like we're seeing in some of these cross endorsements, so that not everything in politics becomes binary, polarized.

[Noel King]

Hmm. You moderated the final Democratic mayoral debate. You've also interviewed both of these men before. What's given you the best sense of who they are and what their ambitions are?

[Brian Lehrer]

Well, I would say Cuomo is trying to run in much the way Trump ran last year. How did Trump run last year? He ran. America is going to hell. I'm the person to rescue it. And by the way, don't think about my scandals. They're witch hunts. Andrew Cuomo is running on New York City is going to hell. I'm the person to rescue it. And, oh, by the way, don't think much about my scandals. They're witch hunts. So part of the issue there is whether New Yorkers accept the premise that New York is going to hell. Mamdani is running on being not just a fresh face because he's young, but somebody who's gonna turn the page in New York City politics from, like anywhere else, being beholden to a lot of corporate and wealthy special interests, and that that's why a lot of people are hurting economically in New York City. So that's a lot of the case that he's making. And, you know, we're going to have to see eventually which of those cases people buy into more. But let me say this, Noel. The final part of the story for now is that after all of this, Cuomo and Mamdani might both be on the ballot in the fall for the general election.

[Noel King]

Governor Cuom, former Governor Cuomo, is going to run now as an independent, regardless of whether he wins the Democratic primary. He's forming a third party, the Fight and Deliver Party, so he can be on the ballot whether or not he wins a Democratic primary. The Working Families Party has said that if Cuomo wins the Democratic nomination, it's prepared to run a candidate on its own ballot line. That would likely be Mamdani.

[Brian Lehrer]

They both have other party lines that they can run on, but I guess New York City will cross that bridge or tunnel if we get to it.

[Noel King]

Brian Lehrer. You can find the Brian lehrer [e-mail] Brian thank you so much for taking the time. We appreciate it.

[Brian Lehrer]

You're very welcome, Noel.

[Noel King]

Coming up next, Dem on Dem the New York City mayor's race is giving the Democrats Ajita and some ideas.

[David Friedlander]

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[Unknown]

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[Brian Lehrer]

Stand clear at the proven doors please. The next stop will be Today Explained. Today Explained will be Next Stand Clear.

[Noel King]

David Friedlander is a features writer with New York Magazine, often covers politics and we called him to ask, is it fair to map New York's mayor's race onto national politics?

[Brian Lehrer]

I mean, it is and it isn't. You know, obviously, like, it can kind of be a little bit of an awkward fit, as is true anytime you sort of pull out one race in a, you know, large and diverse nation. But that said, I mean, this sort of like fits the divide fairly neatly, I think, in terms of like a lot of people who think wonder about where the Democratic Party should go and should the Democratic Party make more of an effort to kind, kind of like win back voters who may be Trump. Curious.

[Noel King]

Of all the confounding results in this past election, perhaps the strangest phenomenon was the surprising number of people who voted for Democrats down ballot and then checked off Donald Trump for president.

[Brian Lehrer]

The Democrats forgot that they had people who needed work here too. They let in other people who took jobs from Americans. What we still need is lowering the cost of living. Or should the party kind of energize its base be, you know, activate social media users, that kind of thing. Because, you know, Mandani, like, he sort of rose in this race really by social media and by some eye popping ads. I think that really caught the public's attention and imagination.

[Noel King]

Did it catch the young public's imagination or did it catch everybody's imagination?

[Brian Lehrer]

I think mostly the young. He's a real phenom. I've been covering New York politics for 20 years and I've never seen anything quite like this in this city. The size of the rallies he's getting, the number of volunteers on his campaign, and yeah, they're mostly young. A lot of them are probably not from New York City, but are transplants elsewhere. You know, Mondani is really doing well among college educated voters. Cuomo's strength is on, like working class.

[Noel King]

Voters of color to speak to some of those striations within the party. You wrote in New York magazine about the rise of the liberal Tea Party. Who's included in that movement and what do they want?

[Brian Lehrer]

I think the biggest example was David Hogg.

[Zohran Mamdani]

I think what I'm doing that's different from before is I'm challenging the status quo in a direct way and head on. And that really scares me, people. But frankly, I think right now nobody should be comfortable when our country is in a moment of crisis.

[Brian Lehrer]

There's another couple other candidates across the country, you know, running for congressional seats. And not only do they want to pull the party leftward, but they also want to sort of pull the party downward and make it, make it younger, I think.

[Noel King]

My name is Kat Abu Ghazali. I'm running for Congress in the 9th district of Illinois. And Democratic leaders need to be talking about what's happening right now and actively working to stop it.

[Brian Lehrer]

Running for Congress against Nancy Pelosi here in San Francisco. My name is Shoikat Chakrabarti and I wanted to do a campaign update to tell y' all how things are going.

