Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani made a show of force in a Wednesday rally with powerful labor unions that now support his campaign after some of them backed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s failed primary bid.
Leaders and members of the unions — The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC), 32BJ SEIU, the New York State Nurses Association, and the Central Labor Council — gathered at HTC’s Midtown headquarters on July 2 to celebrate Mamdani’s decisive win in ranked-choice voting the previous day. Two of those unions, 32BJ and HTC, endorsed Cuomo in the primary and held an event at the same location with him just a couple of weeks ago, but have since switched to endorse Mamdani in the November general election.
Mamdani, a Queens Assembly member, said he believes his win with 543,344 votes — the most that any Democratic mayoral primary candidate has received since 1989 — is “a mandate to make this city affordable.” He beat Cuomo by 12 percentage points — nabbing 56% in the third round of ranked-choice to Cuomo’s 44%.
“I say the word mandate because this was the most votes any movement has received in 36 years in mayoral elections,” Mamdani said. “A mandate because we won this election by 12 points after just three rounds. And a mandate because New Yorkers deserve nothing less than a city where they do more than just struggle, a city where they can return to the dreams that brought them here in the first place.”
Mamdani won the primary by turning out young voters, first-time voters, and those who casted their ballots for President Trump in last year’s presidential election. He brought them together with a clear and concise message centered on lowering ballooning costs spread by a massive volunteer operation fanned out accross the five boroughs.
Unions see Mamdani as key ally
HTC President Rich Maroko said labor is now coalescing around Mamdani because his priorities align with their own: a focus on fighting for fair contracts and making the city more affordable for union members.
“First and foremost, he has made crystal clear that whenever there is a struggle, whenever there is a dispute between labor and management, he will be on our side,” Maroko said. “As mayor, he will be our ally. And labor and working New Yorkers, they need allies like Zohran in City Hall.”
Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ, said his members are “excited” about Mamdani’s “big, bold ideas” to make the city more affordable. He said the union is backing Mamdani also because of his personal immigrant story and dedication to defending newcomers, who make up most 32BJ members, from Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
“Zohran, your message, your life story, what you stand for, has deep meaning for 32BJ members,” Pastreich said. “At this moment when the political winds on immigration are blowing hard into our face, we know that we can count on you to have your feet planted very firmly.”
Changing winds of mayor’s race
Mamdani pulled off his win without the backing of most major labor unions in the primary. He earned the support of District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal workers’ union in the Democratic contest, as its second choice behind City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, but most other powerful labor groups lined up behind Cuomo.
However, since Cuomo’s crushing defeat at the hands of Mamdani last week his labor supporters have been quick to abandon him to back Mamdani instead. If Cuomo ultimately decides to actively campaign in the general election as an independent, a decision he is still weighing, he will do so without labor standing behind him.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, an influential figure in New York political circles, urged Cuomo to sit out the general election on Wednesday.
The unions have also quickly picked Mamdani over incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is attemping to secure four more years in City Hall on his own independent ballot line. Adams was endorsed by most of the major labor unions in his successful 2021 campaign.
But the mayor is reportedly courting support among the city’s business community and real estate industry, whose leaders are scrambling to find an alternative to Mamdani.
