So was this the wake up call that the Republicans did not take seriously in the last four months? Or is the new playbook to energize young first time voters whose parents moved to New York City and do not feel a part of the previous fabric of society?
This was the talk and the buzz at the Andrew Cuomo Manhattan headquarters as members of the media and supporters watched the overhead video screens wondering what all of this will mean for the City and where it will go next in the country.
Tempers did flare when the discussion centered on what republican candidate Curtis Sliwa should have done when the party asked – withdraw from the race and help move his supporters to Cuomo – but Curtis is Curtis and vowed he would never quit.
Curtis stayed in to the end and got just 7 percent of the vote compared to more than 50 percent for Mamdani and over 41 percent for the former governor.
So would Curtis dropping out weeks ago have mattered? Depends on who you ask at this point.
So while it was sad to see how Andrew Cuomo has most likely ended his long political career – he handled his concession speech in a dignified manner wishing the mayor elect the very best as it directly affects the lives of New Yorkers.
Cuomo did make it clear that he felt a strong need to run and this was a battle that needed to happen for many personal and civic reasons.
Now onto Brooklyn, where the 34 year old incoming mayor of the financial capital of the world will have his work cut out for him – being the first ever Muslim mayor of this diverse city, the youngest in over 100 years and at the crossroads of everything including what his relationship with Donald Trump will be.
So as Andrew Cuomo thanked his supporters and headed off to figure out what he will do next, Curtis Sliwa has some serious soul searching and fence mending to do.
We will closely cover Zohran Mamdani now and through his inauguration ceremony in January.
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