[Zohran Mamdani]

I'm Donovan McKinney and I'm running for Congress to take back this seat for Us, always with the people.

[Brian Lehrer]

And, you know, there's this idea that just the Democratic Party has been sort of ruled by baby boomers for a generation or so, and I think they're.

[Noel King]

Really trying to change that from the headlines. You might think that the trend is young Democrats are winning seats over old incumbents. Old Democratic incumbents. It's a good headline. Does it actually reflect the times that we're living in, though?

[Brian Lehrer]

No, not at all.

[Noel King]

Okay.

[Brian Lehrer]

I mean, no, the old guard is like they're holding on and like there have been a few that have sort of announced kind of voluntary retirements, but they're not going anywhere. And they're frankly like a larger faction of the party than these young upstarts. I think, you know, we'll see some success from these folks, but I don't think there's going to be a sort of wholesale generation changing of the dial that we're looking at.

[Noel King]

There's been a lot of talk about what went wrong for the Democrats in 2024, and so much talk. Right. Do you think the party should look at this race to kind of test what they might want for 2028 or to look at it as an opportunity to further learn a lesson that was learned in 2024?

[Brian Lehrer]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that this, you know, I think New York City male races always tend to like, invite these kinds of narratives. And I'd remind everyone that four years ago this week or next week, when Eric Adams won the mayor's race, he came out the next day and said, I'm the new face of the Democratic Party.

[Andrew Cuomo]

If the Democratic Party fails to recognize.

[Noel King]

What we did here in New York, they're going to have a problem in.

[Brian Lehrer]

The midterm elections and they're going to.

[Noel King]

Have a problem in the presidential elections.

[Brian Lehrer]

I think that's like, invited some mockery now because he has so much sort of corruption and chaos swirling around him. But it really seemed like that was going to be the case, that he was sort of the kind of figure the Democratic Party needed. And I think that, like, this will be another test of that. I mean, it is like, I think you will sort of figure out some direction of the party based on the results in a week. Whether or not the party is going to like skew younger, embrace social media, embrace kind of virality and embrace the enthusiasm of the young, or whether or not it's a kind of more like brute force march to the middle to win over voters who maybe Trump curious, you know, I mean, Andrew Cuomo, like, he's been sort of for a while in this race, like, he was kind of reluctant to criticize Donald Trump. And I think that in part that was like, because, you know, the city really swung to the right in the 2024 election.

[Noel King]

In New York's 14th district, a number of voters cast their ballot for both Trump and one of the House's most progressive Democrats, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

[Zohran Mamdani]

According to the CBS News data team.

[Brian Lehrer]

Democrats have been losing ground in the Bronx, bro, Manhattan and Queens since 2016.

You had a lot of, you know, Democratic precincts voting for Trump in ways that we haven't seen them vote for Republicans before. And so I think, you know, he's, there's a real focus on sort of peeling those, those voters back.

[Noel King]

Based on what I've seen of their campaigning, these two men in particular seem to understand that populism is the mood of the moment. They are appealing to populist sentiment in different ways. At the end of the day, you have son of a movie director and a respected academic and Mario Cuomo's kid, as my mother would call him, does there. How are New Yorkers viewing these men as avatars of populism? Are they buying it?

[Brian Lehrer]

I don't know if it's populism, frankly, as much as it is a sort of frustration with the direction of the city or frustration with the direction of the country and a feeling like the political class hasn't been there for me and isn't addressing my concerns and that it is just too hard to live here and too hard to get by. And I think they're both like approaching that on very different ways. But they're sort of like it's coming from the same place in a way. Like Andrew Cuomo. I think the sort of thrust of his campaign is that, you know, it's, you go on the subway and there's a, there's sort of, you know, people with mental illness or there's homelessness or the subway doesn't come and like, so we're gonna kind of clean that up. And Mandani is kind of saying, he talks about free subways and free buses and city owned grocery stores. And it's a way of saying that the city has gotten too expensive and too hard to live in. And so we're going to make it easier for you and deal with the issue that most makes you feel that way, which is affordability. I think they're sort of both coming out of the same instinct in a funny way. I mean, I think especially you're going to see a lot of Mandani knockoffs. If he wins, even if he comes close to winning, I think that here's, you know, of, like, a candidate who is, like, authentic to themselves, who does not apologize for, like, previous stances they may have held, who really, like, sticks to their guns on a lot of these key issues and and doesn't sort of negotiate them away when running for higher office.

[Noel King]

David Friedlander of New York magazine, Peter Bellindon Rosen and Denise Guerra produced today's show. Amina El Saadi edited Patrick Boyd and Andrea, Kristin's daughter, engineered Laura Bullard checks the facts Today Explained is taking Thursday off. Happy Juneteenth. We'll have a rerun on Friday, and we're back with a new episode on Sunday. Till then.

[David Friedlander]

Sam.