Every four years, the West Indian American Day Parade, known for transforming Brooklyn with its colorful and exuberant pageantry on Labor Day, takes on another dimension as a must stop for New York City’s mayoral candidates.
With two months until Election Day, the four leading mayoral candidates honored that tradition on Monday, with the nature of their appearances reflecting their status in the race.
Three of the candidates — former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams, both of whom are running as independents, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee — marched in the parade, with Mr. Adams and Mr. Sliwa walking the length of the route to a mix of mostly cheers and some boos.
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and favorite in the race, was given an elevated platform, mostly riding atop floats sponsored by a nurses union, a teachers’ union and the Working Families Party. He was received warmly.
The day signals the start of the two-month sprint to Election Day, even if the actual parade is often devoid of naked politicking. It is more an opportunity for candidates to be seen supporting the West Indian community and establish some good will that they hope to be repaid in the ballot box.
“Is Jamaica in the house?” Mr. Mamdani said at the parade’s official pre-event breakfast, attended by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, as well as Mr. Adams and Mr. Sliwa. (Mr. Cuomo skipped the breakfast.) “Is Grenada in the house? Is Haiti in the house? Is Barbados in the house? I was told there’s no politicking allowed, so I’m going to leave it there.”
Still, Mr. Mamdani’s rivals, with more work to do to narrow his polling lead, tried to score some political points. Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Adams talked about their plans to make the city safer.
In particular, Mr. Cuomo, who is in second place in the polls, kept up his attacks on Mr. Mamdani, criticizing his past calls to defund the police.
“A leopard can’t change its spots, right?” Mr. Cuomo said. “New Yorkers are not stupid.”
The candidates have been busy this summer, filling the usual post-primary lull with numerous fund-raisers and unending attacks on one another. Several factors could be critical as the Nov. 4 election approaches: endorsements from elected officials who have not yet weighed in; two debates in October; a deluge of advertisements from outside groups; and growing pressure on the candidates badly trailing Mr. Mamdani to abandon their campaigns and consolidate their support behind one viable challenger.
Another unpredictable element looms large: President Trump, and whether he intervenes in the race. Mr. Trump has taken an interest in the mayoral election, and it is unclear whom he might favor. He has attacked Mr. Mamdani and praised Mr. Adams and spoke recently with Mr. Cuomo about the race.
Mr. Trump has also threatened to send federal officials into New York as part of his threats to send troops into major cities run by Democrats — potentially creating a crisis that could affect the race.
Each mayoral candidate has his own priorities heading into the fall. Mr. Mamdani will most likely focus on retail politics and consolidating support among Democrats, said Basil Smikle, a professor at Columbia’s School of Professional Studies and a Democratic political strategist.
“This is really the point to get people comfortable with his candidacy and to build momentum,” he said.
Mr. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens and a democratic socialist, has been endorsed by the city’s major unions and sought to highlight their support on Labor Day.
“Unions built this city and keep it running,” Mr. Mamdani said on social media. “They’ve fought against power and greed to make the impossible possible. Now, they need an ally in City Hall.”
Mr. Cuomo, who lost to Mr. Mamdani by more than 12 percentage points in the June primary, has a more challenging task ahead as he tries to position himself as the only viable alternative to Mr. Mamdani.
“Cuomo has got to bring down Mamdani’s likability and increase his own — two very difficult things to do at this stage, but not impossible,” Mr. Smikle said.
Mr. Adams has struggled to overcome the scandals marring his administration. His top adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was recently indicted on new bribery charges, and another of his confidantes received criticism for giving a journalist a wad of cash in a potato chip bag.
Mr. Adams, who turned 65 on Monday, arrived at the pre-parade breakfast and posed for photos as one man yelled, “You have my vote.” The mayor spoke about the importance of safety at the parade after one person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting along the route last year.
“We are here to celebrate the culture and diversity of the Caribbean community,” Mr. Adams said, adding that he had been in contact overnight with police officials: “Last night was a safe night.”
Mr. Sliwa, who collected nearly 28 percent of votes in the 2021 general election against Mr. Adams, argued that the officers on the parade route were needed in other neighborhoods, like the Bronx. “That’s where the bullets are flying.”
“They’re so fearful that there’s going to be violence that they put all these guys and gals on triple overtime,” Mr. Sliwa, 71, said.
Mr. Mamdani crossed paths at the breakfast with Governor Hochul, who has not yet endorsed him.
“I’m having conversations about where the city will go under his leadership,” Ms. Hochul told reporters. “He is the candidate who has reached out to me to talk about these things.”
When Mr. Cuomo, 67, was asked about Mr. Mamdani’s crossing paths on Monday with Ms. Hochul, he bristled at the mention of his successor, whom he picked to serve as lieutenant governor.
“I was the one who found her to run,” he said. “The assemblyman doesn’t know her.”
As Mr. Cuomo walked the route, police officers and firefighters cheered, and younger people booed him. His team’s attempts to start cheers of “Cuo-mo!” were matched in cadence with in-rhythm taunts of “lo-ser!”
As the candidates arrived at the end of the route at the Brooklyn Museum, Mr. Cuomo had already left. Mr. Sliwa grinned.
“He showed up late, and he left early, and then his troops abandoned ship,” he said.
Reporting was contributed by Wesley Parnell, Tim Balk and Nate Schweber.
Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief for The Times, covering Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
The post N.Y.C. Mayoral Rivals Make a Pivotal Stop at West Indian Day Parade appeared first on New York Times.
