New Yorkers will elect their 111th mayor in 30 days. With a narrower field of candidates after Mayor Eric Adams abandoned his reelection bid last weekend, the remaining mayoral hopefuls are entering the final stretch of the race and eager to drum up late support from the faithful.
Here is how the three major mayoral candidates spent their Sunday — from church visits to paper shredding.
Mamdani on church podcast, hosts paper shredding
Democratic mayoral nominee and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani spent Sunday morning at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, where he discussed his campaign priorities before heading to Harlem for the first of two public paper shredding events hosted by the campaign.
While most church appearances on the campaign trail take the form of a stump speech address to congregants, Mamdani’s Sunday visit to Cornerstone looked different — as he sat for an interview with the church’s Senior Pastor Lawrence E. Aker III for the church’s podcast.
Aker began by asking Mamdani why he wanted to be mayor. Mamdani pointed to his identification as a democratic socialist and quoted Baptist minister and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.: “Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, there must be a better distribution of wealth for all God’s children in this country.”
The pastor asked Mamdani about his affordability plan for homeowners and renters concerned about the cost of housing and the cost of living, particularly in Brooklyn. Mamdani discussed rising displacement and gentrification across the city and specifically pointed out Bed-Stuy, where the church is located, as an example.
“We welcome those to join us in the city, but it cannot be at the cost of pushing those out who have made the city what it is,” Mamdani said. “And you can hold both of those things at the same time.”
Aker asked Mamdani how his mayoral administration would work with churches, particularly predominantly Black churches, noting how he won the primary “without the traditional support of African Americans or the African American Church” — Cuomo won majority Black neighborhoods by 16% in the primary.
“Ultimately, I am not owed any votes; I have to earn every vote, that’s my job,” Mamdani said. “It’s not just every Sunday, but also every Saturday morning that I am at church, and I am at a different church around this city.”
After his morning church interview, Mamdani headed to two afternoon public paper shredding events hosted by the campaign to encourage New Yorkers to “safely dispose of old bills, bank statements and documents you no longer need.”
At the first event, in Harlem, Mamdani campaigned with Assemblyman Al Taylor (D-Manhattan). At the second, in Mott Haven, he met with Council Member Diana Ayala (D-Bronx).
Cuomo addresses congregants, sits for Fox News interview
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running for mayor on an independent party line after a surprise loss to Mamdani in the primary, started his morning with an address to the congregants of First Central Baptist Church on Staten Island.
Cuomo has frequently pointed to his long career in politics as a primary selling point of his candidacy, jabbing at Mamdani, who turns 34 later this month and has been in politics for just five years. Mamdani has hit back at this line of attack by pointing out Cuomo’s various scandals, particularly allegations of sexual harassment that drove him to resign in 2021.
The former governor on Sunday discussed his work building affordable housing while sitting in President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, his role in building the new LaGuardia Airport, new Kennedy Airport, the Kosciuszko Bridge, and “reduced the fare on the Verrazzano [Bridge], not that anybody noticed.”
“I am excited about working in partnership with you and the reverend to bring your congregation, Staten Island, to a place higher than ever before,” Cuomo said.
After his appearance at First Central Baptist, Cuomo made an appearance on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo to discuss Mamdani’s relative lack of political experience and his most recent policy proposals, which Bartiromo discussed at the beginning of the segment.
The former governor said that, under Mamdani’s leadership, it would be “anarchy in New York City.”
Bartiromo asked Cuomo about his critics who are anti-Mamdani but are not convinced that Cuomo is the right pick. Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee, Guardian Angels founder, and animal rights activist vying for office, has been a virulent critic of both Mamdani and Cuomo.
Cuomo again cited his achievements as governor and housing secretary. He pointed to Mamdani’s relative lack of experience: “Mayor of New York should not be your first job,” he said.
After his Fox appearance, Cuomo headed to Brooklyn for the Sunset Park Parade.
Sliwa interviews with NY1, shakes hands across the city
In a morning interview with NY1’s Cheryl Wills, Republican nominee Sliwa discussed his plans for public safety and affordability, criticizing his opponents Cuomo and Mamdani. Sliwa is polling last among the three remaining candidates by a sizable margin.
Sliwa said the city needs to focus on filling New York City Housing Authority apartments that are sitting empty — landlords are hesitant to fill apartments, Sliwa said, due to what he described as weak landlord rights. Sliwa acknowledged rising costs and income taxes, particularly as they impact younger residents.
Wills asked Sliwa about the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration in New York City and across the country. In New York City, plainclothes masked ICE officers have been detaining and ramping up their use of force against immigrants arriving at 26 Federal Plaza for routine hearings.
Sliwa said the city needs to protect working people from overly aggressive enforcement.
“We have to figure out a way that they can stay or at least be able to work without having to hide in the shadows,” Sliwa said.
On public safety, the Republican candidate said he plans to hire more police officers and crack down on everyday crime.
After his appearance on NY1, Sliwa marched in the 88th Annual Pulaski Day Parade, of which he was formerly a grand marshal, in Midtown with his wife, Nancy Sliwa. He then campaigned at the 50th Annual Atlantic Antic Festival in Brooklyn and the Woodhaven Street Fair in Queens.
