New York Mayor Eric Adams did not mince his words about his disapproval of what he called the large number of “nasty” Gen Z voters supporting Zhoran Mamdani, the democratic socialist candidate leading the race for NYC mayor.
“I have never witnessed a more mean and angry and nasty electoral season — and not all of Zohran’s voters are, but a substantial number of them,” Adams, 65, told the New York Post about his 33-year-old opponent’s following in an interview published Saturday.
“You know, when you sit in a restaurant with a family, a family restaurant, children are there, and you’re sitting down with your loved ones and family, and someone is yelling out, ‘F you!’ Cursing!”
“Or walking into a church, a synagogue, and someone is just cursing and yelling … That has never been like this before in the city … People are ‘F U Adams! F you!’ … When you do it in front of children, it says to me you have no regard for the civility that’s associated with living in a city of this magnitude,” he said.
Adams accused left-leaning schools and institutions of radicalizing young people, claiming they are being taught to hate their city and country, which is a trend, he says, that must be addressed.
“A lot of young people are going on, doing great things, going to school — but a substantial pocket of our young people have been radicalized in the city through a number of means: our school campuses, through social media, through their peer groups. The radicalization is real,” he said.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Mamdani for comment.
In April, Adams announced he would skip the June Democratic primary and instead run as an independent in the general mayoral election.
Adams is pitching himself as a middle-ground option against what he calls Mamdani’s “radical” ideas. He says he is trying to appeal to moderate Democrats, Republicans, and independents who feel left behind by the city’s progressive turn. His campaign focuses heavily on public safety, practical economics, and traditional values, while painting Mamdani as someone who doesn’t get what it takes to run a big, diverse city like New York.
However, Adams has faced heavy scrutiny over corruption charges and ties to the Trump administration. Indicted in 2024 for bribery and illegal foreign donations, his case was controversially dismissed by the Trump-led DOJ earlier this year, prompting backlash and concerns over political interference.
A judge dismissed the case "with prejudice" in April, blocking any future prosecution.
Meanwhile, Mamdani has surged to become the Democratic frontrunner in the upcoming November 4 NYC mayoral election.
A democratic socialist and State Assembly member since 2020, Mamdani has energized Gen Z and working-class voters with progressive proposals like rent freezes, free public transit, and universal child care.
Born in Uganda to Indian parents and raised in Queens, Mamdani’s rapid rise has alarmed conservatives and moderates, drawing criticism over his policies, identity, and lack of executive experience, while supporters see him as a symbol of a generational political shift.
Much of the outrage stems from how quickly Mamdani went from political outsider to serious contender. He won his primary against better-known candidates, most notably Andrew Cuomo, by mobilizing new and disaffected voters, particularly among Gen Z and immigrant communities.
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