NYC Mayoral Debate Spotlight: Zohran Mamdani Criticizes Andrew Cuomo Over Mosque Visits

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During Thursday’s final debate for New York City’s mayoral race, progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani targeted former Governor Andrew Cuomo for never having visited a mosque—an attack that drew more attention for its tone than its substance.

Mamdani, a Democratic candidate with roots in Uganda and a past in music, questioned Cuomo, a lifelong Catholic, on his engagement with the city’s Muslim community. “It took Andrew Cuomo being beaten by a Muslim candidate in the Democratic primary for him to set foot in a mosque,” Mamdani remarked, highlighting that Cuomo had recently attended his first mosque visit.

The candidate continued, “He had more than 10 years, and he couldn’t name a single mosque at the last debate we had that he visited,” underscoring his point that Cuomo had been out of touch with a significant portion of the city’s population.

Observers noted that the critique, while attention-grabbing, skirted more substantive policy discussions, leaving many New Yorkers questioning the relevance of the jab in the context of the city’s pressing issues.

Instead of reaching out to all New Yorkers, Mamdani appeared to focus his message narrowly on the city’s roughly 9 percent-Muslim population, seemingly indifferent to how it might resonate with the remaining 91 percent.

“What Muslims want in this city is what every community wants and deserves: They want equality, and they want respect,” Mamdani said. “And it took me to get you to even see those Muslims as part of this city. And that, frankly, is something that is shameful and is why so many New Yorkers have lost faith in this politics,” he added.

Cuomo responded by highlighting his longstanding engagement with Muslim communities. “I’ve worked with the Muslim community for many, many years,” he said.

Mamdani countered sharply: “Name a single mosque you went to while you were governor. Can you name a single mosque you went to in 10 years? … You couldn’t visit a mosque.”

The current NYC mayoral race, pitting a former governor criticized for his handling of nursing homes during COVID against a self-described socialist with a radical left-wing platform, reflects the city’s ongoing political challenges under long-term Democratic control.

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018, has campaigned on a platform emphasizing expansive sanctuary city policies and sweeping reforms to law enforcement, aiming to reshape New York City’s political and social landscape.


The Democrat has pledged to expel ICE from the city, construct numerous low-income housing developments, expand healthcare services for transgender individuals, and move toward socializing grocery stores.

In effect, Zohran Mamdani envisions a transformation of New York City into a sprawling, heavily regulated urban environment accommodating large numbers of undocumented immigrants, welfare recipients, and expanded social programs.

Once considered relatively safe under former Republican mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, New York City has seen rising crime and public safety concerns under successive Democratic administrations. Observers warn that the city risks following a trajectory similar to other Democrat-controlled urban centers, such as Detroit, where policy choices have been linked to urban decline.

In 1950, Detroit stood as the wealthiest city in the United States. Since 1962, however, it has been governed by Democratic mayors for six consecutive decades.

Over time, the city has experienced significant economic decline and rising crime, transforming it into one of the nation’s poorest major cities.

This pattern of urban deterioration is visible in other Democratic-led cities, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago. Observers warn that New York City is now approaching a similar tipping point, raising concerns about the potential consequences of continued left-leaning governance.

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