Mamdani backs away from out of step' defund the police posts
www.politico.com

... Zohran Mamdani immediately faced backlash Wednesday over his past calls to defund the police " after New York City's deadliest mass shooting in 25 years and the completion of his 11-day vacation to Uganda.

Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee and the leading candidate in that race, was out of the country when the shooting occurred Monday in Midtown Manhattan. Hours after his return, he joined groups representing victims of the tragedy and faced reporters' questions about his absence and prior support for defunding the city's police department.

"I am not defunding the police; I am not running to defund the police," Mamdani told reporters Wednesday. "Over the course of this race, I've been very clear about my view of public safety and the critical role that the police have in creating that public safety."

During the news conference, Mamdani stood with the Bangladeshi American Police Association, of which slain NYPD officer Didarul Islam was a member, and building service workers union 32BJ, which represented Aland Etienne, an office security guard who died in the attack.

Mamdani is returning to a city where polling shows him as the clear favorite, and he'll try to maintain that lead through the tumult of a crowded general election in an unpredictable city. ...

The mayoral race for NYC has become interesting for me to watch on the local news, as the candidates jostle for position.

But, imo, November cannot arrive soon enough.

NYC Mayor's Race: A September surprise? Key voting date could be the day one of Mamdani's moderate challengers drops out -- or not
www.amny.com

... As the 2025 NYC Mayor's race heats up, the paths to victory for most candidates appear increasingly narrow. Recent polls show Democratic nominee and socialist Zohran Mamdani maintaining a strong advantage against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent attorney Jim Walden.

However, opponents of Mamdani's have faced calls to coalesce behind one candidate in the interest of beating the Democratic nominee, who is a 33-year-old democratic socialist and who has ruffled feathers in the Democratic establishment. The unusual makeup of the race and agreement among opponents that Mamdani would be a bad fit for mayor has led some to wonder: Can Cuomo, Adams, and Sliwa coalesce behind one person in the interest of defeating Mamdani? ...

Even though Cuomo has said he would be willing to drop out and back another candidate if he is not the most popular Mamdani opponent leading up to the election " and has asked Adams to do the same -- most signs point to "no," according to Democratic strategists and recent polls. ...

Sept. 17 could, in theory, be a critical moment in the campaign. If one of Mamdani's moderate candidates bows out at that time and throws their support to another, it could significantly boost that other candidate's chances of toppling Mamdani on Election Day.

Then again, the stubbornness of Adams, Cuomo and Sliwa might win out -- and neither candidate may budge, according to at least one political strategist. ...