Emerging Multi-Asian Aliance Led by Zohran Mamdani
In the heated race for New York City mayor, the Democratic primary candidates are vying for the support of Asian voters, a rapidly growing demographic in the city.
According to a May 28 poll from Emerson College, incumbent Andrew Cuomo leads Zohran Mamdani by 12.4 percentage points in the first round of ranked-choice voting. However, as the voting process progresses, Cuomo's lead shrinks to 8.8 percentage points in the final-round ballot.
Mamdani, a Uganda-born Indian American, is making a concerted effort to win over Asian voters. He has garnered the support of notable figures within the Asian community, such as New York State Senator John Liu. Liu's endorsement is central to Mamdani's campaign strategy to appeal to South and East Asian residents and close the gap between himself and front-runner Andrew Cuomo.
Mamdani has proposed the creation of a "Department of Community Safety," whose mental-health professionals would respond to 911 calls, and he favours an independent analysis of the Specialized High School Admissions Test for gender and racial bias.
City Council Member Susan Zhuang has written an op-ed arguing that Asian voters should support Cuomo over Mamdani strictly on policy grounds. However, Mamdani has found support among a grassroots base attracted by his left-wing socialist platform and innovative use of social media engagement.
John Liu, a political trailblazer for Asian Americans, has endorsed Mamdani and praised him for fighting for progressive public policy and bringing outer borough immigrants into the heart of city politics.
Mamdani has also released campaign ads directed towards South Asian and East Asian voters, including one fully in Hindi on June 4. These ads feature Mamdani walking side-by-side with John Liu, aiming to further solidify his connection with the Asian community.
Recent surveys have shown mixed results for Mamdani with Asian voters. While a more recent survey conducted by Data for Progress found Mamdani leading Cuomo by 22 percentage points with Asian voters, this finding should be regarded skeptically due to a small sample size and high margin of error.
Asian New Yorkers have long admired John Liu for his historic elections to citywide office as comptroller in 2010 and to the State Senate in 2019. Yiatin Chu, president of the New York-based Asian American political club Asian Wave Alliance, announced that her organization had endorsed Cuomo.
The race for the New York City mayor's office is heating up, and the battle for the Asian vote is shaping up to be a crucial factor in the outcome of the primary.
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