Countdown to NYC Mayoral Election: Mamdani and Cuomo Rally Voters with Church Visits and Canvassing Blitz

As the clock ticks down to Election Day, with more than half a million early votes already cast, New York mayoral contenders Zorhan Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo sparred and energized their bases during campaign stops at churches, separated by just one borough, on Sunday morning.

Mamdani spoke to packed pews at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, then glad-handed a crowd of supporters and volunteers outside nearby the place of worship.

Speaking from the pulpit, Mamdani reiterated his key policy initiatives, which include freezing rents for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments, expanding affordable housing, offering universal childcare, and providing free bus services.

“I’m aware these goals may seem ambitious,” Mamdani declared. “But to those who doubt, I say ambition is exactly what suits the greatest city in the world.”

Outside the church, Mamdani did not hold back in his criticism of Cuomo, labeling the former governor as “Trump’s parrot” and condemning recent “Islamophobic” rhetoric that surfaced in the campaign’s closing days.

“Even I have been taken aback by the language used in this race,” he remarked. “The kind of politics that many New Yorkers find appalling in Washington, D.C., is now becoming commonplace here in New York City.”

When asked about a recent AtlasIntel poll released Saturday indicating that Cuomo is closing the gap with Mamdani, now trailing by just 6.6%, Mamdani responded, “My mother recently asked which poll we should trust. I told her, none of them.”

“We saw polls every single day of that primary. Polls which told us we should just pack it up and go home and we continued to knock on those doors and we won,” he added. “We want to make sure we speak to everyone we can before polls close.”

Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, remains the front-runner after his surprise victory against Cuomo in the June Democratic primary. He now leads Cuomo in most polls by double digits, with Republican Curtis Sliwa trailing a distant third.

As of Saturday, about 584,000 New Yorkers had already cast ballots through early voting — more than half the roughly 1,149,000 who voted in 2021.

“I think I’m going to vote for him. I think he was sincere. His words today were very very sincere.” Latoya Brockington, 45, said after watching Mamdani’s speech.

“Every single thing is going up except for the paychecks … It’s really really hard, especially for single moms, for myself … Cuomo already had his chance. He was in office. He really didn’t do much for the working people.”

Cuomo addressed the First Corinthian congregation earlier this year.

“I actually wanted Zohran to speak at our church for a while,” said parishioner Autumn Williams, 20. “It was a lot more electrifying with Mamdani.“

“We need a fresh face who is not going to do the same old, same old,” she added.

Over in the South Bronx, Cuomo spoke to an enthusiastic congregation at the Union Grove Baptist Church, detailing how he hoped to give people already living in a neighborhood first chance at getting affordable housing there.

“We’re losing too many communities where gentrifiers are coming into the community and they’re raising the rent and they’re destroying the character of the community,” he said.

He also pressed for adding 5,000 officers to the NYPD “because the number of police is just too low and we have to be safe”

Cuomo highlighted his stance on education, saying he wants to expand gifted and talented programs and keep mayoral control of the city school system — while Mamdani has floated weakening mayoral control and scaling gifted and talented programs back.

“Public schools, we have to do a better job, especially with those in black and brown communities,” Cuomo said. “I will make that a top priority.”

Cuomo joked about voters wanting a fresh face, telling the congregation, “I think my face is fairly fresh. I mean, it’s not right out of the box fresh. But there’s something to experience and wisdom.”

Outside the church, Cuomo addressed a gaggle of reporters, blasting Mamdani.

“Everybody has a little slogan and now they do a little TikTok dance and nothing changes,” he said. “His promises are all b.s. None of it will happen.”

Marcus Mims, 62, who lives across the street from the church, said he’d have worn his Sunday best if he knew Cuomo would be speaking.

“He helped the MTA. He helped us get our contracts. He helped us get our pensions,” the retired MTA worker said of Cuomo’s time as mayor. “Listen, he helped us.”

Brenda Rivera, 51, cheered and yelled “Vote Cuomo!” from her window. She said her family loves him for his relief efforts as governor when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2018.

“God Bless!” she yelled, adding, “We loved your father, also!” referring to former Gov. Mario Cuomo.

“He always did good by us,” she said. “I will never forget what he did for Puerto Rico.”