Mamdani Does Not Deny Cuomo’s Accusation That He Skipped Voting For Kamala In 2024
Democratic candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani did not appear to deny his opponent’s accusation that he did not vote for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
During Thursday’s debate, ahead of New York’s general mayoral election, former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running for mayor as an independent, accused Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, of not being a Democrat and not voting for Harris. Harris was the party’s failed nominee against then-candidate Donald Trump. Mamdani responded by appearing not to directly indicate who he voted for in the 2024 general election. Instead, he said he supported leaving that year’s Democratic primary ballot blank to protest what he called “Israeli’s genocide of the Palestinians.” (RELATED: Democrats hold socialist Zohran Mamdani at arm’s length after he declares victory over the ‘soul’ of the party)
“You’re not a Democrat. You’re not a Democrat,” said Cuomo, who lost to Mamadani in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor on June 24. “You’re a democratic socialist. You didn’t vote for Kamala Harris, did you?”
WATCH:
“It’s an inflammatory accusation,” Mamdani responded, asking the moderator – who appeared to want to move on to another topic – for a chance to respond.
“Didn’t you say leave this field empty during Kamala’s campaign? » asked Cuomo, referring to Mamdani’s support for a campaign for New York Democrats to oppose former President Joe Biden in the party’s 2024 primaries. This, in protest of the Biden administration’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas. Harris was not a candidate in the primaries. She only entered the presidential race after Biden dropped out in July 2024.
“I said leave this field blank in the presidential primary because primaries are a place for the expression of dissent,” Mamdani told Cuomo. “And like many Americans, I was horrified by Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians. »
“And if you want to look for me on the ballot, you will find me as a Democrat,” Mamdani added, without directly explaining how he voted in the 2024 general election.
Mamdani has been criticized for not directly condemning the phrase “globalizing the Intifada”, which is widely seen as a call for anti-Semitic violence.
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