The Sprint for City HallWe’re nearly three weeks out from the critical Nov. 4 election for New York City mayor.
Hi, I’m Katie Glueck. Welcome back to The Sprint for City Hall, where we’re aiming to keep you up to speed on the fascinating and fast-approaching New York City mayoral election. Early voting starts in two weeks. Today we’ll catch up with Emma G. Fitzsimmons, who leads our City Hall coverage, about the most important developments of the week. Then we’ll highlight five of the biggest recent moments of the campaign, and why they matter.
What we’re watchingKatie Glueck: Emma, on Tuesday, you said you were watching to see whether Andrew Cuomo’s wide-ranging attacks on Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani were helping the former governor expand his base. Has there been any evidence in the last few days that this approach is working for Cuomo? Emma G. Fitzsimmons: Cuomo seems to have benefited some from Mayor Eric Adams leaving the race, and it is possible he’s also gaining traction with some of his attacks, including over Mamdani’s proposal to end the gifted program for kindergarten students. But the fundamentals of the race haven’t changed much. Cuomo gained 10 points in a new Quinnipiac University poll — but he was still trailing Mamdani by 13 points. KG: What are you watching over the weekend and heading into next week? EF: The first debate is on Thursday, and this is one of the last chances for Mamdani’s rivals to try to slow his momentum. Cuomo seems determined to tie Mamdani to former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was not popular when he left office after two terms. We’ll see how that resonates with voters. Five story lines to follow
What happened: Though his campaign remains tightly focused on affordability, Mamdani has made waves by advancing a platform that has been more critical of Israel and supportive of Palestinians than any major mayoral nominee in living memory. This week, we took a deep look at the origins of his views. Why it matters: How Mamdani talks about the issue has galvanized many of his supporters and pained his detractors. Our reporting found that the roots of his views traced back decades and helped inform his broader political outlook. — Nicholas Fandos
What happened: After Adams dropped out of the mayor’s race, Cuomo declared that it was now “a totally different campaign.” But while the former governor has seen a boost in polling and in donations, there’s little to suggest so far that Adams’s exit has dramatically improved Cuomo’s standing, or prompted a significant messaging overhaul. Why it matters: Cuomo has consistently polled a distant second to Mamdani. With Curtis Sliwa, the Republican, still in the race, he is limited in how much ground he can make up even with Adams out. — Benjamin Oreskes and Jeffery C. Mays
What happened: Cuomo called for the notoriously troubled Rikers Island jail complex to remain open after previously arguing that it should be closed. He also said that the borough-based jails meant to replace Rikers should be used instead for affordable housing. Why it matters: Cuomo’s comments were another effort to appeal to moderate and conservative voters who oppose closing the complex and are concerned about crime — and they offered another contrast with Mamdani, who wants to close the complex. — Emma G. Fitzsimmons
What happened: Mamdani rode on the city’s slowest bus route to draw attention to his plans to speed up New York’s buses and make them free for all riders. Why it matters: Mayors have been trying to make buses run faster for years, but the citywide average speed has remained persistently stuck at around eight miles per hour. Mamdani’s plan for faster service has drawn comparatively less attention than his divisive proposal to eliminate bus fares. — Michael Gold
What happened: With little more than 12 weeks left in his mayoralty, Adams — fresh off abandoning his re-election bid — jetted to Albania. Why it matters: Adams, the self-described “get stuff done” mayor, has only a short few months to cement his legacy before he leaves City Hall. Taxpayers footed much of the bill for the trip that took him far from the five boroughs. The mayor said he went to promote economic ties between Albania and the city. — Dana Rubinstein We want to hear from youThanks so much for reading, and thanks to so many of you for sharing your thoughts on the race. Keep them coming! I want to hear how this race is playing out in your neighborhoods and social circles, and what you’re wondering about the candidates. I’m at katie.glueck@nytimes.com. And if you enjoy this newsletter, please recommend it to others. They can sign up here. Have a great holiday weekend and I’ll see you on Tuesday.
Thank you for reading today’s edition of The Sprint for City Hall. Look for the next edition in your inbox on Tuesday.
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