Eric Kober There’s No Hope for the Center-Right in New York’s Mayoral Race Reformers’ failure to gain traction can be explained, in part, by the political bases of Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo.

https://www.city-journal.org/article/theres-no-hope-for-the-center-right-in-new-yorks-mayoral-race

Many center-right commentators argue that the 2025 New York City Democratic primary candidates have failed to confront the city’s core challenges: excessive spending, high taxes, and heavy regulation. They contend that residents receive inadequate services in return and that the city, rather than fostering economic competitiveness, relies on its fading prestige to retain affluent residents and major firms in finance and professional services. This view has more influence online and on podcasts than among the electorate. Investor and philanthropist Whitney Tilson, who has made many of these arguments, is polling at 1 percent in the primary.

The center-right’s failure to gain traction can be explained, in part, by the coalitions behind the two leading candidates. Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo has assembled a base made up of groups largely content with the status quo and looking to him to preserve it. His principal challenger, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, draws support from those dissatisfied with the current system—but who see the solution as more public spending and higher taxes.

A recent analysis by local political commentator Michael Lange demonstrates how this situation materialized. Lange divides New York City’s State Assembly districts into seven categories, ranking them from most favorable to Mamdani to most favorable to Cuomo.