(New York) New York City held its mayoral election on Tuesday (November 4th). US President Trump announced his support for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and threatened to withhold federal funds allocated to New York City if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the election.
Trump posted on social media on Monday (November 3rd): “Whether you like Cuomo or not, you have no choice but to vote for him and hope he does a good job. He has the ability, and Mamdani doesn’t!”
Trump portrayed Mamdani as a communist and threatened that if Mamdani is elected, he is likely not to provide New York with federal funding exceeding the “legal minimum.”
According to official reports, the US federal government will provide approximately $7.4 billion (approximately S$9.6 billion) to New York City in fiscal year 2026, accounting for 6.4% of the city’s total expenditures.
The 34-year-old Mamdani identifies himself as a democratic socialist. In AtlasIntel's latest poll, he leads independent candidate Cuomo (39.4%) and Republican candidate Sliwa (15.5%) with 43.9% support.
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Mamdani has ignited enthusiasm among younger, more progressive voters, but has also raised concerns among some moderate Democrats that his excessive leftward shift could backfire. If he wins, he will become New York City's first Muslim mayor and the youngest mayor in over a century.
Cuomo, 67, resigned as governor in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice found that Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 13 female state government employees. He ran as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic primaries to Mamdani.
Besides New York City, Virginia and New Jersey will also hold gubernatorial elections on Tuesday, which will be seen as a more crucial indicator of the political climate in the United States after nearly 10 months of Trump's presidency.
In New Jersey, Democratic candidate Sheryl and Trump-backed Republican candidate Ciatareli appear neck and neck; in Virginia, Democratic candidate Spanberg is leading Republican Lieutenant Governor Earl Sears in the polls.
If Democrats win in these two places, it will be seen as a signal that the Democratic Party is regrouping and preparing for next year's midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
