During the first New York City mayoral debate on Oct. 15, the moderators asked the candidates, “Will you march in all the parades that mayors have traditionally marched in or are there any that you would boycott?” Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, answered in the negative and added that it was the mayor’s duty to attend all parades. Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, running as an independent, agreed. Zohran Mamdani’s answer? “I don’t think much about parades to be honest with you.” He later followed up: “My focus will be on the people of New York City.”
A similar question posed during the primary — whether candidates planned to visit foreign countries and which would be their first stop if they were elected mayor — prompted a similar answer. As other candidates argued whether Israel should be the first stop for the newly elected mayor, Mamdani responded that he would remain in New York in order to focus on his responsibilities to his constituents.
While viewers did not seem impressed by the topic — or the other candidates’ answers — Mamdani’s response stood out, and not in the way his opponents might have hoped. While the other candidates accused him of avoiding the question, he came across as the only one on stage that understood how to speak to voters. His recognition that New Yorkers want a mayor who, above all else, prioritizes addressing their immediate needs ultimately won him the election.
And what really sets him apart? He walked the walk once he won the election.
On Nov. 11, tens of thousands of marchers flooded the streets of Manhattan for the annual New York Veterans’ Day parade. Every mayoral-elect in the last 50 years has participated, but Mamdani kept his word; instead of attending the parade on Fifth Avenue, he spent his day serving hot meals to veterans at a food kitchen in the Bronx.
Discussing SNAP benefits, veterans’ healthcare, and homelessness, Mamdani sat down to talk with real veterans in one of New York’s poorest neighborhoods. He pledged to work with his administration to promote veterans’ interests, and that “the days of thanking and then forgetting veterans were over.” Contrary to all precedent, Zohran Mamdani has stuck to his promise to forgo the fanfare to connect with New Yorkers over the issues that they care about.
His choice to skip the parade drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, who claimed that his nonattendance was disrespectful to veterans, even labeling him “anti-parade.” New Yorkers responded differently. A veteran at the event told Mamdani, “You’ve tapped into a zeitgeist where the people of this city really believe in you and the people really want to stand behind you.” Mamdani is setting aside tradition and political optics in favor of meeting New Yorkers where they’re at. He isn’t blinded to precedent; instead, his honesty and commitment to the people of New York guide his words and actions.
Mamdani has made affordability and safety the cornerstones of his plans for New York City. He said that he would be willing to work with anyone, regardless of political affiliation, who would help him drive down the cost of living — even Donald Trump. In his meeting with the President last Friday, he stood by his past statements when a reporter asked him whether he still thinks Donald Trump is a “fascist,” and yet maintained a civil conversation about driving down the cost of living for New Yorkers.
Mamdani’s campaign message of focusing on New Yorkers and their issues is what won him the election. Actions like this are what will make him “a mayor for and of the people.”
The Zeitgeist aims to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.
