Mayor Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani’s Arabic Ad Ignites NYC Mayoral Firestorm
Mamdani's ad war underscores his populist pivot from Assembly fights (e.g., fare-free buses, taxi strikes). But it risks alienating moderates, polls show 66% think NYC's "headed wrong," and his 9/11 comments poll at 53% unfavorable.
Mamdani reached to potential Arabic supporters just days before the November 4 election. The video clip shows Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani speaking in Arabic, introducing himself as a candidate for mayor and urging voters to support his vision for an "affordable" New York. The caption's alarmist tone ("a sign of a failed city. Pray for New York") taps into broader conservative critiques of Mamdani's identity politics, multiculturalism, and progressive policies, framing the ad as evidence of cultural erosion or even an "ideological takeover."
This isn't isolated—it's part of a surge in multilingual campaigning that's both strategic and polarizing.
The ad, posted directly by Mamdani's campaign ,aired on Arabic-language TV channels and social platforms popular in NYC's Arab communities (e.g., Meta ads targeting fans of Arabic pop music), it's part of a broader push. The campaign has visited 180+ mosques, hosted phone banks in Arabic, Urdu, and Bangla, and spent ~$5K on Meta ads last week alone—two-thirds nationwide to reach diaspora voters.
Mamdani leads polls by 10-25 points over independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. But the race is tightening amid record early voting (370K+ ballots, 5x 2021 levels), with Cuomo gaining among moderates and older voters.
NYC's ~1 million Muslims (9% of the population, concentrated in Queens and Brooklyn) are a key bloc, many feel alienated post-October 7, 2023, amid rising Islamophobia.
Campaign director Hassaan Chaudhary calls it "what Muslims have been saying quietly for months," aiming to boost turnout among Arab-Americans (e.g., Yemeni, Palestinian, Egyptian communities) who skew young and progressive.
With early voting peaking, it's a last-ditch mobilization. Obama reportedly called Mamdani Saturday, praising his campaign and offering post-election advice on staffing, implicitly endorsing his approach.
This clip's gone mega-viral (2.9M+ views on Mamdani's post), supercharging turnout debates. Is it savvy engagement or divisive signaling?
With 370K early votes in, it could tip the scales or deepen divides.
Election Day's Tuesday; expect more fireworks.