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NEW YORK — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ratcheted up the stakes in the New York City mayor’s race Saturday night during a rally for contender Zohran Mamdani, framing the contest as a referendum on the future of the Democratic Party nationally.
It is a choice, she said, between the “gerontocracy” represented by the 67-year-old former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the change represented by Mamdani, a 33-year-old assemblymember.
“When I say that this is not just about New York City, but that this is about the United States, I mean that literally because Andrew Cuomo has made clear that if he wins this race, he wants to run for president of the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez, who’s 35, said at Mamdani’s event in Manhattan.
Cuomo has not publicly said he would run in 2028, but he told POLITICO in May he intends to be a national figure as mayor, organizing Democrats across the country.
“In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership, that wants to see a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion,” she added, referring to New York City’s mayoral residence.
Earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez endorsed a slate of five candidates in the Democratic primary, making Mamdani her top choice under the city’s ranked-choice voting system. On Saturday, she mentioned that Mamdani and Brad Lander had recently cross-endorsed, with both encouraging supporters to rank their respective ally second. During her speech, Ocasio-Cortez also praised two other candidates she has endorsed, Zellnor Myrie and Scott Stringer, but did not mention the candidate she herself ranked second, Adrienne Adams. She also specifically urged voters not to rank Cuomo on the ballot, becoming the highest-profile supporter of the movement dubbed DREAM: “Don’t Rank Evil Andrew for Mayor.”
“Not ranking Andrew Cuomo is the right thing to do in solidarity with survivors of sexual harassment,” she said on stage. Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 after a report from Attorney General Letitia James’ office determined he sexually harassed 11 women, allegations Cuomo denies.
Cuomo’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday night.
The former governor has honed recent attacks against Mamdani on his lack of experience and said in a recent debate that the Queens lawmaker would be ill-equipped to counteract President Donald Trump and his policies.
“Mr. Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,” Cuomo said. “He would be Trump’s delight.”
Ocasio-Cortez offered a much different perspective. Not ranking Cuomo, she said, “is the right thing to do to turn the page on the future of a Democratic party that does not continue to repeat the mistakes that have landed us here. We can never get past Donald Trump if we continue to elect the same people and make the same decisions that got us here in the first place.”
More than 2,500 people filled Terminal 5, a concert hall on the west side of Manhattan. The rally capped off the first day of early voting in the June 24 primary. Other speakers included Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen, the leaders of the New York Working Families Party and state Sen. John Liu. The Kid Mero, a media personality from the Bronx, emceed the event.
Mamdani also presented the race as having implications far beyond the parochial concerns of New Yorkers.
“We stand on the verge of a victory that will resonate across the country and the world,” he said from the stage. “Make no mistake, this victory will be historic, not just because of who I am, a Muslim immigrant and a proud democratic socialist. But for what we will do: make this city affordable for everyone.”
Polling in the race has consistently shown Cuomo in the lead, though Mamdani is within striking distance.
His growing prominence has unleashed a torrent of spending against him, funded largely by business and real estate interests who oppose his lefty politics. After former Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed Cuomo and donated $5 million to a super PAC boosting his candidacy, the group started running ads accusing Mamdani of wanting to defund the police and move homeless people into subway stations, POLITICO reported.
Mamdani and his allies urged supporters to volunteer to counter the messaging.
“This election isn’t just about the future of our city, it’s about the future of our democracy, whether billionaires and massive corporations can simply buy our elections,” he said. “But we know that this movement is more powerful than their money.”
Chapters:
0:00 - AOC introduces Zohran
0:50 - Zohran's Speech
16:41 - End of Speech | Applause
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