In the last several months, Zohran Mamdani has made a name for himself in the New York City mayor’s race by rising in the polls, raising large amounts of money and garnering a surprising amount of attention through a series of viral social media videos.
Now Mr. Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens, will take his act to television, launching the first broadcast advertisement in the race.
The 30-second video, which will air during the New York Knicks playoff game on Thursday, has two goals: attacking the race’s front-runner, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and introducing Mr. Mamdani and his populist ideas to a broader audience.
Mr. Mamdani argues in the ad that electing Mr. Cuomo would amount to a second term for Mayor Eric Adams, portraying both leaders as corrupt and beholden to wealthy donors.
“I have a different vision: to make housing, child care and public transit affordable,” he says standing near a bus stop smiling as the words “free buses” flash onscreen.
The new ad is more staid and traditional than his frenetic street realism videos, some of which have attracted more than a million page views. His latest video this week with Chi Ossé — the Gen Z City Council member who was the force behind a new law to prevent renters from having to pay broker fees — featured the J train and a spicy chicken sandwich from Popeye’s and pondered the question “Why is stuff not working?” using an expletive.
The television ad was created by a media firm called Fight Agency that has made ads for Senators John Fetterman and Bernie Sanders. Mr. Mamdani’s online videos are produced separately by Andrew Bard Epstein, the communications director for his campaign.
Mr. Mamdani, who has risen to second place in the polls, has proposed several ideas to address the city’s affordability crisis, including making buses free and freezing rents on rent-stabilized units. He has called for raising taxes on wealthy residents and large corporations to pay for the programs.
The start of television advertising signals a new chapter in the volatile mayor’s race with two months left until the Democratic primary. Nine major candidates have raised millions of dollars to spend on television advertising.
Mr. Mamdani’s campaign plans to spend more than $100,000 for the ad to run over the next five days on ABC, MSNBC and Comedy Central, including during “Saturday Night Live” and the Knicks game.
The ad focuses on a theme that Mr. Mamdani has driven home about how the city needs a fresh start after a series of “disgraced politicians.”
Mr. Adams, who is running as an independent in the general election in November, was indicted on federal corruption charges last year; they were later dropped under pressure from the Trump administration. Mr. Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 after a series of sexual harassment allegations that he denies.
“We can do better than mayors running to make their lives better,” Mr. Mamdani says in the ad. “We can get one that makes your life better.”
Mr. Cuomo has criticized Mr. Mamdani and the rest of the field as too far to the left, too critical of Israel and too eager to reduce the police budget.
A super PAC supporting Mr. Cuomo has raised $5 million and released advertisements focused on how the city is in crisis. The ads reflect dueling themes in the race: affordability and public safety.
The ads from the Cuomo super PAC show footage of the city in disarray and say that he would put more cops on the subway as mayor. Another ad shows Mr. Cuomo telling a crowd: “It’s frightening out there on those streets.”
Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief for The Times, covering Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
The post Mamdani Aims at Cuomo, Beginning Ad War in N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race appeared first on New York Times.
