The New York City mayoral race is about to end, and some polls are highlighting Zohran Mamdani's lead over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Politico's Jason Beeferman joins CBS News with more.

New York

Recent polling indicates that Zoran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist, is leading by double digits over former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race. The contest is being viewed by some as a referendum on the direction of the Democratic Party, with national Republicans using Mamdani's candidacy to characterize the party as moving further left.

Mamdani's campaign, which emphasizes populist policies such as free public transportation and rent freezes, has resonated with younger voters and those seeking anti-establishment candidates. However, analysts note that while Mamdani's approach may be popular in New York City, it may not have the same appeal in suburban or national races, where more moderate Democrats tend to perform better.

New polling shows Mamdani's hefty lead in the NYC mayoral race

New polling shows New York City mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani is enjoying a double-digit lead over former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Although this is a local race, many in the Republican Party, the National Republican Party, seem to be linking Mamdani to the Democratic Party as a whole. I wanna bring in Jason Bieferman, the New York State politics reporter for Politico. He's joining me now to talk about. So, Jason, the President of the United States has threatened to punish New York City if Mamdani wins, and that was even before the Speaker of the House of Representatives chimed in. Explain how this race is becoming, or has become, or how it perhaps is being positioned by Republicans as a referendum on the Democratic Party. I think it really is a referendum on the Democratic Party, primarily because, number one, Zoran's age, he's 34 years old, and the way that he's speaking to voters. He's someone that is on social media. He's on TikTok. He rose in the polls from 1% to now the Democratic nominee and the likely mayor by really casting himself as the anti-establishment candidate. The other candidate in the race, or the second-place candidate, is the former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and he is the traditional Democratic establishment. Zoran is a Democratic Socialist, and I think what we're seeing here in New York is a microcosm of what Democrats are thinking about nationally. Where is the future of the Democratic Party going? Where should it go? And should it move further to the left to a more populist brand of politics, like Zoran Mamdani is championing with his social media videos and his emphasis on free public transportation or freezing the rent, and real populist messages? Or should it be with a more even-keeled moderate like Andrew Cuomo, who wants more incremental change, more reform instead of, some would say, revolution? Yeah, but so the guy who was the Speaker of the House when I was a kid, it was a guy named Tip O'Neill. He had a famous saying where he once said, all politics is local. In New York City, it's not, you've got a bad candidate in Andrew Cuomo, right? A guy who's unceremoniously removed from being governor of this state because of those sexual assault allegations. And you've got a Mamdani who, while electrifying, at least to the people who support him, it doesn't strike me that what works in New York City would work, for example, for the governor's race in Pennsylvania. Josh Shapiro is a governor in a state that is, you know, some people feel that it's blue, others feel that it's purple, but it certainly has leanings towards red. Or, you know, Andy Beshear, for example, in Kentucky. Zora Mamdani could not win a statewide race in Kentucky the way that Andy Beshear can or Josh Shapiro can. Aren't those candidates, a Gretchen Whitmer, for example, more indicative of where the Democrats are nationally as opposed to a local race, an important one for sure, but one that is local at the end of the day? I think especially us here in New York City, we really get caught up in ourselves. We think New York City is the center of the universe. And you're right to point out that voters in the suburbs, especially in New York and elsewhere, are not as left-leaning as cities like New York City. And that's where we would see people like Zora Mamdani really starting to struggle. Here in New York, Democrats in suburban races are getting attacked because the Republicans are telling voters that they're the same party as Zora Mamdani. And I think you're exactly right. Zoran, it might have appeal in New York City, but across the country, and especially in those suburban districts, this brand of democratic socialism isn't as popular. In fact, for some people, it's a weakness for some Democrats. But we are seeing, I would argue, this new brand of Democrats that is gonna maybe increase in popularity over the years. We see that Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois, Cat Abuzagle. She's also someone that is reaching voters on social media. She's Gen Z. I think you're right. Gretchen Whitmer and others, they have broad appeal. But when you start to think about the next generation, you wonder who's gonna fill that gap, who's gonna be the future leader. And I think Zoran is making an argument that the Bernie Sanders wing of the party could be ascendant in the future generation. Yeah, I think it sort of signals to me that there's a demand or a thirst for youthful energy and for reaching voters in a different way, use of social media, et cetera. And that youthful energy is something that people are looking to tap into. We had Dianne Feinstein staying in office till practically until she passed away. I think people are tired on both parties of the septuagenarian lawmakers that are trying to vie for national attention. It's a very interesting race, what's happening here in New York. Jason, come back and talk to us about it. We appreciate you. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Thank you.

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