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With election day on Tuesday, many Syracuse University students from New York City voted in primaries, voted early or are submitting mail-in ballots in the city’s mayoral race that’s garnered national attention.

While the city of Syracuse will see several elections for mayoral and public office seats, many SU students will be voting at home through an absentee ballot. The NYC metro area is home to 4,800 SU Students, according to SU’s website. The NYC mayoral race includes three candidates — Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo.

Highlighting the densely populated city, SU junior Willa Bradshaw said the election is important and will impact many people across the city’s five boroughs.

“New York has such a strong political influence, and I do think that whoever there is has a big voice nationally,” Bradshaw said.

Mamdani identifies himself as a democratic socialist, whereas Cuomo is focusing on a centrist campaign as an independent. Sliwa has been called an “eccentric” Republican.

SU senior Catherine McCarthy, who’s lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan her entire life, said the election is “crucial.” She said being raised in the city — a place she said was the “most important” in the world — has helped her to be more independent and a “free thinker.”

“There’s a lot riding on this election,” McCarthy said. “There’s a lot of hope as well. I’ve seen lots of people speaking out this election, even if they’re not from New York City.”

The most recent polls suggest Mamdani has a 10 to 20 point advantage in most surveys, The New York Times reported. BBC News called it a “comfortable lead.”

Young New Yorkers have played a major role throughout this election, NYC Votes reported. Voters aged 18 to 29 had the highest turnout of any age group during the primary election.

Throughout the course of his campaign, Mamdani has gained popularity with Generation Z and millennials. Securing the democratic nomination in June, NPR called his primary win an “upset,” beating former New York Gov. Cuomo.

In a March campaign video, Mamdani pledged to make every bus “fast and free” as part of his platform to improve public transportation affordability. On his website, he outlined his plan to deploy workers in 100 subway stations to improve safety and a sense of security.

While growing up in the city’s Brooklyn Heights neighborhood and taking public transportation, Bradshaw said she’s seen many parts of the city and said it needs help.

Bradshaw was inspired to vote for Mamdani in the primaries after hearing his plans for public safety and addressing the city’s homeless population. She said the city needs “new blood” and believes Mamdani has proven himself to be smart and dedicated to being a leader, listening to the concerns of residents.

“The city is changing so much now with social media, there’s a huge shift and Mamdani is very tapped into that,” Bradshaw said. “It’s time for someone else to take over.”

The state assemblyman and democratic socialist is running on a platform of affordability, promising to lower the cost of living for working-class New Yorkers, according to his website.

McCarthy emphasized how important affordability is to her, saying the city has gotten “extremely” expensive due to the number of people moving in from other locations.

As a senior planning to move back to the city after graduation, McCarthy said her future return makes politics within New York City much more important to her. She said not living in the city would “crush” her, but she’s concerned about rising rent.

“As someone who’s lived in New York City my whole life, it has truly gotten out of control,” McCarthy said. “I’m really hoping that whoever wins really does make affordability a priority and makes it easier for New Yorkers to continue living in a city.”

SU junior Daisy Polowetzky said she also plans to move back to the city after graduation, saying that decision makes her think about housing in this election.

As a magazine, news and digital journalism major, entering a future career field she called “not the most lucrative,” Polowetsky wanted a candidate who would make the city more affordable for young people. She decided Mamdani was her best choice.

Polowetzky said he wasn’t her initial first choice in the primaries, but now believes Mamdani was the better choice compared to Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 after sexual harassment allegations.

“I just couldn’t see myself voting for the other candidates,” she said. “Specifically with Cuomo, he has sexual harassment allegations, and as a woman, I couldn’t feel morally right about voting for someone like that.”

Cuomo is running as an independent after losing the primary to Mamdani, on a platform of public safety, affordability and education and childcare.

Polowetzky said she’s used to seeing middle-aged white men candidates, a demographic she said “doesn’t excite her” about voting or politics. She said Cuomo’s “fancy apartment” and family political history make her feel that he comes from “a lot of privilege.”

“I don’t understand why he thinks that he would be a good mayor,” she said.

Mamdani has recently come under fire for saying, “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF” in 2023.

The American Jewish Committee, a nonprofit global advocacy organization, said it’s “deeply troubled” by several of Mamdani’s statements.

In a statement to The Daily Orange, SU junior Lila Kloss said Mamdani’s comments regarding Israel will “impact” a lot of people, considering New York City’s large Jewish population.

She said she’s heard both negative and positive things for both Mamdani and Cuomo.

“It is really becoming a voting for the lesser evil situation,” Kloss wrote.

On Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump endorsed Cuomo, saying that if Mamdani wins, he will withhold federal funding from New York City. Cuomo rejected the endorsement.

Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, won the Republican primary in June. McCarthy said he’s been a part of New York City politics for a while and has an older base.

“A lot of younger people don’t really have a lot of hope for him as a candidate,” she said.

During a debate on Oct. 22, Sliwa gained attention after his usage of Gen Z slang and has appeared in memes across social media platforms. TikTok compilation videos of him have reached millions of viewers, with users saying he is a “forever NYC icon.”

Brawshaw said she’s only seen Sliwa through these videos and doesn’t believe he’s a serious candidate. She said a New York City mayor, who has national and international power, should exude professionalism rather than Gen Z humor.

Polowetzky said she agreed with some things Sliwa said, mentioning a comment he made during his campaign that a democratic socialist being elected was “nothing new” and “nothing to fear,” The New Yorker reported.

She called the statement “admirable,” saying many are unfairly bashing Mamdani for his socialist views. However, she mentioned that Sliwa has previously been on the ballot and lost, saying she doesn’t view him as the “most legitimate candidate.”

Early voting ended on Nov. 2 and over 735,000 New Yorkers have already cast their ballots, The Times reported. Most recent polls show Mamdani in the lead with around 40% of the vote, Cuomo with roughly 35% and Sliwa at around 15%, according to The Times.

McCarthy said while she understands that voting, especially submitting an absentee ballot, may not be the first priority for busy students, but emphasized the importance of casting a vote.

“I hope that everyone uses their voices and votes this election,” she said.

Published on November 4, 2025 at 1:35 am
Contact Sydney: sadepiet@syr.edu