Not Voting for Cuomo Is a Vote for Mamdani

By a concerned voter

Every election year brings its share of emotion, but this one feels different. This is not a time for protest votes, for idealism, or for trying to “make a point.” This is a time for clear thinking and achdus.

Let’s talk about Zohran Mamdani.

On October 7, 2023 — the darkest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust — while Jews were still being murdered and taken hostage, before Israel fired a single missile or entered Gaza, Mamdani’s first instinct was to condemn Israel. Not empathy. Not shock. Condemnation. And he’s never apologized.

Since then, he’s shouted “Globalize the Intifada,” denied Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and proudly aligned himself with people who despise what we stand for. If such a man were to become mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside Eretz Yisroel — what message would that send? It would embolden every antisemite who’s been waiting for permission to come out of hiding. It would tell the world that hating Jews isn’t just tolerated — it’s mainstream.

And even beyond the Jewish issue — think practically. He’s spoken of replacing police with “social workers,” freezing rents, and piling taxes on small businesses. Picture New York under those policies for four years. We can’t afford that kind of “experiment.”

Now, about Curtis Sliwa. Curtis is a good man, sincere and outspoken, and many of us respect him. But let’s be real. He already ran in 2021 and lost by almost 450,000 votes, winning just 28 percent — and that was against Mayor Eric Adams, who barely survived his own Democratic primary. What’s changed? Are we suddenly expecting a heavily Democratic city to flip Republican — and not just close the gap, but beat Mamdani, who just won his own primary by 13 percent? We can’t build our hopes on fantasies.

Then there’s Andrew Cuomo. Yes, many in our community are angry at him, especially over the nursing home tragedy during COVID. It was a terrible, painful time. Families were broken. But let’s be honest — do we really think he wanted that to happen? COVID was chaos. No one — not governors, not mayors, not doctors — knew exactly what to do. Mistakes were made everywhere. So now what? We’re going to “punish” Cuomo at the ballot box? What do we gain from that? Does it undo the past? Or does it just open the door for something far worse?

COVID is over. That crisis won’t repeat itself. But what will shape our future is who leads this city for the next four years. Ask yourself — will we really be better off with Mamdani? With someone who condemned Israel on the very day Jews were massacred?

Less than 30 percent of registered New Yorkers voted in the primary. That means 70 percent — the quiet, working, family-raising people who don’t spend their days on Twitter and aren’t counted in the polls — still haven’t voted. Mamdani’s base already turned out. His ceiling is clear. Cuomo’s voters, on the other hand, are less vocal, less online — but very real. That’s where the growth is. There is a path forward. It’s not guaranteed, but it’s real — and with the help of Hashem, it can happen.

This isn’t about loving Cuomo. It’s about being practical. You can dislike him, you can still hold him accountable in your heart — but you can also recognize that he’s the only one standing between us and a disaster. Not voting for him doesn’t punish Cuomo. It punishes us.

Let’s be united. Let’s be smart. Vote Cuomo — not because he’s perfect, but because he’s possible. The alternative would be a disaster, and the stakes are simply too high.