Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Alessa Adhikari
The 2025 New York City mayoral general election, scheduled for November 4, has become a three-way race after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams withdrew in late September. The candidates, vying for the city’s top office, now include Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, who emerged from a competitive primary with a progressive agenda focused on affordability; former governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an Independent candidate appealing to moderate voters after his primary loss; and the Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, a conservative activist and founder of Guardian Angels, a group of volunteer crime fighters.
“If you’re not voting for Zohran, you’re probably going to be paying for the bus.” said Wilianna Then (‘26), a City College student from Washington Heights who plans to vote for Zohran Mamdani in the upcoming mayoral race. Then adds “We should not have to pay for the MTA as New Yorkers, because we already pay so much taxes.” Support for Mamdani’s free bus plan echoed across campus as students overwhelmingly voiced their support for Mamdani in the upcoming mayoral race.
The mayoral general election comes at a time when young New Yorkers face the rising cost of living, unreliable MTA services, and uncertainty about their safety, status and future in the city. Tayiba Miah (‘27) from Queens feels Mamdani sees the needs of her community and is focusing on all aspects of New York City life. Planning to vote for Mamdani, Miah says, “He considers how people everyday live, and go to work and want to see their businesses and small businesses thrive, but also see their community grow.”
Franchesca Thomas (‘29) from East Harlem cited her frustration with rising rent prices in her support for Mamdani. Thomas said, “The rent increases every single year, and my parents don’t have money to afford the rent due to their low income jobs.” She will be voting for Mamdani because of his policies to make housing affordable to New Yorkers.
But not everyone is convinced. Jaden Rocha (‘26) voiced support for another ballot candidate: Curtis Sliwa. Rocha expressed support for Sliwa, stating, “He is planning on putting safety back on the streets. And the police back on the streets.” Jaden expressed support for Mamdani’s affordable housing policies, but feels Mamdani’s proposed “removal of the gang investigation unit is a terrible idea.” Rocha elaborated, “It doesn’t work. It’s only going to embolden criminals and we just need to lock. them. up. Plain and simple. Talk their language. The only way is by locking them up, being aggressive towards them and of course, protecting women.”
On the other hand, Ruth Tavira expresses dissatisfaction at the high level of policing in the city, and the under funding of other city resources like the library; “I don’t feel very safe around [the police], which is unfortunate. Not all of them, but generally, I feel like sometimes when there’s more police, they don’t do anything.” She acknowledges other candidates, the familiar Andrew Cuomo and names like Adrienne Adams which have not been in the mayoral spotlight, but reiterates that she needs to see something different.
Ruth brought up another common sentiment among students, they seem “to be over politics.” Many of our students admitted they have not followed the race due to busy schedules, skepticism of politics and confusion with the voting process. Julie Malec (‘26), a student from Staten Island explained, “I’m not voting because I haven’t done it before, and the process is kind of confusing.” When asked who her choice would be if she were to vote, she chose Mamdani and described him as a man who seems to stay true to his mission, and doesn’t want or need to be backed by billions of dollars of funding from dubious investors.
The dominant belief on campus is clear: Zohran Mamdani has captured the attention of student voters. Citywide polls also show Mamdani in the lead, with Andrew Cuomo behind him. Whether that energy will spark broader political change is yet to be seen. CUNY offers a range of resources like the CUNY Votes initiative to help you register, stay informed and cast your ballot.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/nyc-mayoral-election-polls-2025.html
https://www.cuny.edu/register-to-vote/
